Mariano was seemingly overconfident on the island, usually a sure way to get your self voted off, at one point he even suggested he might take the immunity idol home as a souvenir rather than play it
Sunday night, he was crowned the winner of Survivor: Redemption Island, receiving his $1 million check on The Early Show Monday. He also earned an additional $100,000 for being voted the fan favorite.
Mariano surprised his fiancée Amber by telling her that he was voted off in the final four and kept his win a secret from her until the finale aired.
When asked if he’d return to the show, he said, “At this point, there would be no point. I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to ever accomplish with ‘Survivor,’ so I’m happy with my legacy the way it stands.”
The two-hour finale, Survivor averaged 13.1 million and a 4.0 rating and Mariano’s
Television future looks bright, since he’s now booked a deal with his own History Channel reality show, Around the World in 80 Ways, where he will attempt to travel the world using 80 different modes of transportation.