Romeo Escobar

Romeo Escobar is a contestant from .
As a pageant coach accustomed to working with strong women, Romeo aligned himself with Drea Wheeler while on Ika, where they were in control of tribal dynamics. However, after being cast aside by Drea following the merge, Romeo's increasing paranoia cemented him as an outsider with no influence on the numbers. His lack of work ethic also irritated his tribemates and he became the perpetual decoy boot. Romeo was finally empowered again when Maryanne Oketch brought him into the fold to blindside Omar Zaheer and he later won the Final Immunity Challenge. However, the jury could not look past Romeo's laziness and lack of agency throughout the second half of the game and he finished as the second runner-up with no votes to win.
==Profile==
Retrieved from CBS.com
Age: 37
Hometown: Los Angeles
Current Residence: Norwalk, CA
Occupation: Pageant Coach
Favorite Hobbies: Traveling, beauty pageants and watching Survivor
3 Words to Describe You: Competitive, intuitive and smart
Pet Peeves: I am a bit impatient, so I would say slow people, laziness and people who don't know how to read a room.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Several. I always dreamed of working in the industry so I am. I dreamed of owning my own pageant, so I do. I dreamed of traveling the world, so I have. I always accomplish my goals.
What is something we would never know from looking at you? How competitive I am. Because I am a small man, and gay and Latino, people always underestimate me. I love proving them wrong. I hate losing or being wrong. I always want to have the right answer and win everything I do.
Who is your hero and why? My mother and father. They are immigrants who came to this country with nothing. They wanted a better life for their family. Despite not knowing the language, they were able to build a home and offer me a better life than the one they had growing up.
Which past Survivor will you play the game most like? I don't think anyone has played a game like the one I will play. But I do want to achieve great Survivor historical moments like Sandra, Cirie, Parvati, Rupert, Rob. I want to be remembered.
Why do you believe you can be the Sole Survivor? I know I can be the final Survivor because I am likable enough and persuasive enough to convince people to vote for me. I always find a way to get what I want.http://web.archive.org/web/20230204160713/https://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/cast/216621/
==Survivor==
Starting on the Ika tribe which won the opening Reward Challenge, Romeo immediately got to work forming relationships. He quickly bonded with the elder members of the tribe Drea Wheeler and Rocksroy Bailey, and also connected with Zach Wurtenberger to form a "Skinny Guys Alliance" to protect each other. After Ika lost the first Immunity Challenge, Romeo had to convince Drea not to target the cantankerous Rocksroy. Romeo had to face the difficult decision of cutting Zach in order to stay within the Ika majority, but he followed through despite considering Zach an important ally. After the vote, Romeo continued to be well-integrated with his tribe, biting his tongue around Rocksroy and solidifying his partnership with Drea. 
On Day 8, Romeo learned that Tori Meehan had been throwing his ally Drea under the bus. After losing the Immunity Challenge on Day 9, Tori reached out to Drea and Romeo and clarified that it was Swati Goel that was responsible for campaigning against Drea. Realizing that Swati had promised all three of them her allegiance, Romeo agreed to get rid of her for her duplicity. The next morning, Drea and Romeo decided to go on an idol hunt. Drea emerged successful in finding the Beware Advantage and offered to let Romeo hold her Extra Vote if she could not recover her right to vote. However, Drea activated her idol at the Immunity Challenge and Ika went on to win the last tribal challenge. 
The tribes merged on Day 12, with Romeo being on the losing team at the first Reward/Immunity Challenge. At this point, Drea had begun distancing herself from him, excluding him from the supermajority that was formed that afternoon. Knowing that he was vulnerable at Tribal Council, Romeo kept his head down until the Hourglass twist took effect and empowered him. Running on a power trip, Romeo began campaigning against Jonathan Young to get rid of a physical threat. Alas, his plan failed to gain traction when Lydia Meredith was blindsided instead. Romeo returned to camp that night finding himself as an outsider, which caused his paranoia to spike. His inability to control his paranoia earned him the wrath of Hai Giang, who began pushing to get him out. However, Romeo was saved by Mike Turner's insistence to get Chanelle Howell out instead. Romeo cast a "hinky vote" against Hai out of spite and, when Kula Kula returned to camp, bore the brunt of Hai's accusations that he was being deceitful. This proved inconvenient when Romeo was grouped with Hai during the Double Elimination. However, Omar Zaheer convinced Hai to target Rocksroy instead, thus saving Romeo yet again.
Romeo then flew under the radar, but his tribe took notice of his poor work ethic and habit of eating the last scraps of rice from the pot. However, he was able to witness the implosion of the supermajority as its members began to turn on each other. Knowing that he was the perpetual decoy boot, Romeo employed the strategy of casting stray votes to protect himself from Shot in the Dark plays. Finally, Romeo was brought into the loop on a plan when Maryanne Oketch informed him about her Extra Vote, which she wanted to use to get rid of Omar at the final six. Maryanne and Romeo helped to execute a successful split vote with the help of Jonathan and Mike, turning the tables on the dominant Taku Four and blindsiding Lindsay Dolashewich in the process. 
Romeo then lied about having a fake idol to ensure he was not targeted at the final five. He and Maryanne initially planned to side with Lindsay and take her to the Final Three, but ultimately sided with the majority to unanimously vote Lindsay out. Before her elimination, Romeo revealed his fake idol and tossed it into the fire, to the jury's apparent disappointment. Romeo then went on to win the Final Immunity Challenge in an upset victory against Jonathan, surprising the jury at Tribal Council. He decided to put Jonathan up against the biggest jury threat Mike in the fire-making challenge, hoping that Jonathan's fire-making skills would win out. Ultimately, Mike emerged victorious and joined Romeo and Maryanne in the Final Three.
At the Final Tribal Council, the jury explained that they saw Romeo as paranoid and lacking in agency. Hai accused Romeo of "gaslighting" him about the stray vote, while several jurors dismissed him for his poor work ethic. Regardless, Romeo explained that he had matured through his Survivor journey, which, among other things, encouraged him to become more open about his sexuality and also taught him that he was stronger than he thought. Unfortunately, Romeo could not overcome the jury's perceptions and finished as the second runner-up with no votes to win.
<tabber>Challenge History=
Episode 	TribeAffiliation 	Challenge 	Challenge Type 	Sit-Out? 	Result
1 	rowspan="7" 	Marooning 	Reward 	No 	
1 	Forty Two 	Immunity 	Yes 	 	
2 	Can't Find My Way Home 	Reward/Immunity 	No 	 	
3 	Spiral Architect 	Reward/Immunity 	Yes 	 	
4 	Tangled Up Sled Slide 	Reward 	No 	 	
4 	Beyond the Tuna 	Immunity 	Yes 	 	
5 	Ramplified 	Reward/Immunity 	No 	 	
colspan=6 	 	 	 	 	
6 	None 	Rolling Stones 	Reward/Immunity 	No 	
7 	None 	A Bit Tipsy 	Immunity 	Yes 	
colspan=6 	 	 	 	 	
8 	rowspan="10" 	Basket Case 	Reward 	No 	
8 	Can't Buoy Me Love 	Immunity 	No 	 	
9 	Bermuda Triangles Case 	Reward/Immunity 	 	 	
10 	Walk This Way 	Reward 	 	 	
10 	Bow Diddley 	Immunity 	 	 	
11 	Uncomfortably Numb 	Immunity 	Yes 	 	
12 	Dizzy Miss Lizzy 	Reward 	 	 	
12 	Stair Down the Walls 	Immunity 	 	 	
13 	Giant Tick 	Reward/Immunity 	 	 	
13 	Simmotion 	Immunity 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	
Notes: The unchosen sit-out from the challenge (Rocksroy) was exiled. There, he was given an hourglass which he may choose to break to strip the winning team of their immunity, transferring it to the losing team and himself. Rocksroy broke the hourglass and Romeo was given immunity.	Notes: The unchosen sit-out from the challenge (Rocksroy) was exiled. There, he was given an hourglass which he may choose to break to strip the winning team of their immunity, transferring it to the losing team and himself. Rocksroy broke the hourglass and Romeo was given immunity.	Notes: The unchosen sit-out from the challenge (Rocksroy) was exiled. There, he was given an hourglass which he may choose to break to strip the winning team of their immunity, transferring it to the losing team and himself. Rocksroy broke the hourglass and Romeo was given immunity.	Notes: The unchosen sit-out from the challenge (Rocksroy) was exiled. There, he was given an hourglass which he may choose to break to strip the winning team of their immunity, transferring it to the losing team and himself. Rocksroy broke the hourglass and Romeo was given immunity.	Notes: The unchosen sit-out from the challenge (Rocksroy) was exiled. There, he was given an hourglass which he may choose to break to strip the winning team of their immunity, transferring it to the losing team and himself. Rocksroy broke the hourglass and Romeo was given immunity.	Notes: The unchosen sit-out from the challenge (Rocksroy) was exiled. There, he was given an hourglass which he may choose to break to strip the winning team of their immunity, transferring it to the losing team and himself. Rocksroy broke the hourglass and Romeo was given immunity.
|-|Voting History=
Episode 	Romeo'sVotes	Voted AgainstRomeo
1 	 	
2 	 	
3 	 	
4 	 	
5 	 	
7 	 	
8 	 	
9 	 	
10 	 	
11 	 	
12 	 	
13 	 	
Jury Votesfor Romeo	colspan="2" 	
 	 	
</tabber>
==Post-Survivor==
==Trivia==
* Romeo is the highest-placing member of the Ika tribe.
* Romeo is the fifth person to win the Final Immunity Challenge and finish as the second runner-up, following Amanda Kimmel in , Russell Hantz in , Noura Salman in , and Xander Hastings in .
* During the season, Romeo claimed he was 30; only Mike Turner was aware that he was 37.https://parade.com/1387940/mikebloom/romeo-escobar-survivor-42-interview/
* On April 8, 2024, Romeo attended Maryanne Oketch’s wedding, 
==References==
Category:Contestants
Category:Male Contestants
Category:Latin American Contestants
Category:LGBT Contestants
Category:Survivor 42 Contestants
Category:Finalists
Category:Ika Tribe
Category:Kula Kula Tribe
Category:3rd Place
Category:Survivor (U.S.)
Category:Survivor (U.S.) Contestants
Category:Survivor 42