Rob Cesternino | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Kristopher Cesternino (1978-10-20)October 20, 1978 (age 47) |
| Alma mater | State University of New York at Oswego (BA) |
| Occupation | Podcaster |
| Notable work | Rob Has a Podcast |
| Television | Survivor: The Amazon Survivor: All-Stars The Traitors 4 |
| Spouse | Nicole Cesternino |
| Website | Rob Has a Website |
Robert Kristopher Cesternino (born October 20, 1978) is an Americanreality television contestant andpodcast host, known for his appearances onSurvivor: The Amazon (2003) andSurvivor: All-Stars (2004).
In 2010, he launchedRob Has a Podcast, a platform to discuss and analyze reality television, most notablySurvivor,Big Brother, andThe Amazing Race. In 2014, Cesternino andThe Hollywood Reporter journalist Josh Wigler launchedPost Show Recaps, a companion platform that covers scripted television.[1]
Cesternino appeared on the fourth season ofThe Traitors in 2026.
Cesternino is originally fromWantagh, New York. Cesternino attended theState University of New York at Oswego, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree inbroadcasting.[2] He was a member of theSigma Chi fraternity. His college thesis was titled, "The Impact of Reality Television."[3]
At the time of his first appearance onSurvivor, Cesternino was employed as a computer projects coordinator for an insurance agency.[4][5] He had previously worked as a store clerk, a waiter, and a bartender. He originally applied to compete onBig Brother 3 and advanced to the final stages of the casting process but was ultimately not selected to appear on the show. Several months later, he was offered an opportunity by a casting producer who remembered him from theBig Brother casting process to compete onSurvivor.[6][7]
In August 2010, Cesternino married his longtime girlfriend, Nicole Palmeri. The couple's first child, Dominic James, was born on September 29, 2013.[8] The couple's second child, Anthony Joseph, was born on November 12, 2015.[9]
Cesternino appeared onSurvivor: The Amazon in 2003. Originally assigned to the all-male Tambaqui tribe, Cesternino opted to keep a low profile early in the game, following orders from the older tribe members and using self-deprecating humor to disarm potential rivals. Once the tribes merged, he began forging multiple alliances and striking deals with other players. While mostSurvivor contestants in prior seasons tended to remain with their original alliance, Cesternino frequently flipped between groups, double-crossing allies and dictating the game strategy.
Cesternino was voted out on Day 38 (of 39) byJenna Morasca, making him the fourteenth person eliminated and placing him third overall. Despite this, he cast his jury vote for Morasca to win the very next night. Morasca defeated Matthew von Ertfelda to be named the winner of the season. While he fell short of victory, Cesternino's performance is frequently cited as one of the best non-winning games in the history of the show.[10]
In 2004, Cesternino was invited back to play again onSurvivor: All-Stars as a member of the Chapera tribe. Due to his impressive gameplay inSurvivor: The Amazon, he was considered a major strategic threat by the other returning players. He was the fourth person eliminated (and third voted out) after a unanimous decision by his tribemates, finishing in 15th place. Cesternino's fellowSurvivor: The Amazon castaway Jenna Morasca had already withdrawn from the game to be with her ailing mother but was never voted out.
Cesternino was inducted intoXfinity'sSurvivor "Hall of Fame" in 2012, alongside Amanda Kimmel andEthan Zohn.[11] In addition, both of his seasons were voted by viewers into the top 10 greatest seasons of all time -The Amazon was 8th, whileAll-Stars was 6th.[12][13] In a 2015 interview shortly before the premiere ofthe 30th season, Jeff Probst stated that Cesternino and Spencer Bledsoe were his personal favorite non-winner contestants.[14]
In 2010, Cesternino launchedRob Has a Podcast, also known asRHAP, a podcast network focused on the discussion of reality television, with an emphasis on CBS' competition reality shows –Survivor,Big Brother, andThe Amazing Race. The podcast began by coveringSurvivor: Heroes vs. Villains.RHAP has expanded to cover a wide range of other reality programs and now features podcasts not hosted by Cesternino himself. He frequently has alumni ofSurvivor and other reality shows as guests on the podcast. As of 2022,RHAP typically features ten weekly podcasts coveringSurvivor during the season, with five hosted by Cesternino and five hosted by otherRHAP hosts.
Rob Has a Podcast has won fivePodcast Awards: best entertainment podcast (2012, 2014), best video podcast (2013), best produced podcast (2013). Most notably,RHAP beat hit podcastSerial in the category of people's choice podcast of 2014.
In June 2025, Cesternino was announced as a competitor on thefourth season ofThe Traitors, competing alongside fellow Survivor contestantsNatalie Anderson andYamil "Yam Yam" Arocho[15]Cesternino was the second person to be "murdered" by the traitors and the third person eliminated from the competition.[16]
In June 2013, Cesternino appeared as a co-host and executive producer ofReality Gamemasters, aYouTube game show featuring six reality stars competing in a game ofRisk.[17]
From 2013 to 2014, Cesternino hosted the Timeout with T.O. podcast withTerrell Owens andAlonzo Bodden on the Sideshow Network.[18][19]
Cesternino was approached to compete onThe Amazing Race 31 withSurvivor:Tocantins contestant andRHAP co-host,Stephen Fishbach. The pair showed interest but declined due to Fishbach's upcoming wedding.[20]
Cesternino's debut book,The Tribe and I Have Spoken is set to be published on May 5th, 2026 bySimon & Schuster. The book covers the history of Survivor, with special attention paid to Cesternino's favorite moments from the show's first 48 seasons.[21]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Survivor: The Amazon | Contestant | Eliminated; 3rd place |
| 2004 | Survivor: All-Stars | Contestant | Eliminated; 15th place |
| 2005 | The Scorned | Self | TV-movie; also producer |
| 2005 | Kill Reality | Self | Behind-the-scenes horror movie of The Scorned |
| 2006 | Soup of the Day | Self | Also producer and writer |
| 2008 | Girls of Summer | Big Wave Dave | |
| 2026 | The Traitors | Contestant | Eliminated; 21st place |