Reality star's grandma dies 22 years after he lied about her death in the 'biggest lie in TV history'

Survivor contenstant Jonny Fairplay announced on Saturday (February 8) that his grandma actually has died, more than 20 years after he pretended she had died in the 'biggest lie in TV history'

The reality star told his fans that his grandmother, Ellen Jean Hauser, has died at the age of 90, over two decades after he lied about her death to avoid elimination on Survivor.

The lie became one of the most infamous moments in reality TV history since it happened in 2003. Survivor is as a US reality show, which first aired in 2000, in which contestants are stranded on a remote island and try to survive, all while facing challenging tasks in the hope of winning $1million prize money.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Fairplay said: “I’ll miss her every day. It’s easy to think she was just part of one of the biggest lies in TV history, which made me famous, but I look at her place in my life as a loving grandparent who only wanted the best for me in my life and would do anything to help me get it. Which she did.”

Sharing the news on social media, he also urged his 117,000 followers “Everyone run tell your grandma you love them today!”

The infamous lie happened in 2003 on an episode of Survivor: Pearl Islands, Season 7, in which Fairplay was reunited with a close friend as a part of the game.

His friend, who was following a plan the pair had made beforehand, falsely told Fairplay that his grandmother had died so that he could avoid elimination and earn the sympathy of the other competitors.

The trick was a success, and Fairplay was able to win the challenge and spend 24 hours with his friend at the campsite. He went on to come in third on the season. He revealed his trick to viewers via a secret interview at the time and said: “My grandmother’s sitting home watching Jerry Springer right now.”

Viewers reacted with outrage. The story became front page news around the world and questions about how ethical reality shows are were raised.

Other players on the season didn’t find out about the lie until after filming on the season concluded, leaving many feeling betrayed as they were also certain Fairplay had crossed an ethical line.

Due to the lie, Fairplay is still one of the most famous Survivor contestants in history. He continued to appear on Survivor spin offs including several Survivor All-Stars seasons, House of Villains, The Traitors, and many more reality competitions.

Fairplay said that his grandma told him she wanted to see him on even more shows. “Her dying words were something like ‘Jonny, I want to see you on Survivor 50, The Traitors, and Deal or No Deal Island. I had no idea she had so many streaming services,” he added to Entertainment Weekly.

• Hugely popular reality TV show Survivor will air its 48th season later this month.