Summary
- Dawn Meehan's emotionally devastating Survivor experience led to a literal breakdown and hospitalization.
- Meehan's struggle with Survivor's emotional toll highlights the impact the game can have on players.
- Despite her difficult experience, Meehan's openness to playing Survivor again shows the show's lasting allure.
After new Survivor fans figure out the best seasons to watch first, they will learn how dramatic the show can be. After all, Survivor players can do things like suffer severe injuries or become one of the show's biggest villains.
Sadly for Survivor players, some of them also suffer after leaving the show, including Kat Edorsson who was arrested. In Dawn Meehan's case, she struggled so much after filming her second Survivor season that she had a "literal breakdown" and was hospitalized.
This article will reveal why Dawn Meehan was so affected by Survivor that she had to be hospitalized. Then, the article will look at whether Meehan would consider playing Survivor again despite how much she struggled.
Dawn Meehan Was Hospitalized After Having A "Literal Breakdown" Because Of Survivor
When Dawn Meehan played Survivor the first time, she played the game with her heart. However, During Meehan's second time competing on Survivor, she made the conscious decision to be more cutthroat.
Since Meehan cared about people, playing the game hard took an obvious toll on her. Then, a fellow player named Brenda Lowe took out her anger at Meehan by telling her to remove her retainer on camera to get her vote.
Years later, in August 2020, Meehan spoke to Entertainment Weekly about her Survivor experience. As Meehan explained to the outlet, her second Survivor was so emotionally devastating that she was hospitalized.
When a season of Survivor ends, it can be shocking for the players who make it to the end to realize the game is over. In most cases, the Survivors who plead their case to the jury begin the process of flying home the next day. That kind of emotional whiplash would be hard for anyone to deal with.
In Meehan's case, she also had to deal with the emotional fallout of feeling humiliated. During Meehan's EW interview, she explained that she was struggling so much emotionally that Survivor's team hospitalized her.
"After season 26, I had a literal breakdown. From the minute I left final Tribal Council, I was positive that I've done some kind of damage to my thinking... So season 26 was a HARD exit from the game. I was taken to the hospital in Manila."
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Since most Survivor fans watch the show from the comfort of their living room, it may seem shocking that Meehan was so distraught. However, many Survivor players have spoken about the massive impact that the game had on them emotionally. With that in mind, it is wonderful to know that Survivor's medical team took good care of Meehan.
In March 2024, Jeff Probst spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how the medical team decides how to treat players. While discussing why a player was medically evacuated, Probst explained the same mentality that also explains why Survivor's team was so careful with Meehan. “Situations like this are really unfortunate because even though it may only be a slight risk, the health of the player is always our number one concern."
During Meehan's aforementioned EW interview, she explained to the outlet what happened after she was checked into a hospital. As Meehan explained, she and the show's psychologist spent extra time together so she could try to examine what she'd been through.
"I spent a few extra days in Manila with Dr. Liza—processing it all."
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To the great credit of the team behind Survivor, they didn't stop caring for Meehan after she left that hospital. Instead, Meehan told Entertainment Weekly that the show's team did even more to try to help her go back to her normal life.
First off, Meehan explained that the show's psychologist traveled to America with her. The psychologist did that so she could meet with Meehan's husband to help him understand the emotional turmoil his wife was going through. On top of that, Meehan told EW that Survivor's two main bosses checked in on her.
"[Dr. Liza] even flew home with me and met with Dave to explain what had been happening. The show took really good care of me. Jeff Probst and Mark Burnett both spent time with me on the phone. That meant a great deal."
During the same interview with EW, Meehan elaborated on how upset she was after filming her second season of Survivor.
How far did Dawn Meehan get during her two seasons of Survivor?
| Season Title: | Season Number: | Dawn Meehan's Placement: |
| Survivor: South Pacific | 23 | 9th Eliminated/3rd Jury Member |
| Survivor: Caramoan (Fans vs. Favorites 2) | 26 | Never Eliminated/One Of Two Runners-Up |
As Meehan explained, she had been so embarrassed by her fake teeth that she didn't even tell some of her kids. Having that secret exposed on national television therefore left Meehan feeling devastated. It truly is a shame that anyone feels deeply embarrassed by any aspect of their looks.
"I immediately felt shame and worry that I had embarrassed my family... that my family, friends, and students would see me without my retainer. Some of our younger kids didn't know I even had the retainer."
Would Dawn Meehan Ever Play Survivor Again?
Considering how distraught Dawn Meehan was after playing Survivor a second time, it may seem like a no-brainer that she would be done with the show. However, it is important to note that Survivor history proves that things aren't that simple.
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In March 2019, Men's Health published an article about the gross things that Survivor players go through. That article revealed that the three-time player Andrea Boehlke told the outlet that she was hospitalized for a week after her third time playing. Boehlke got a kidney infection that was so bad that it also weakened her heart at the time.
Despite all that, Boehlke told Men's Health that she didn't regret playing Survivor. "Still, it's all worth it for the experience, right? Maybe I'm crazy."
Given that Boehlke didn't have regrets after all that, it certainly seems possible that Meehan would consider playing again.
In February 2018, Meehan answered ten questions that were sent to her from a website called From the Desk. One of those questions that Meehan answered for the website was if she would play Survivor a third time. Amazingly enough, Meehan didn't outright dismiss the idea of playing Survivor again.
"I’m not sure I can see playing a third time, so I don’t know how my game would change. I just feel extremely lucky to have played at all. Making it to the end is such an incredible thing; I’m proud of that achievement (even though I didn’t win the million dollars)."
In this long-running reality competition show, sixteen people are split into two tribes and must survive off the land in various rural locales. Each week, they compete in challenges for resources, luxuries, or immunity — and each week, one person is voted out by their teammates, losing their chance at being the sole Survivor.
- Release Date
- May 31, 2000
- Network
- CBS
- Showrunner
- Jeff Probst
- Seasons
- 49
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu
