Sue Hawk’s ‘Snakes and Rats’ Speech at the 1st ‘Survivor’ Finale Still Hits Hard 25 Years Later (Exclusive)

Survivor came out of the gate hot!

In its inaugural finale airing August 23, 2000, jury member Sue Hawk — days after being betrayed by Kelly Wiglesworth — delivered a scathing speech to her former ally and the other finalist, Richard Hatch.

“This island is pretty much full of only two things: snakes and rats,” Hawk said.

She saw Hatch as a snake who “knowingly went after prey”… which left Wiglesworth as the rat.

“I feel like we owe it to the island’s spirits … to let it be, in the end, the way that Mother Nature intended it to be. For the snake to eat the rat.”

For host Jeff Probst, “What still reverberates is the tension in the air,” he tells Us. “Within seconds of her starting her speech, you could feel the rest of the jury leaning in. Nobody really knew how to respond.”

Who Was Involved

Tell-it-like-it-is Wisconsin truck driver Hawk, 63, was nothing if not consistent: During the season, she’d roasted her fellow castaways in Borneo, Malaysia, calling Gervase Peterson a “pervert,” Greg Buis “psychotic” and Sean Kenniff “dumb.” But none turned on her the way California river guide Wiglesworth, 48, had, causing Hawk’s elimination at the final four. Meanwhile, Rhode Island corporate trainer Hatch, 64 — the oft-nude winner — pioneered the reality TV strategizing and alliance-forming we know and love today (paging The Traitors!).

Why We Remember It

No show like Survivor (based on a Swedish hit) had ever aired on American TV. Sixteen strangers trying to “outwit, outplay, outlast” while stranded with limited food and no shelter or fire? The CBS competition was a sensation, and Hawk, its voice of honesty.

“Sue’s speech was more than real. It was visceral,” Probst, 63, says. “I remember thinking: This is the show. This is the whole idea coming to life in one speech. A game that strips you down until your true feelings are undeniable. It was raw, deeply personal and absolutely unforgettable.”

Key Details

Every sentence out of Hawk’s mouth was gold! One blow she delivered to Wiglesworth: “If I were to ever pass you along in life again and you were laying there dying of thirst, I would not give you a drink of water. I would let the vultures take you and do whatever they want with you with no ill regrets.”

She twisted the knife by revealing her vote then and there — for Hatch.

The Aftermath

In Wiglesworth’s exit interview, she stated Hawk had turned on her first: “Everything she said to me was a complete description of how she acted toward me and the things she did to me in this game.”

Whoever was in the wrong, 51.7 million viewers ate it up! New celeb Hatch had to pass on hosting Saturday Night Live but did return for Survivor’s all-star season 8 (Hawk, too; Wiglesworth competed on 2015’s Second Chance round). Hatch also got prison time for not paying taxes on his prize money and not amending his 2000 tax return.

A New Perspective

For Probst, this was a turning point: “It was one of the first moments when the audience realized Survivor is so much more than a game show. It’s a social experiment about us — how we behave, how we justify our ethics, how we can lie, cajole, persuade. All of it. Sue’s speech was a verdict.”

Where Are They Now?

From The Celebrity Apprentice to The Biggest Loser, Hatch has popped up on more reality shows, most recently 2024’s House of Villains (he placed 10th). Hawk is out of the spotlight, living on her ranch in Missouri. As for host extraordinaire Probst, he returns to CBS Sept. 24 for season 49, leading up to February’s big 50th.