Liz Wilcox from 'Survivor' Is Competing at a Disadvantage Thanks to Allergies

While every season of Survivor has its ups and downs, few contestants have had a tougher time on the show's 46th season than Liz Wilcox. Liz is competing at a disadvantage because of allergies she's dealing with that keep her from eating some of the food that her fellow contestants get to partake in.

Although Liz's dietary restrictions have been a frequent topic of conversation on the show, many fans have had trouble keeping up with exactly what she's allergic to. And, following a freakout over some Applebee's on the May 1 episode, many now want to better understand Liz's allergies.

Throughout the 46th season, Liz has explained that she cannot eat the fruit and coconut that are so common on the island because of allergies. While these allergies have been consistent, some viewers have noticed that other aspects of her diet seem to change. She once suggested she was allergic to beef and rice, but viewers have noticed instances where she seemed willing to eat those things.

Fans have latched onto one incident, in particular, where she mentioned being allergic to rice and later left a challenge early to eat some rice. Some think that she might be lying about at least some of her allergies, but at the end of the day, we just have to take her word on what she's allergic to. It's also possible that she really is allergic to rice, but she was hungry enough that she was willing to eat it anyway and deal with the consequences.

Because of her dietary restrictions, Liz has been operating at a greater calorie deficit than your average contestant, which is why she was so excited about the prospect of chowing down on some Applebee's, which is her favorite restaurant. Q Burdette, the reward challenge winner, got to choose the people who would get to eat Applebee's with her, and Liz was not selected, which seemed to genuinely break her.

The result was a yelling fit that has rarely been equaled in Survivor's history, and while it's already going viral online, host Jeff Probst has encouraged viewers at home to have some empathy for Liz.

“My reaction on the day was very similar to the reaction I had just now hearing it again on this podcast,” he said. “It's obviously upsetting. That's real emotion and absolute vulnerability.”

“This is the kind of moment on Survivor when a lot of people will make fun, and there will be memes," he continued. "But imagine that's you, and for whatever reason you've been triggered in the same way. I mean, that is proof that you forget about the cameras because there's no facade going on there.”

Regardless of exactly what Liz is allergic to, it's clear that she felt like she needed that food.

"I have a lot of empathy for Liz, but it is also part of the adventure that comes with playing this game because it is designed to push you, and sometimes it does push you so far out of your comfort zone that you break down in some way," Jeff continued.