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Noura Salman is a contestant on Survivor: Island of the Idols.

Noura's erratic and hyperactive personality put her on the chopping block on several occasions as she was seen as untrustworthy and a loose cannon, though she managed to stay in the game as bigger targets emerged. Despite her eccentricity, she proved to be a savvy player at times, playing a role in Molly Byman and Aaron Meredith's eliminations. Noura also proved her strength in individual challenges, winning three, including the Final Immunity Challenge. However, her gameplay was criticized by the jury, who believed that she was operating on her emotions instead of strategy, resulting in her finishing in as the second runner-up with no votes to win.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com

Age: 36
Hometown: London / Bethesda, Maryland
Current residence: North Potomac, Maryland
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Hobbies: Working out, creating healthy foods and beverages in the kitchen, traveling, and social media posting on self-help, food, and fitness.
Pet peeves: People lacking personal hygiene and table manners. I also cannot stand or be friends with people who are selfish, self-absorbed, or stingy.
Three words to describe you: Ambitious, passionate, and energetic.
What accomplishment are you most proud of? Experiencing the world, living in many places, trying many jobs, careers, and businesses. Exploring many different people and relationships; going out on my own and making my own living and path best suited for me!
Who or what is your inspiration in life? My mom. She is the most generous, loving, thoughtful, hardworking, and humble person I know. She has always encouraged us to "be ourselves" and do what makes us happy. She struggled financially for 20 years and emotionally in her marriage to my dad, but still gave us the world—happily and gracefully.
What's one thing we wouldn't know from seeing a photo of you? I love frogs. I don't drink and have never done a drug or smoked a cigarette in my life.
Which Survivor contestant are you most like? Malcolm. Physically strong and great at puzzles and problem solving and genuinely liked by most people. And easy on the eyes. But underestimated with a low threat-factor like Fabio and Jud.[sic]
What's your primary motivation for being on Survivor? Finally use all of my talents, skills, and abilities and push myself to the highest physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual limits I've ever reached.
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor? I'm multidimensional and not just one thing or person. I'm the nerd, jock, and model with brains, brawn, and beauty. Most importantly, I have the social skills needed to both win and influence people, and relentless drive to go after what I want.[1]

Survivor[]

Noura was initially placed on the Vokai tribe. When Jason Linden was being targeted for presumably searching for a Hidden Immunity Idol early on, Noura felt compelled to alert him. Despite forming a tight bond, they were still in trouble as they faced the prospect of going to Tribal Council on Day 6 on the outside of the majority. Though Noura's personality and camplife antics began to rub some players the wrong way, Noura identified that Molly Byman was in a powerful position. Others would come to that realization too and blindside Molly that night.

On Day 9, Noura got the opportunity to visit the Island of the Idols, where she received the opportunity to win a Vote Blocker if she could convince her tribe to let her be the caller in the upcoming Immunity Challenge. Noura rushed into this challenge to the surprise of Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine. After getting caught up in her lies and performing poorly during their practice time at camp, Vokai chose to sit Noura out of the challenge, though they still ended up winning.

Though Noura lost her vote at her next Tribal Council due to failing the task, she found herself in the majority on the new Lairo tribe after a tribe switch on Day 12. When Lairo lost the next Immunity Challenge, Noura joined the original Vokai contingent to vote out Tom Laidlaw, but quickly tried to target her original tribemates Jack Nichting and Jamal Shipman for targeting her before the switch. Noura would get this opportunity when Kellee Kim recruited her in a plan to vote out Jack on Day 19. Kellee gave Dean Kowalski an idol, which after being played, meant that Noura's vote helped send Jack out of the game in a 2-0 blindside. However, after returning to camp, Noura ratted Kellee out, drawing an angry reaction from Kellee.

When the tribes merged into the Lumuwaku tribe the following day, Noura was part of the coalition that attempted to take out Dan Spilo, but after that plan failed, she briefly found herself in the outs. A Double Tribal Council twist on Day 27 saw Noura win her first individual Immunity Challenge. As part of the purple team, Noura was keen on taking out physical threat Aaron Meredith before outsider Janet Carbin, thus helping to send Aaron home that night. With the numbers back under the Vokai Alliance's control, Noura appeared to be in a comfortable position. At the loved ones' challenge on Day 31, Noura was able to see her sister Lana. However, Noura would not be picked by Janet and Tommy Sheehan to go on reward, causing her to go on a long tirade directed at her original tribemates. She formulated a plan with the outsiders to overthrow the alliance of Dan, Janet, Tommy, and Lauren Beck, but this crumbled when Dean leaked the plan to Tommy, leading to Karishma Patel being voted out.

Noura then found herself being targeted by Elaine Stott at the next vote in an act of self-preservation. Elaine explained to Janet and Lauren that Noura would likely take their spots at Final Tribal Council due to Noura's perceived status as a goat. The plan failed, and Elaine's vote out, coupled with Dan's ejection the next day, meant that Noura had a spot in the final five. When Dean won immunity on Day 37, he selected Noura to go on the reward with him. Noura was happy about the situation, even flirting with Dean, though he was just trying to get her on his side going into the crucial Final Immunity Challenge after she joined the majority in voting Janet out that night. Noura's third overall individual immunity win on Day 38 left her with a difficult choice to make on who to bring to the end, and which two tribemates she would force to compete in the fire-making challenge. A previous conversation with Tommy caused Noura to believe that he could not make fire, so in order to take out Lauren, who she believed to be the biggest remaining jury threat, she chose to have to her face Dean in the fire-making challenge. Lauren was upset with Noura, and further annoyed when Noura tried to explain her reasoning while she was practicing making fire. Noura stuck by her decision at Tribal Council that night; Dean won and eliminated Lauren, joining Tommy and herself in the Final Three.

At the Final Tribal Council, Noura tried to explain her game to the jury, but when she went off on a tangent, the jury quickly disregarded her and shut her out. She futilely attempted to argue that her gameplay was unique and effective, but despite receiving some praise for her challenge performances and authenticity, she was not awarded any jury votes and became the second runner-up to Tommy and Dean.

Episode Tribe
Affiliation
Challenge Challenge Type Sit-Out? Result
1 Vokai Tower of Equality Reward/Immunity No Won
2 Rung O Star Reward/Immunity No Lost
3 Beam Me Up Reward/Immunity No Won
4 Ow Pairs Reward/Immunity Yes Won
Switched Tribes, Day 12
5 Lairo Headlong Flight Reward No Lost
Discography Immunity No Lost
6 Heroes End Reward No Lost
Cage Against the Machine Immunity No Won
7 Box Car Blues Reward1 No Lost
Faulty Towers Immunity No Lost
Tribes Merged, Day 20
8 Lumuwaku Pegs Over Easy Immunity Lost
Raise the Roof Reward2 Won
I Hold On Immunity Lost
9 We Will Go Round Reward/Immunity Won3
10 Crocodile Rock Immunity No Won
11 Full Tilt Affair Reward Lost
Ballin' A Jack Immunity Lost
12 Unaired Reward4 Invited
Dizzy Miss Lizzy Immunity Lost
13 Born to Rung Reward/Immunity Invited5
You Shook Me Immunity Won
Second Runner-Up, Day 39
Notes:
^1 An unaired Reward Challenge was held on Day 17.
^2 An unaired Reward Challenge was held on Day 23.
^3 The challenge was played for team reward and individual immunity, with the last person standing winning reward for their team. Noura won individual immunity but not the reward. Later, it was decided that both teams would win the reward on the basis of a production error.
^4 An unaired Reward Challenge was held sometime between Days 33 and 34.
^5 Dean shared his reward with Noura.

Episode Noura's
Votes
Voted Against
Noura
1 Vokai Tribe Immune
2 Molly Molly
3 Vokai Tribe Immune
4 Vokai Tribe Immune
5 Ineligible1 -
6 Lairo Tribe Immune
7 Jack -2
8 Dan -
Jamal -
9 Aaron Individual Immunity
10 Karishma;
Elizabeth3
Individual Immunity
11 Karishma Dan, Janet,
Karishma
12 Elaine Dan, Elaine
13 Janet -
Jury Votes
for Noura
-
Second Runner-Up, Day 39

^1 In "Plan Z", Noura wagered her vote at the Island of the Idols for an advantage. She lost the wager, making her ineligible to vote at the next Tribal Council she attended.
^2 In "I Was Born at Night, but Not Last Night", Jamal used a Hidden Immunity Idol on Noura, but did not negate any votes against her.
^3 In "Bring On the Bacon", Karishma used a Hidden Immunity Idol, negating Noura's vote against her. Also, the vote ended with a 1-1-0 tie between Elizabeth and Janet, forcing a revote. Noura changed her vote to Elizabeth on the revote.

Post-Survivor[]

  • In November 2020, Noura posted a statement on social media expressing her belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, which resulted in backlash from various Survivor alumni.[2] She has since deleted the post containing the statements.

Trivia[]

References[]

Survivor: Island of the Idols Castaways
 Aaron
Lairo
S39 aaron t
 Chelsea
Lairo
S39 chelsea t
 Dan
Vokai
S39 dan t
 Dean
Lairo
S39 dean t
 Elaine
Lairo
S39 elaine t
 Elizabeth
Lairo
S39 elizabeth t
 Jack
Vokai
S39 jack t
 Jamal
Vokai
S39 jamal t
 Janet
Vokai
S39 janet t
 Jason
Vokai
S39 jason t
 Karishma
Lairo
S39 karishma t
 Kellee
Vokai
S39 kellee t
 Lauren
Vokai
S39 lauren t
 Missy
Lairo
S39 missy t
 Molly
Vokai
S39 molly t
 Noura
Vokai
S39 noura t
 Ronnie
Lairo
S39 ronnie t
 Tom
Lairo
S39 tom t
 Tommy
Vokai
S39 tommy t
 Vince
Lairo
S39 vince t
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