Janu Tornell is a contestant from Survivor: Palau.
A member of the dominant Koror tribe, Janu managed to get through the first half of the game unscathed but was outside of the majority alliance with Coby Archa. After being the first person to ever visit Exile Island, she had a revelation and decided to quit the game to save Stephenie LaGrossa from impending doom.
Profile[]
Retrieved from CBS.com
As a child, Janu Tornell never aspired to be a showgirl. Tornell's Cuban-born mother, Maria, was a famous showgirl in Havana, but Tornell did not find her calling until many life experiences later and considers her mother one of her greatest inspirations for overcoming the hardships of life, including a successful battle with cancer. Tornell is equally inspired by her father, Juan, as he always told her that every experience in life gives you endurance.
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tornell attended Valley High School. She then spent time in Spain before moving to Los Angeles. She attended Los Angeles Valley Community College before moving back to Las Vegas to finish her studies and pursue a career as a showgirl. In 2004, after 20 years, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She most recently worked as the lead showgirl for a major Las Vegas hotel, performing two shows per night, six days per week. She also models. Tornell was previously employed as a restaurant manager, waitress and administrative assistant. Additionally, she was named 1989 Miss Nevada USA and was first runner-up in Miami's 1990 Miss Nuestra Belleza competition.
In her spare time, Tornell enjoys travelling, scuba diving, swimming, body surfing, reading, rock climbing and watching foreign films. She describes herself as honest, fun, outgoing and strong-minded. She is fluent in Spanish, Italian, French and English. Her hero is Audrey Hepburn for her talent, goodwill, beauty and her ability to be most beautiful to the least fortunate.
Tornell is an active member of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild.[1]
Survivor[]
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | None | Race to Shore | Immunity | Lost | |
| Koror | Supply Dump | Reward/Immunity | No | Won | |
| 2 | The Gauntlet | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Heads Up | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 3 | By Any Means Necessary | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Hot Pursuit | Immunity | Yes | Won | ||
| 4 | Build a Better Bathroom | Reward | Yes | Won | |
| Sumo at Sea | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 5 | Sea Salvage | Reward | Yes | Won | |
| 6 | Shooting Gallery | Reward | Yes | Lost | |
| Build It Up, Break It Down | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 7 | S.O.S. | Reward | Yes | Won | |
| Floating Puzzle | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 8 | Cool Hand Balut | Reward | Yes | Won | |
| Under Current | Immunity | Yes | Won | ||
| 9 | Perch | Immunity | Lost | ||
| 10 | Water Tower | Reward | Won | ||
| Last Gasp | Immunity | Lost | |||
| Quit, Day 27 | |||||
Post-Survivor[]
- On January 9, 2010, Janu attended Survivor's 10th anniversary party.
- Janu appeared on KTNV on March 31, 2024, talking about the closing of the Tropicana in Las Vegas where she used to perform.
Trivia[]
- Janu and Jenn Lyon hold the record for most tribal challenges sat out in a single season, with seven each.
- Janu is the first castaway in Survivor history to be sent to Exile Island.
- Janu is the lowest-placing woman from Koror.
- Janu is the first player to quit at the jury stage of the game and the first woman to quit the game in their first season.
- Janu is the only player to quit specifically to save another player.
- Janu is the first player to quit and still have her final words aired.
- Janu has won the most challenges out of anyone who has quit the game, with 12.
- Janu's fellow Koror tribemate Coby Archa named his adopted daughter after Janu.
- Coby Archa claims that Janu was considered for Micronesia, but was not chosen.[2]
- Janu's quit is responsible for the inclusion of NaOnka Mixon and Kelly Shinn on the jury upon quitting in Nicaragua. Host Jeff Probst explained "We had set a precedent. We let Janu stay on the jury so we let NaOnka and Purple Kelly on the jury as well".[3]
References[]
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20211025201201/https://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/cast/20670/
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20090928002613/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/survivor/jeff-probst-talks-survivor-mic-16163.aspx
- ↑ http://www.today.com/popculture/probst-why-quitters-are-allowed-survivor-jury-1C9381468
| Survivor: Palau Castaways | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
