What Happened to Todd Herzog After Season 15
Daniel Foster Todd Herzog won Survivor: China. From controversial Dr. Phil appearances to Funk Pops, here's everything Todd's up to since Survivor season 15.
Todd Herzog from Survivor: China season 15 has a harrowing story since his big victory, and we have everything there is to know about this Survivor winner's life since competing on the show. Todd triumphantly competed his way through Survivor: China in 2007, but his true trial came in the years following his success on the competition show. From his marriage to his ongoing struggles with alcoholism, here's everything Todd has been up to since winning Survivor: China.
Before joining the cast of Survivor season 15, Todd was living a pretty noteworthy life. As an openly gay Mormon who traveled the world as a flight attendant, Todd was not necessarily a typical competitor on Survivor: China. At the age of 22, Todd started his journey on reality TV. During his season, Todd made it to the top through his cunning calculations and eight challenge wins. Additionally, Todd did well in physical challenges and made alliances with competitors like Survivor: Micronesia's Amanda Kimmel. Even though Todd burned many of his bridges by the finale of his season, he was still able to appeal to the jurors' reason and demonstrate that he had played the best game out of the finalists. Todd ultimately won four of the seven council votes.
While his victory on Survivor: China took great skill and endurance, Todd Herzog's greatest challenges came in the years following his triumph. In 2009, Todd started dating fellow Survivor star Spencer Duhm. Unfortunately, their relationship fizzled out relatively quickly. On top of dating fellow reality TV star, Todd remained active in the Survivor franchise in the years after his win. In 2009, for instance, Todd appeared in the Survivor Millionaires: Where Are They Now? special, which explored where the earliest Survivor winners were in the late 2000s. In 2010, Todd continued his victory lap with the reality competition show and attended Survivor's 10-year anniversary event. However, the 2010s proved to be a trying period for Todd. After the fame and success that came from his victory on season 15, Todd reached a breaking point.
In 2013, Todd opened up about his struggles with alcoholism. The world got a disturbing look into Todd's illness when he appeared on Dr. Phil in late 2013. Todd's first Dr. Phil appearance lives on in infamy as he was unable to walk onto the stage without help. Although Todd was intoxicated, he spoke with Dr. Phil about his relationship with alcohol and his addiction. The episode ended with Todd agreeing to go to rehab. Todd received support from fellow Survivor alumni Courtney Yates and Survivor season 40 contender Sandra Diaz-Twine. Then, Todd reportedly spent hundreds of days sober following his hard-to-watch Dr. Phil debut.
Todd returned to Dr. Phil in 2016 after his mother revealed that Todd had relapsed. In 2017, Todd spoke out about his Dr. Phil experience and claimed that he was put in a compromising situation behind the scenes. Todd alleged that he was left alone with a full bottle of vodka and was handed a Xanax before making his Dr. Phil debut. Dr. Phil and his team denied Todd's claims, but many fans feel like the Survivor winner was exploited by the producers of the talk show. While his time on Dr. Phil remains controversial, Todd has successfully remained sober since 2017.
In 2019, Todd got engaged to his boyfriend, Jesse. The couple tied the knot on November 11, 2020. In addition to marriage, Todd took up a new hobby since his reality television days. Todd makes custom Funko Pops that fans can order online. Todd's Instagram, @toddherzog, is entirely dedicated to his current business of making Funko Pops based on a variety of pop culture characters. From contestants on Survivor to superheroes, Todd has hundreds of posts dedicated to his Funk Pops and over 14,000 followers who enjoy his content. Alas, even though Todd had a successful run on Survivor: China, he faced unprecedented obstacles after his reality television win.
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