A Survivor 51 Player Tried To Vote HIMSELF Out At Tribal Council — Then Quit The Game Anyway

Stop scrolling, because Survivor 51 just gave us a Tribal Council moment nobody had on their bingo card. A castaway tried to write his OWN name on the parchment, learned that's illegal, and then walked out of the game anyway. Yes, really.

Wait, You Can't Do That?

According to E! Online, Rob Antonson, 40, tried to vote for himself during the Oct. 7 episode, only to find out that voting for yourself is against the rules.

His logic? He thought the whole tribe was targeting fellow Rhode Islander Eric Macksoud. In a confessional, Antonson explained that if he put his own name down, and Macksoud played a Shot in the Dark or Antonson gave up his Idol, "all the 'Erics' would've canceled out" and the votes would land on him.

So he voted for Macksoud instead. Reader, the rest of the Savu tribe was actually going after Ana Sani. The plan was in a different universe from the one Rob was playing in.

The Morning After

Here's where it gets messier. The next morning, Antonson told his tribemates he might have hurt himself stepping into the ocean two days earlier and was worried about an infection.

His tribemates were NOT buying it. Ori Jean-Charles said in a confessional: "You've been fine for the last 48 hours but the day things don't go your way—now all of a sudden, it's a medical issue." He added, "My honest opinion is Rob is looking for an easy out."

A doctor arrived with host Jeff Probst and, per E!, found no evidence of a "significant" injury beyond a small cut on the bottom of his foot. Probst confirmed there was no medical need to leave.

Antonson chose to go anyway, saying he wasn't willing to risk his health over a possible infection.

The Backstory

This is a player who had found a Hidden Immunity Idol the episode before, so he wasn't exactly sitting at the bottom of the totem pole. He also said he had been missing his family and struggling to sleep on the island, and described his self-vote idea as a "groundbreaking" move.

He was also upfront about his feelings on quitting: "I didn't want to just quit. I feel like just quitting is just ruining the game."

As for the rule itself, Probst shared notes via the official Survivor Instagram account, which E! quotes: "We always tell players the rules of the game, which are very few but do include: 'you cannot vote for yourself.'"

The Tea ☕

• Rob Antonson tried to vote for himself at Tribal Council, which isn't allowed, so he voted for Eric Macksoud instead.
• The tribe was actually voting out Ana Sani.
• The next day he left the game over infection concerns, though the medical team reportedly found only a small cut and his tribemates doubted the claim.

The Internet Verdict?

We'll say this: the man found an Idol, had the tribe's votes going elsewhere, and still managed to deliver the most chaotic exit of the season. Honestly? It's a very specific kind of Survivor energy. We're only judging the strategy here, and the strategy was... bold.

So what's your read? Was Rob's self-vote plan secretly genius, a homesick player looking for the door, or just a rules mix-up for the ages? Sound off below.

Sources: E! Online