Survivor contestant Denise Stapley

Denise Stapley on social media: Instagram | twitter

Seasons: 2 | Days: 75 | Wins: 1 | Jury: 1

Survivor: Philippines (2012) - Winner, 6-1-1.

Received six jury votes to win (6-1-1), in Episode 14, "Million Dollar Question" (Day 39).

Survivor: Winners at War (2020) - 6th place, 17th out - 14th juror.

Idoled/revoted out in Episode 14, "It All Boils Down to This" (Day 36).

Denise Stapley - Career statistics
	Challenge stats	Tribal council stats	Jury stats
Season	ChW	ChA	ChW%	VFB	VAP	TCA	TC%	wTCR	JVF	TotJ	JV%	SurvSc	SurvAv
S25: Philippines	1.65	13.36	0.12	11	6	14	0.78	2.20	6	8	0.75	1.65	8.35
S40: Winners at War	2.48	10.07	0.25	6	4	11	0.54	1.91	-	-	-	0.79	4.39
Career	4.13	23.43	0.18	17	10	25	0.68	2.07	6	8	0.75	1.23	6.39

Philippines challenges (click to expand/collapse)
Tribal/team challenge record (3-for-11)
- Philippines Ep. 1 RC/IC: "Share the Wealth" - Does rowing stage, Matsing blows the puzzle, finishes last (3rd/3).
- Philippines Ep. 2 RC/IC: "Manila Folders" - Caller for Matsing, which is last again (3rd/3).
- Philippines Ep. 3 RC/IC: "Deep In Thought" - Dives to retrieve puzzle pieces, Matsing... last again (3rd/3).
- Philippines Ep. 4 RC/IC: "Swing Break" - Competes, carries pots, but once again, Matsing loses (3rd/3).
- Philippines Ep. 5 RC: "Idol Hands" - Now with Kalabaw, wins her bout against RC, but Kalabaw loses.
- Philippines Ep. 5 IC: "Thrash, Splash & Bash" - Competes again. Kalabaw loses again.
- Philippines Ep. 6 RC: "Bog Roll" - Mired in the mud as Tandang surrenders.
- Philippines Ep. 6 IC: "Philiping Out" - Launcher, but Kalabaw loses.
- Philippines Ep. 8 RC: "Catch of the Day" - Part of winning team effort (with Malcolm, Penner, Lisa, Jeff Kent).
- Philippines Ep. 9 RC: "Muddy Waters" - Part of winning team again (with Malcolm, Penner, Carter).
- Philippines Ep. 10 RC: "Snare the Drum" - Part of losing team once again (with Skupin, Lisa, Penner).
Individual challenge record (1-for-11): (Mean % finish: 53%)
- Philippines Ep. 7 IC, "Wrist Assured" - Wins immunity for the women (1st of 4).
- Philippines Ep. 8 IC, "Snake in the Grass" - One of seven eliminated in first stage (bottom 4/10).
- Philippines Ep. 9 IC: "Paddle Out" - One of many losers (tie-4th/9).
- Philippines Ep. 10 IC: "Push Your Luck" - Eliminated in the third and final stage (3rd/8).
- Philippines Ep. 11 IC: "Brains and Brawn" - Misses two trivia questions, eliminated in the second stage (4th/7).
- Philippines Ep. 12 RC: "Mud Slinging" - With her husband, Brad, comes close, but loses (5th/6).
- Philippines Ep. 12 IC: "Fish and Game" - Neither among the leaders nor the worst (5th/6).
- Philippines Ep. 13 RC: "Sliders" - One ring hooked, tied with Lisa (tie-3rd/5).
- Philippines Ep. 13 RC: "One Track Mind" - Unclear of exact finish place, but did not win (tie-2nd/5).
- Philippines Ep. 14 RC: "Dragon Slayer" - Barely edged by Malcolm on the puzzle (2nd/4).
- Philippines Ep. 14 IC: "The Ball Drop" - Second to drop out (3rd/4).
Redemption/Exile Island duel record (0-for-0):
- Philippines: None.
Winners at War challenges (click to expand/collapse)
Tribal/team challenge record (2-for-11; 2 2nds; 1 sit-out):
- Winners at War, Ep. 1 F20 IC: "Water Slaughter" - With Natalie, concedes the final point; Sele loses, 3-1.
- Winners at War, Ep. 1 F19 IC: "Blue Lagoon Bustle" - Paddles, crosses obstacles, and Sele wins!
- Winners at War, Ep. 2 RC/IC: "Draggin' the Dragon" - Works the puzzle with Boston Rob, but Sele loses.
- Winners at War, Ep. 3 RC/IC: "Along the Watch Tower" - Crosses obstacles, digs and carries ladder, but Sele loses.
- Winners at War, Ep. 4 RC/IC: "Beyond the Wheel" - Jumps for keys but misses, but eventually, Sele wins.
- Winners at War, Ep. 5 IC: "Block in a Hard Place" - Now with Dakal, crosses obstacles, and Dakal doesn't lose (2nd*/3).
- Winners at War, Ep. 6 IC: "Rice Race" - Crosses obstacles, carries rice, but Dakal places no balls, loses.
- Winners at War, Ep. 7 RC: "Ball-istic Missiles" - (Unaired). Dakal finishes last (3rd/3).
- Winners at War, Ep. 7 IC: "Dishwalla" - Carries the dish, works the puzzle with Jeremy, and Dakal doesn't lose (2nd*/3).
- Winners at War, Ep. 9 RC: "New School" - Sits out when not picked, ineligible for reward.
- [Winners at War, Ep. 11 RC: Unaired - Not a part of the winning team.]
Individual challenge record (2-for-8): (Mean % finish: 53.9%)
- Winners at War, Ep. 8 IC: "Get a Grip" - Outlasts all the other women, and Denise wins! (1st/5).
- Winners at War, Ep. 9 IC: "Bermuda Triangles" - Second person out, in the first stage (10th/11).
- Winners at War, Ep. 10 IC: "Got a Hunch" - One of nine people to not win (tie-2nd/10).
- Winners at War, Ep. 11 IC: "10 Foot Pole" - Second person to drop out, on the third stage (8th/9).
- Winners at War, Ep. 12 IC: "When It Rains" - Lasts 15 minutes, and that's good enough. Denise wins! (1st/4).
- Winners at War, Ep. 13 F7 IC: "Running Down a Dream" - One of five working the slide puzzle, does not win (tie-2nd/7).
- Winners at War, Ep. 13 F6 IC: "High Step Back" - One of five people to not win (tie-2nd/6).
- Winners at War, Ep. 14 F6 IC: "Running Down a Dream" - Still on the first layer as Michele wins (tie-4th/6).
Redemption/Exile Island duel record (0-for-0):
- Winners at War: None.

Career challenge totals

Team/tribal challenges
Wins:	5
2nd place:	2
Played:	22
Win%:	0.27
Sat out:	1

Individual challenges
Wins:	3
Played:	19
Win%:	0.16
Mean% Finish:	53.6%

Duels
Wins:	0
Played:	0
Win%:	--
Mean% Finish:	--

Philippines Tribal (click to expand/collapse)
Idols held/played (0/0):
- Philippines, Ep. 5: Finds Matsing's idol with Malcolm, but he keeps it for himself.
VFB - Votes for the person booted (11/14):
- Philippines, Ep. 1: Zane Knight (voted out, 5-1).
- Philippines, Ep. 2: Roxy Morris (voted out, 4-1).
- Philippines, Ep. 3: Angie Layton (voted out, 3-1).
- Philippines, Ep. 4: Russell Swan (voted out, 2-1).
- Philippines, Ep. 5: Sarah Dawson (voted out, 5-1).
- Philippines, Ep. 6: Katie Hanson (voted out, 4-1).
- Philippines, Ep. 9: Artis Silvester (voted out, 5-4).
- Philippines, Ep. 11: Jonathan Penner (voted out, 4-3).
- Philippines, Ep. 12: Carter Williams (voted out, 5-1).
- Philippines, Ep. 13: Abi-Maria Gomes (voted out, 4-1).
- Philippines, Ep. 14: Malcolm Freberg (voted out, 3-1).
VAP - Votes against (6):
- Philippines, Ep. 5: One vote, from Dawson.
- Philippines, Ep. 11: Three votes, from Penner, Carter, and Abi-Maria.
- Philippines, Ep. 13: One vote, from Abi-Maria.
- Philippines, Ep. 14: One vote, from Malcolm.
Jury votes received (6/8):
- Philippines, Ep. 14: Received six jury votes, from Malcolm Freberg, Abi-Maria Gomes, Jonathan Penner, Pete Yurkowski, and Artis Silvester, to win, 6-1-1.
Winners at War Tribal (click to expand/collapse)
Idols/advantages held/played (2/2; 4 votes voided):
- Winners at War, Ep. 2: Finds a split idol at Sele camp; gives half to Adam (Day 4).
- Winners at War, Ep. 6: Buys Sandra's idol with one of her two fire tokens (Day 16).
- Winners at War, Ep. 6: Plays an idol for herself, voiding 4 votes and saving her, and one for Jeremy, which voided no votes (Day 16).
VFB - Votes for the person booted (6/11*):
- Winners at War, Ep. 1 (F20 vote): Natalie Anderson (voted out, 7-2-1).
- Winners at War, Ep. 2: Danni Boatwright (voted out, 8-1).
- Winners at War, Ep. 3: Ethan Zohn (voted out, 4-3-1).
- Winners at War, Ep. 6: Sandra Diaz-Twine (idoled out, [0]-1).
- Winners at War, Ep. 8: Wendell Holland (voted out, 9-3).
- Winners at War, Ep. 13 (F6 vote): Nick Wilson (voted out, 4-2).
*Denise attended the Ep10 Tribal Council but did not vote, due to Sarah's steal-a-vote advantage.

VAP - Votes against (4):
- Winners at War, Ep. 1 (F20 vote): Two votes, from Michele and Natalie.
- [Winners at War, Ep. 6: Four votes, from Jeremy, Kim, Sandra, and Tony, all voided by her idol play.]
- [Winners at War, Ep. 10: Two votes, from Sarah and Sophie, both voided by Kim's idol play.]
- Winners at War, Ep. 13 (F6 vote): Two votes, from Michele and Nick.
- Winners at War, Ep. 14 (F6 vote): Received no first-round votes, but out 4-0 on revote, over Sarah.
Jury votes made (1/1):
- Winners at War, Ep. 14: Voted for Tony Vlachos, who won, 12-4-0.

Career Tribal Council totals

Hidden idols
Found:	2
Played:	2
Votes voided:	4

Voting record
VFB:	17
Tribals:	25
VAP:	10

Jury votes
Made:	1
For winners:	1
Received:	6
Total jurors:	8

Philippines image gallery (click to expand/collapse)

Philippines intro shot

Philippines intro shot

EW pre-game interview

CBS pre-game interview

Early camp shot

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep1 RC/IC

Taking out the canoe, Ep1 RC/IC

Matsing canoe time

Untying the Matsing crate

After the Matsing loss

Overseeing the Matsing puzzle, Ep2 RC/IC

Matsing at Tribal. Fun times.

Carrying stuff, Ep4 RC/IC

Watching Matsing's demise, Ep4 RC/IC

Soooo... that went well

Battling RC in Idol Hands, Ep5

New tribe, same result (Ep5 RC loss)

Oh no, not again (Ep5 IC loss)

In the mud, Ep6 RC... but a negotiated 'win,' finally

Launching for Kalabaw, Ep6 IC

Finally, a real win.

Necklaced, Ep7 IC

Winning again, Ep9 RC

Last to advance, Ep10 IC

Plotting Penner's ouster, Ep11

Auction, Ep11

Getting to the next round, Ep11 IC

With her husband, post-Ep12 RC loss

Ready to go, Ep12 IC

At her 12th straight Tribal Council, Ep12

Crossing a barrier, Ep13 RC

Trying to catch up to Skupin

Hoping Skupin picks her to join him on reward

Ep13 IC, now in progress

Working the puzzle

Almost there?

Final Four RC, Ep14

Final Four IC

Final Three, ready for the vote reveal

The winner of Survivor: Philippines...
Winners at War pictures (click to expand/collapse)

Winners at War intro shot

Winners at War intro shot

Preview headshot

On the boat, Day 1

Arrival, greeting the men

A toast to 20 years, 20 winners...

The new Sele tribe

Battling for a point, Ep1 F20 IC

Yay, Sele (even though they lost)

Getting lost with Adam

How did we make such a rookie mistake?

New schoolers, plotting

Sele, Ep1 F20 Tribal Council

Talking to Probst

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep1 F19 IC

Pushing the boat out

Waiting to cross the roller obstacle

Sele wins!

Finding an idol, Ep2

Talking about finding the idol with Ben

Sounds like a good idea

Bringing in Adam

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 IC

Finally getting started on the puzzle, with Rob

Sele, trailing

The losing Seles

Sele, Ep2 Tribal Council

The Rob-ordered bag dump

Happy to have survived Tribal undetected, Ep3

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep3 RC/IC

Starting line

Digging up the ladder

Watching the puzzle stage

The losing Seles, again

Sele, Ep3 Tribal Council

Listening to Probst

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep4 RC/IC

Starting line

Watching the puzzle stage

Sele wins!

Idoled up

Dropping buffs, Ep5 swap

Three new tribes

The new Dakal tribe

Checking out the new camp

Jeremy and I are outnumbered

Starting to work with Kim

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep5 IC

Starting line

Watching the block knocking

Dakal doesn't lose!

Reacting to Boston Rob's boot, Ep6

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep6 IC

Starting line

Hauling rice

Well, it looks like it's either me or Jeremy...

Talking to Sandra and Kim

Reacting to Sandra's offer

Making the fire token/idol exchange

Dakal, Ep6 Tribal Council

Can I have a minute, Jeff?

Playing that for me

Hold on, can I have another minute, Jeff?

I'm playing this one for Jeremy

Dakal sunrise, Ep7

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep7 IC

Starting line

Carrying the dish

Working the puzzle with Jeremy

Dakal doesn't lose!

Safe from Tribal Council tonight

Yay, merge. Ep8

Just watched Tyson return from EoE

Checking out the new fire token menu

Merge feasting

Checking out the camp

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep8 IC

Starting line

Denise wins for women!

Necklace and a fire token

Reassuring Adam

Heading to Tribal

Koru, Ep8 Tribal Council

Talking to Probst

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep9 RC

Working the puzzle, with Michele

Blue team wins!

Reward feasting

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep9 IC

Starting line

Watching Adam struggle

Heading to Tribal

Koru, Ep9 Tribal Council

Talking to Probst

Pre-loved ones lineup, Ep10

Talking to Probst in Fiji, with the whole family

All of the loved ones

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep10 IC

Stacking tiles

Congratulating Tony on his first immunity win

Koru, Ep10 Tribal Council

Jeremy just left

Adjustments were made

Reading treemail, Ep11

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep11 IC

Outlasted Kim, at least

Plotting with Jeremy and Kim

Maybe it's time to let Jeremy go?

Koru, Ep11 Tribal Council

Listening to Sarah

Kim proposes targeting Tony, Ep12

Proposed final three with Michele and Nick

Thinking about it as an option

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep12 IC

Starting line

Last woman standing

Safe at Tribal Council tonight

Regrouping after Tony also wins immunity

Koru, Ep12 Tribal Council

Talking to Probst

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep13 F7 IC

Starting line

Still trying to get to the slide puzzle

Heading to Tribal

Koru, Ep13 F7 Tribal Council

Listening to Probst

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep13 F6 IC

Challenge in progress

Talking about the plans

Proposing an F3 with Sarah and Ben, while Tony spies from his nest

Koru, Ep13 F6 Tribal Council

Listening to Nick

Full cast, finale composite

Ready to watch the EoE re-entry challenge, Ep14

Yay, Natalie's back

Pre-challenge lineup, Ep14 F6 IC

Starting line

Working the puzzle

Koru, Ep14 F6 Tribal Council

Listening to Sarah talk about gender bias in Survivor

Revote options: Just Denise and Sarah

17th person voted out, 14th member of our jury...

Snuffed, Day 36 (Episode 14)

Final words

With the jury, Final Tribal Council

Philippines interviews (click to expand/collapse)
Pre-game interviews
- Gordon Holmes at XfinityTV.com (9/7/12): "Survivor: Philippines Pre-Game Interview: Denise Stapley"
- CBS pre-game interview (YouTube)
- CBS pre-S25 "Meet the Cast" video (YouTube)
Post-game interviews
- Rob Cesternino at RobHasAPodcast (12/17/12): "Interviews with the Survivor Philippines Final Four"
- Gordon Holmes at XfinityTV.com (12/17/12): "Denise: 'It's Hard to Believe It's Really Real'"
- Dalton Ross at EW.com (12/17/12): "Denise reveals the person still mad at her, and that she is the one who told Penner about Lisa's past"
- Daniel Fienberg at HitFix.com (12/21/12): "Denise Stapley Discusses Her Survivor: Philippines Win"
Winners at War interviews (click to expand/collapse)
Pre-game interviews
- Sangita Patel for ET Canada (1/15/20): "Denise Stapley Says She Couldn't Say No To Joining Survivor: Winners at War"
- Gordon Holmes at XfinityTV.com (1/21/20): "Survivor Champion Denise Stapley - 'I'm Not Here for a Fijian Vacation'"
- Mike Bloom at Parade.com (1/28/20): "Denise Stapley Brings a Record-Breaking Underdog Story to Survivor: Winners at War"
Post-game interviews
- Dalton Ross at EW.com (5/14/20): "Denise Stapley reveals she almost took out Tony instead of Sandra"
- Mike Bloom at Parade.com (5/14/20): "Denise Stapley Learns to Slay, Endure, and Let Go on Survivor: Winners at War"
- Rob Cesternino at RHAP (5/14/20): "Survivor 40 FINALE Exit Interviews with the Final 6"

Philippines bio (click to expand/collapse)

Excerpts from her CBS.com Survivor: Philippines bio page:

"Personal Claim to Fame: The decision to leave the safety and stability of my previous job to open my own business is without a doubt my proudest accomplishment. It took planning and preparation to make that transition smooth and successful. It also took some serious courage to risk the financial security I had.
Inspiration in Life: At this point in my life, I struggle to identify any one hero, but a hero in my eyes is someone who follows their passion.
Hobbies: Sprint triathlons, reading and playing dress up/goofing off with my kiddo.
Pet Peeves: My number one pet peeve is laziness and people who expect that change will happen without them having to put in any real level of effort. Life is what you make it folks... dig deep!
3 Words to Describe You: Determined, energetic and goofy.
If You Could Have 3 Things on The Island What Would They Be and Why?
1) A seriously sturdy jogging bra – no one needs to see my 40 year-old ta-ta’s dangling out. This is for function, not fashion.
2) My baseball cap or pink dew rag – sheer comfort and a reflection of who I really am.
3) My favorite picture of my husband and daughter for motivation and connection with them.
Survivor Contestant You Are Most Like: I really like Stephenie from Survivor: Palau. If that wasn’t 'digging deep' I don’t know what is. She has sheer will power and determination. That is what drives me.
Reason for Being on Survivor: Believe it or not, for the experience!
Why You Think You’ll 'Survive' Survivor: At work, I have to be able to engage and connect on some level with every person who walks through my door. I’m also a worker bee who will seek out ways to help camp life run smoothly.
Why You Think You Will Be the Sole Survivor: I have a job that requires the ability to engage people to share very personal information and gain their trust to know it will remain confidential. Survivor will require that same skill set and honestly, I’m good at it. My motto in business, life and now Survivor is 'keep it simple, keep it smart.'"

From her EW.com interview, by Dalton Ross:

"Please welcome Iowa's only certified sex therapist! Could Denise's training help her out on the island? 'I have a way of disarming people and getting them to tell me things that are really uncomfortable,' she says. However she's already a bit concerned about some of the other female contestants. 'Some of the women, I don't know how the hell they're going to last out here. They're doing the cuticles and they're painting their nails, and I'm like, Seriously? What the hell are you doing here?!?'"
Winners at War bio (click to expand/collapse)

Excerpts from her official CBS Survivor: Winners at War cast bio page (1/15/20):

When did you first watch Survivor?

I started watching Survivor in 2000 with my husband Brad.

Do you still watch Survivor?

Ummmmm, yes!!! Every Wednesday.... work, activities, and life in general is planned often around our Wednesday night family viewing!

Who is your inspiration in life?

This hasn't changed for me and I continue to be inspired by anyone who embraces life with passion. When you see it... you can feel it... and you can't help but be impacted and inspired by it.

What does Survivor mean to you and your family?

Survivor is something that is a shared experience for all of us. We've laughed, we've cried... and we've hooted and hollered at our TV many times over the years. It's the one time where we don't just slow down—we stop and are all focused 100% on the same thing. It's our time.

What is one way playing Survivor changed your life?

I think Survivor has changed my life in many ways... but not because of the money. At the core, I remain the person I was before, which until very recently included driving the SAME car, now almost 12 years old, complete with dents and duct tape patching. But playing Survivor fueled parts of me that were always there, maybe untapped, or maybe pushed me to honor those parts. It's made me more open to life experiences in general, fueled the desire to travel, and now plays a huge part in our family motto of #GoSeeDo (go places we don't normally get to go, see people we don't normally get to see, do things we wouldn't normally do). Ultimately, it was a reminder that life is too short, so suck it up during the crappy parts, and embrace and appreciate the rest.

As Survivor approaches Season 40 and celebrates 20 years on television, what does it mean to be a part of the legacy?

It's funny, this answer should be easy... but it's not. Being given the chance to play a second time is huge in and of itself. But for it to be the 40th! EPIC! The game has changed SO much since Season 1 and has brought with it so many incredible players. It feels like a huge honor to be able to be a part of that legacy (even if I was on one of the worst tribes EVER!) so I don't take it lightly.

How will you play differently than you did in your past season?

My honest answer... I have no clue! LOL! Why?? Because we are who we are, good or bad, and once you're out on that island... all of the best-laid plans, intentions, etc. can quickly dissipate into a miserable mess. So in truth, the core of how I played the first time will remain: adapt, adapt, adapt. And hope that the Survivor "gods" are in my favor."