Vegetarian Contestant Forced To Eat Meat After Vowing Not To “Harm Anything With A Heartbeat”

A deleted scene from Survivor 47 shows a vegetarian contestant eating meat for the first time in more than seven years.

Kyle Ostwald and fellow star TK Foster were seen crab hunting in an exclusive clip from episode 2 of the reality show. 

Beforehand, Ostwald had made it clear he wasn’t going to eat the crabs since his diet didn’t include anything that doesn’t “grow in the dirt.” But the lack of nourishment from his surroundings forced him to make an exception.

A reality show star, who is vegetarian, ate meat for the first time in almost a decade due to harsh environmental conditions

Image credits: HMP Contests

Survivor places a group of castaways on an isolated island where they must provide food, fire, and shelter for themselves, a constant test of contestants’ physical and mental abilities.

As Ostwald competed on the forty-seventh season of the show, viewers could see one of these mental challenges in play as he made his way to the Tiku tribe beach with Foster and Gabe Ortis.

The three cooked a previously caught crab, and Ostwald had his first taste of meat in a long time.

“How’s it taste?” Ortis asked on camera.

“Like I’m doing something wrong,” Ostwald answered.

Image credits: Entertainment Weekly

Although the star was reassured by his teammates that he was doing the right thing, it didn’t take long before Ostwald started regretting his decision. 

“Today, I broke down and had a bite of crab,” the player said.

“To go seven-plus into eight years with only eating things that were grown from the earth itself — I haven’t harmed anything with a heartbeat in a long time — I finally felt so low to the point where I was willing to break that dedication that I had to myself.”

Ostwald’s tribemates reassured him that he made the right decision as he battled between his need for sustenance and his morals

Image credits: Entertainment Weekly

“This is nurturing you through your family,” said another contestant as Ostwald was seen struggling.

After a moment, the star came to terms with his reluctant choice.

“I have family back home, people that I’m trying to inspire and people I’m trying to provide for, and I can’t do it if I don’t eat,” he said.

Image credits: Entertainment Weekly

“If I’m going to continue to provide for my family, and I’m going to have what it takes to go the distance, I’m going to have to do things that I’m not comfortable with.”

Ostwald continued, “I have to do what I have to do for me and to keep myself from diminishing to a point where I’m a liability to a tribe. I want my children, my fiancée, to look like, ‘Wow, you inspired me. I’m proud of you.’” 

Ostwald is determined to win the show’s grand prize, hoping to set his family up for success

Image credits: Entertainment Weekly

The 31-year-old Cheboygan native has been a fan of the show even before he found himself on his way to Fiji to compete for the promised $1M. 

“You’re gonna watch a boy run like you’ve never seen a boy run before,” he said in an interview with Daily Tribune.

Image credits: Entertainment Weekly

His motivation to win the reality show all comes down to his loved ones. Ostwald is currently rebuilding the home he grew up in to create a stable life for his fiancée, 1-year-old daughter, and newborn baby son. 

The star said his upbringing was “a big challenge” as his family frequently faced financial insecurities, so he’s willing to take any opportunity to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

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