Details on 'Survivor 48' Fan Favorite Joe Hunter's Family Life Outside of Reality TV
Joe and his wife have two kids.
Published April 24 2025, 11:39 a.m. ET
When he applied to be on Survivor, Season 48 cast member Joe Hunter did so in honor of his sister. He shared on the show and on social media that his late sister was the reason for him working so hard to be on the show and prove himself in the intense competition. It was clear to many that Joe's family is important to him. Naturally, it led some to wonder if Joe from Survivor 48 is married outside of the show,
It turns out, he is, and his wife has a connection to the spotlight herself. Though to be clear, it has nothing to do with reality TV. She was once in the WNBA and, according to her Instagram bio, she is an Emmy Award-winning TV analyst. She is also 100 percent supportive of her husband's efforts on Survivor, and she began sharing posts about the show and her husband from the moment Season 48 premiered.
Who is Joe from 'Survivor 48' married to?
Joe is married to Kayte Christensen, who played for the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, Houston Comets, and Chicago Sky at different points in her career, according to Daily Nexus. She began playing basketball seriously in college at the University of California, Santa Barbara, per her former player profile on the college's website.
Kayte's career in the WNBA came to a close in 2008, though she already seemed to have plans for when her career on the court ended. In 2003, Kayte began serving as an analyst for NBC 1190 AM. From there, her career as an on-air analyst continued. Now, according to her Instagram bio, Kayte is an analyst for NBC Sports in Sacramento, Calif.
Having a busy career hasn't stopped Kayte from being supportive of her husband's reality TV aspirations, though. When Survivor 48 premiered, Kayte began sharing posts about it on social media. Under a video of Joe from the show, Kayte wrote, "FINALLY I can share some super exciting news! My husband @joehunterucla will be on your screens February 26th as part of the @survivorcbs Season 48 cast!! Could not be more proud or excited!! #survivor #survivor48."
Joe Hunter's sister inspired him to go on 'Survivor.'
Outside of Survivor, Joe is a firefighter and a busy dad of two, but he felt compelled to try and compete on the show anyway, and it was all thanks to his late sister. He explains on Survivor that his sister wanted to compete on the show with him, but shortly after she expressed her interest, she died from reasons related to domestic violence.
Joe went on Survivor to play for his sister. Not long after Season 48 premiere, fans were rooting for the dad of two.
One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Joe is an absolute BEAST. The concentration and diligence it takes to recover after his slip early on in the challenge are insane. He has so many attributes that serve him well in this game #Survivor #Survivor48."