Survivor’s producer Mark Burnett wanted to throw a few surprises at the castaways for the show's tenth season, claiming that the game had become too predictable. So this time, it began with 20 contestants instead of 16, two of which didn’t even get to spend the night on the island before being sent home. The players this time around include a Vegas showgirl, a firefighter, some waiters, more than enough lawyers and even a nanny, all fighting it out to win the million dollars.

There is also one openly gay contestant: Coby Archa, a hairstylist from Texas. A high-school dropout who has spent time in jail and lived on the streets, Coby has a strong sense of humor despite his difficult life, which is detailed in his bio on the official Survivor: Palau site:

Born in Abilene, Texas, Coby Archa has also lived in Durham, North Carolina, New York City and Lansing, Michigan. Archa admits to some misguided teenage years, in which he got in trouble with the law and ended up quitting high school. When he was 17 years old, he was arrested and charged with larceny. He was sentenced to seven months in jail and five years probation, an experience that forced Archa to make a conscious decision to turn his life around. He thanks his mother, Bonnie, for sticking by his side and helping him become the man he is today.

Archa studied at the Aladdin Beauty College and received his license from the Texas Cosmetology Commission. He currently co-owns a hair salon with his best friend, Amanda. He enjoys traveling, taking photos, visiting museums or painting. He has acted in local and professional theatre and loves being involved in anything artistic.

Archa, currently single, lives in Athens, Texas. His birth date is September 8, 1972.

Survivor host Jeff Probst said on Survivor Insider that “Coby is the kind of guy that walks in the room and immediately, you're laughing, and you're not laughing at him, you're really laughing with him, because he either has a really funny story to tell or he's doing something wacky with his hair. And because he is around people all the time, in his profession, I think he is probably smart enough to assess people, to know who he can push and who he should back off from so he doesn't sabotage himself in the game. If he is as good as he thinks he is, that's what he will do.”

Coby isn't the first openly gay Survivor contestant--that honor goes to Richard Hatch, who walked away with the grand prize on the first season--but he is one of only a few.

Like Richard, Coby is also living on the same island as a self-proclaimed redneck, but this one is named James instead of Susan. Currently, Coby’s team (Koror) is demolishing the competing tribe (Ulong). Coby played a major role in his tribe's last immunity challenge victory--which required each team member to face off in a “king of the mountain” competition--when he resoundingly beat his opponent, James Miller, not once but twice, by pushing James off the platform into the water.

James took it badly when he was overpowered by a “homosexual” during the immunity challenge last week. “It feels terrible to have my butt whipped by a homosexual, ya know! But a lot of gay folks are strong, man….they all working out at the gym and all, you know, damn!” This comment comes from a man who prides himself on not brushing his teeth, being deeply in debt and having a stripper as a wife--a man who has also said, “We rednecks just want to drink beer and get stoned and hang out with our wives and kids.”

James should take the money he’s been sticking in his wife’s g-string and buy himself a clue--but don't hold your breath, because James already announced that he would blow the million dollar check if he won it, just so he could remain "a broke-ass redneck."

Coby hasn't emerged as a leader of his tribe, but he's not a target, either. From the beginning, he hasn't been taken seriously enough by his fellow tribe members--on the first day, when the tribes were chosen, Coby almost wasn't selected. He has begun to complain to the camera that his opinions are being ignored, but he hasn't yet raised the issue with his tribemates. He's being cautious, for now.

Flying under the radar can be a useful strategy, as long as you can step up when necessary. Based on his personal history and his performance in the game so, it's clear Coby is a survivor. Whether he will be the Survivor remains to be seen.