Island of the Idols (twist)

Island of the Idols is a twist used in  and is the titular twist of its 39th season.

Premise
The Island of the Idols appears to be a variation of where castaways may wager their vote to play a game of chance in exchange for game advantages. However, instead of a lottery, castaways will be mentored by two former Survivor winners, Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine.

The island prominently features giant busts of Rob and Sandra. While both mentors are not competing for the million dollar prize, they live under the same conditions as the actual contestants, albeit with better supplies and rations.

At random points in the game, castaways will be banished to the Island of the Idols, where they will be welcomed by Rob and Sandra. The mentors will teach the castaways survival skills and winning strategies. The survivors will then be given a choice to take the mentor's challenge. If a castaway accepts and passes the challenge, the mentors will award them an advantage in the game such as Hidden Immunity Idols or Extra Votes. However, if a castaway loses the challenge, the contestant loses the right to vote the next time he or she visits Tribal Council.

Previous disadvantages imposed by Exile Island and Ghost Island such as the castaways being away from their tribe, ostensibly from its social dynamics, remain.

Trivia

 * Rob and Sandra are actually the second and third Survivor winners to return as mentors to the current group of castaways, following John Cochran who appeared in, though only for one episode.