Meet the 'Survivor 48' Cast! Saiounia "Sai" Hughley Wants a 'Fanny Pack' of Advantages

If there were two words Saiounia “Sai” Hughley would use to describe herself, it would be "surprising" and "resilient." After all, this is a woman who got hit by a bus, got up, and nearly walked away. But now she's ready to pull off her own blindside hit-and-runs on the beach. The 30-year-old recently left her marketing job before traveling to Fiji, looking for a challenge in her life. Her identity as a Black woman is paramount to how she'll play, whether it's the previous castaways she admires or why she believes she's capable of winning the million-dollar prize. And that toughness will hopefully get her through some self-admitted weaknesses, whether it's struggling to ground herself or being "too nosy for her own good."

Read on for my interview with Sai, and check in with Parade.com daily for interviews with this season's contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 48 premieres on Feb. 26 with a two-hour premiere on CBS.

Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 48

Interview with Sai from Survivor 48

To start, give me your name, age, and occupation.
My name's Saiounia Hughley. Age 29–don't tell anyone. And then occupation, I just quit, but I used to work in marketing.

What did that involve?
I worked in marketing at NBC, so I was responsible for paid media for NBC and Bravo shows. So I bought all of our billboard ads, all of our audio ads, all of our ads that you see in print, so any magazines like TV Guide–I know that's ancient. But US Weekly, stuff like that.

So, did you leave your job to go on Survivor? Or was there another reason?
So I am very attached to people. And my boss was an African-American woman, because representation is massive to me. I love to see people in positions of power that look like me, because they can tell me where I can end up, or all the places I can go. And so when she stepped away, it felt like I was the only African-American woman on my team. And so it just was like, "This no longer makes sense for me." I had been there for a very long time. And I was very comfortable, and I wasn't being challenged either. And then this was happening too. So it was like, "Perfect. This is a sign."

Have you always worked in marketing? How did you find your way into that industry?
That is a good question. So I studied journalism in college. I was a reporter at one point in time. And I absolutely hated being on call. I thought only doctors were on call. So I was like, "I like spending my time with my family on the holidays. I like having time off." It was depressing, to be quite honest. But I knew I had a really good skill set. So I came out here with no plan, which is not like me, and took a risk on myself. And I started out as an assistant editor, actually, at NBC. They loved me so much that they found another role for me. Because the pandemic had happened, and much of that team got mixed, and then they were like, "But you still have such good qualities. We'd love to put you here." And then I ended up where I was at and kicked ass.

Well, let's talk about what brings you out here to hopefully kick ass in another way. What made you decide to come onto Survivor?
I'm really in for the title. I like exclusivity, and I like being one of a kind. It's a small, small winner circle, and that's where I like to belong. And I also want girls who look like me, who come from the same background, to see all the places you can go. I'm from Philadelphia, that is quite literally a concrete jungle, out into what I consider a real jungle. It's really inspiring. And I know girls back home are gonna be like, "If she can do that, I can definitely do that."

So what's your history with watching the show?
This is a good question. I've always watched it sporadically. But when my grandma passed away in college, I needed to fill my time even more. So I actually ended up watching it more intensely, starting all the way from the beginning. I'm really good about knowing what certain people do. I'm not fantastic about names, unless you're actually really inspiring to me. Like Drea, I will always remember her. Maryanne, always gonna remember. So that's where my Survivor journey started, watching the show.

Give me one winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most.
The winner I identify most with is Maryanne, for sure, I think that she gave me permission to not only be authentically myself, but also be weird, like she was. There were times when I was watching her season, I was like, "That's cringy. Very, very cringy." but I can now be cringy on the show because she did it. [Laughs.] Like, when she was wheeling that machete around, I was literally, "Please sit down and stop talking." But then I talk a lot too, but I refrain, because I look at how people are looking at me. Maryanne didn't give a shit. She was just gonna be her, and look at where it took her! Stop playing

People I liked who didn't win, I hate that they're on the same season, but Drea. I feel like she ticked all the boxes. She was very well-rounded. She not only kicked ass at things, she also had all of the advantages anybody could ever or at once. Literally had a pocketbook. I've never heard of a pocketbook on the show. She stood for something which was really important. SLots of people who come to the show talk about how you bring your own lived experiences into the game. She was someone who was taking actual lived experiences and talking about it on the game, and not in a way that made you feel guilty. It was like," I'm gonna address this issue, because it's an issue. But also, we're gonna move on because I don't want you to be able to say, 'Oh, I just use this for gameplay.' No, this is real life; we need to discuss it." That humanized moment was like, "Alright, I'm gonna go in here and I'm gonna kick ass."

What's your favorite moment in Survivor history?
I'm so lame, but Drea! I don't want her to see this and be like, "This girl's obsessed with me." But the moment when she was in Triibal Council and they did that double idol play, although it wasn't super sneaky or anything, it wasn't out in your face flashy, it was very much "it is what it is." But it was the speech in the conversation that happened after that that was very impactful. And Maryanne didn't have to play her idol at all. And she did it as a symbol of, like, "I stand with this too." I can appreciate that.

I think it was a really impactful moment for everyone involved. Because you have Jonathan openly vocalizing that he did not realize any of the things Maryanne and Drea were feeling, and that speaks power as well. And I do think nowadays, players do feel more open to airing how much social politics plays a part in the game.
And I'm so glad you said the Jonathan piece. Because when he's outright was like, "I'm not racist. That's not what I'm saying." There's so many people who were watching the show that had that same thought. It's like, "You're being real. All of you guys are being real. You're putting the game aside for a second and just having a real-ass conversation. I liked that.

It speaks to the fact that, while you are in this world away from reality, there's a lot about that reality that gets brought into the game. To that point, what's one life experience you feel has prepared you the most for this?
I hate to say this because it's so lame.

Is it Drea?
[Laughs.] Everything! As a Black woman in America, resilience is pretty much my middle name. And I think that I'm gonna surprise some people, because I'm from the city, they're gonna be like, "What is the city girl doing out in the jungle? She doesn't know what she's doing." And, admittedly, I'm actually not Dora the Explorer, and I do not make fire, and I am not married to Tarzan. I'm very aware of those things. But my strength is I can put up with anything. This is not the hardest thing I've ever done. It will push me to my limits, of course, but I'm sure I've faced harder.

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What was your prep process like before coming out here?
Lucky for me, I didn't have work. So I was swimming every single day. And then I was on my patio making fire. I actually had the fire department called on me once, but it was fine. It was totally fine. I was like, "I didn't actually start a fire. It was just me actually trying to make a fire."

How did that happen?
Somebody was like, "It smells really smoky." But they didn't see flames. Okay, sure, whatever. Don't call me out on it. I was trying to make a fire. I also went and tried a bunch of different brain puzzles. Because I can do regular puzzles, but things like Sudoku are important for brain health. I did so much. I also did hikes, but with a weighted vest. Because I live in California, that's really easy for me to do. I worked out twice a day. I normally only do once a day. I'm just really trying to prepare myself mentally, physically and emotionally. I do wish I did more emotional things.

Talk to me about that. What does that emotional prep mean?
That would be therapy. I think that's important. In the Black community, specifically, therapy is kind of taboo. Like, "I don't need that. You're fine. Just walk it off." But I wish I had had discussions surrounding my grandma to help me grieve. I'm gonna grieve her in a different way on the show. But I think if I had more conversations about what had happened to me and not bringing all that baggage into the show, that would have been helpful. Some therapy or a mindfulness retreat. I'm being honest with myself, I feel like sometimes I can get really busybody. And learning how to be still in the moments that you should be still is important. Especially in a game like this where you need to find those pockets, or those moments, where you need to ground yourself. I'm gonna struggle with grounding myself, I can feel.

I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother. But we have seen people come onto the show who are able to use this experience as a release from something they experienced back home, and how much they transform because of it. You have nothing but time out here!
But I'm also very aware that this is not a therapy retreat, you know what I mean? So there's a time and a place. And it's a vulnerability for me. I gotta decide how vulnerable I'm willing to be with these people, or if I could find my person on the show. I could quite literally find my number one, who's actually my number one.d I'm not gonna pull a Maria on my Charlie. That was too much for me. I will never let that go. I was literally in my kitchen like, "No, she did not just do that." When Jeff asked that question, I was like, "No, she did not raise her hand. There's no way she did that."

Give me your biggest superpower and your biggest piece of kryptonite when it comes to this game.
I can start with kryptonite. I'm very well aware of my weaknesses. It's definitely emotion. I can be very reactive. And sometimes emotion is good. But there's a time and a place when you need to. Even though somebody might do something terrible to me, I can't necessarily vote them off the next vote; I might need to use them for however long. But also showing my expressions. I need to be well aware of how I'm coming off. I might not be able to say what's on my mind in that moment, but that's me in my everyday life. I literally say everything that's on my mind. Whatever's here is gonna come out of here. I think my biggest superpower is making awkward interactions more fun and light-hearted. I can make anybody laugh. I feel like even if it's with sarcasm or not, if I'm in an awkward situation, I will find a joke to make. And it'll be universal for everybody if I lighten up the mood.

That will be perfect for those initial conversations in the first few days. To that point, how do you think you'll be perceived?
This is a good one. I think naturally, because we come in with unconscious biases, all the time, if you look at me and we're not engaging, I have a resting bitch face. I look very aggressive sometimes, and I have to be aware. So some people might be like, "She's hard. I don't know if I want to talk to her." Unless I do the thing where I'm overcompensating, smiling at you every second. But that will be hard for me to do. Especially since we haven't been talking, it'll be hard for me to break that barrier. Because I might already be in a hole with these people that I'm trying to climb my way out of, even though they haven't spoken to me not once.

Well, let's talk about some of the nonverbal things you've picked up from your competition. Who are you picking up good vibes from in the preseason?
There's actually somebody who surprised me, a little bit of a gentleman. He has the mohawk, curly black hair, very vibey. Not too tall, not too short. Not super buff, but you can tell he works out. He looks like he owns a surf shack. I like him because I feel like he does multiple different things. He's not mysterious in the sense [that] I know he's an artist, or I can come to definitive answers about who he is. But it's also the fact that I feel like, if he's in a room with a group of people, he can get along with every single person and not try too hard. That's what I like. I don't like people who are forcing a connection. I feel like we would just vibe, just a vibe.

And on the negative, I'm assuming–this is my favorite part, because I'm very judgmental. I hate to be that girl who's like, "I get along better with men." But I'm about to be that girl I get along better with men. So the women attention-seeking is not my thing. I like people who speak when they have something impactful to say. That's why I'm attracted to Drea. She didn't speak much, but when she did, she had something that was actually gonna change the game. So there's a few here. I'm gonna describe them. One always wears her hair pulled back. And she could surprise me, I don't know. But she's always doing something, whether it's the over-the-top yawn or the "I gotta stand up and work on the circle for a few minutes." Or " I gotta spritz some perfume on me," even though you're gonna sweat it off in the next five minutes.

And then there's the other girl, she's also artsy, but she wants you to know she's artsy. She has blonde hair. She paints whenever she gets a chance. Listen, my mom and my sister are both kick-ass artists. They both can draw. I'm the only one that gene skipped over. So I know what it's like to be around true artists. I don't want to say she's not a true artist. But artists who have humility. Like, they paint, and they don't make a big to-do about it. They don't go across the room and get drinking water to dip their paintbrush. And I was like, "No, she didn't. That's literally what she did.

Oh, she's actually making art at Ponderosa?
She's literally making art. "Okay, cool. Love that for you." So that's a biggie for me. But she's looking for the round of applause, of like, "How amazing is this moment?" Truly, if you're just in your artistry, I feel like you would be like, "I want to have this moment for me. This is something for me. I don't have to actually walk around once it's finished and act like I didn't mean to show it to y'all. And when we acknowledged that we saw it, 'Oh, stop, stop, stop, stop.'" I hate performative qualities. Just be you! When it's time to be still, be still. When you want to talk, talk. I'm fine with that.

Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 48

What's the biggest thing you're looking for in an alliance member?
There's a few different things. I came out here to do something different. So I want to be exposed to different. I don't typically hang out with the nerds. So I would love to have somebody who's nerdy. I don't typically hang out with the people who do that thing. [Does the "hang loose" gesture.] I want to hang out with you! I wanna know how to wax a surfboard. I want to be exposed to different types of people who don't think like I do. If I wanted to do that, I'd stay back home and only hang out with people I know.

I also would like somebody who's extremely buff, but I want somebody who looks like a meathead but actually has a brain cell. I want to be surprised. Because I feel like this misconception of somebody who's super bulky, looks like they take eight eggs in the morning, drinks three protein shakes, but doesn't have a single thought on their head besides, "When's my next protein shake?" And I think I'll find someone like that, those are some qualities I want somebody to surprise me, like I'm gonna surprise them.

How much are you going to incorporate idols and advantages into your game?
Well, you know who I love? Drea and Maryanne! I need to build my Survivor fanny pack, okay? I need to have all of the things. Get all of the idols, all of the advantages, all of the moments, with all of the people, and have all these people in my back pocket. I want it all. I want to be Survivor rich. I'm getting high just talking about it, actually. But that is what excites me. But I don't want people to know about it. I'm not very showy. I'm gonna keep it to myself.

I saw you wrote in your bio about getting hit by a car while you were in college. You gotta tell me this story.
[Laughs.] Sometimes I forget what I put in. But it's every college kid's dream. Literally, orientation. We had an orientation about, because I was in the city, being aware of public transit. It had to be junior or senior year. And I was crossing the street, listening to my iPod, very aware. And a public transit bus had hit me. And I guess it was adrenaline that I didn't really realize. I had just popped right back up, and I was about to walk off. But he was like, "No, no, no!" And called the ambulance and everything. Got a nice payout from it. But I was like, "Look at me!" Got to take off an extra week for finals. I didn't have to do it right away. I bought my first car with the money.

That feels ironic.
[Laughs.] I know! Public transit got me my first car.

What's your main takeaway from Seasons 45 and 46 that you're bringing into your gameplay?
Playing the middle man when it's important. I think Charlie did a fantastic job at that. He knew that he was locked in with Maria. But that moment when–I think Maria is the one who said it. "Me and Charlie made this pact that we wouldn't take one another on rewards." And I never thought about that. My thing going into the game originally, I was like, "You gotta reaffirm your number one that we're still locked in and take them to the reward when you go." So, being a middle man, but also standing firm in my alliance and not being paranoid. I think they did a fantastic job of that. And I'm a control freak, so that's gonna be really hard for me. If my number one goes on a reward and doesn't take me, it's gonna take me a second to be like, "Wait, wait, we had a pact." But that's something I can implement into my game.

What's your hottest Survivor take?
Malcolm was a little overrated. I hate that I said that. Because he was good at challenges. But what else did you bring to the table? I can't think of a single thing that Malcolm said, "Hmm, that was really insightful?"

You're not a fan of the Three Amigos idol play?
No! [Laughs.] I think it was actually pretty basic. Aside from the fact that he was hot and he was fit, I just cannot remember a single thing he did.

What celebrity or fictional character would you bring out for a Loves Ones visit?
Gabrielle Union. Because I think she's just as resilient. She's always in the tabloids because of her relationship. And she was, cheated on and all those things. And she could have done the thing that most people do: Get a divorce. But strong women inspire me, and I think there's more to the story. And I would just love for her, in my lowest moment, to come out here and be like, "Go kick butt. This is what you have to do." I feel like she'd be really insightful.

And that's the former journalist in you. You're like, "I need to get some answers from her, get to the bottom of all this."
[Laughs.] God, that is so right. That's gonna show up in the game too. I'm gonna be a little too nosy for my own good. I really am. I'm gonna be in everybody's business. But I'm gonna have to learn when it's appropriate. Is that even a word in Survivor, "appropriate"?

I mean, that's the thing. In a 26-day game, it's tough to find that appropriate window. But, like you said, you do a great job diffusing awkward situations. And Survivor is full of them!
Right. If somebody walks up on me and my number one talking about getting them out, I'm not gonna freeze up. That's the worst thing you could do, is be like, "Oh, what are you talking about?" "Oh, nothing." I'll be like, "Oh, we're just talking about the Eagles. We have no idea how they're doing in the game."

That's just like what Tiffany and Q were doing with Kenzie, right? "What are y'all talking about?"
I literally brought up that moment. I thought it was so funny. Q, I'm obsessed with him, actually. Because he's so chaotic. I would hate to play with him, but I do love to watch it.

Lastly, how are you going to make your mark on Survivor 48 to make sure you return for Season 50?
I think people are going to be surprised [by] everything that I can do, and everything that I was willing to do, and the risk that I'm willing to take. But that is exciting to people. I think if you see people who play hard. I'm gonna play like this is my first and last time, not with the impression of, "I'm gonna make it to 50." This is my last chance to play Survivor. Yeah, if I go in with that mentality, I think I'll take bigger swings. Not me using a marketing term. I hate that for myself. [Laughs.]

Next, check out our interview with Survivor 48 contestant Mary Zheng.