The Heartbreaking Death Of Survivor's Sunday Burquest

Survivor star Sunday Burquest has died at the age of 50. As Deadline reports, the former contestant died after dealing with cancer for a second time. Burquest was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. However, after being told she was cancer-free following multiple surgeries and extensive treatment, the reality star was sadly diagnosed for a second time with esophageal and ovarian cancers in 2020, and given just months to live. 

In a statement posted on Instagram, Sunday's daughter, Kennedy Burquest, confirmed the devastating news and paid tribute to her mother. "To my unbelievably beautiful mama, thank you. Thank you for fighting as hard as you did for as long as you did. Thank you for being a best friend, a role model, a sister, and my mother all in one," she wrote. 

In the emotional caption shared alongside photos of herself and her mother, Kennedy continued, "I love you to heaven and back a million times. I know one day we will meet again. Until then, I'll spend every minute missing you, and trying to make you proud. Rest easy mom, I'll see you soon." 

Per TV Line, Sunday Burquest rose to fame after appearing in the hit CBS competition show Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X back in 2016. Throughout her time on the show, she became known for bonding with the millennial tribe and lasted 35 days, finishing in a respectable seventh place overall.

Speaking to People last year, Burquest explained that she didn't view her cancer diagnosis as a death sentence. "No one knows how much time you have left. Accidents can happen. Miracles can happen. Someone healthy can die unexpectedly, and someone sick can live for much longer than expected." She continued, "So I don't think of this as a death sentence; I think of this as something that has happened, and is now a part of my life. And I'm going to live my life as fully as I can."

In the wake of her death, Survivor host Jeff Probst paid tribute to the late reality star on Instagram, with a heartfelt caption that read, "Sunday Burquest had one of the brightest smiles of any person to ever play Survivor. She radiated kindness and understanding to anyone lucky enough to be in her presence." Probst concluded, "My condolences go out to her family and friends during this difficult time."