From canoe.ca:

CBS refutes 'Survivor' allegations
By JOHN POWELL -- JAM! Showbiz

In an interview with TVGuide.com, booted 'Survivor' contestant Wanda Shirk is alleges that the producers of the popular CBS reality series deliberately stacked the 'Palau' season with professional models culled from agencies.

"They (the producers) didn't want it to come out that they stocked the show with young models. They did. Out of the 20 people that were originally cast, they cut seven and put pretty people from modeling agencies in instead, so that they would have the eye candy," Shirk told TVGuide.com.

Shirk, a 55-year-old English teacher from Pennsylvania, claims the other players discovered the information when they talked to each other about what they did for their audition tapes. Shirk says many of the players admitted they never submitted an audition tape to appear on the series.

When contacted by Jam! Showbiz, CBS stated that they were aware of Shirk’s allegations and completely refute them.

Along with Jonathan Libby, Shirk was eliminated from the series on the debut episode when she was not chosen during a brutal schoolyard pick ‘em to determine the two competing tribes. Leaving by boat, Shirk and Libby didn’t even have a chance to play the game.

In order to be cast on the series, players do sign a contract which contains a privacy clause which restricts their discussion about the series and its inner workings.

Who cares. Burnett can pick whomever the fuck he wants.

No way! Next they are going to tell us there are hotels off the "set" with all you can eat buffets.

Well, true or not, there sure are a lot of pretty people on the island this time. My wife and I discussed the fact that this season looks like some kind of covergirl/boy edition.

I would not be surprised to hear models are given preference in the selection process. I would be surprised to hear (confirmation) they don't even have to audition.

I wouldn't have picked her either. I saw her in the episode for what, 10 minutes?, and her God-awful singing was driving me nuts. I was so glad she was gone quickly!

She said she had written many songs for Survivor. Thankfully, we didn't hear too many of them!!

Seems like all recurring reality shows (Big Brother, Survivor, Amazing Race, etc) have seemed to edge their way to casting pretty much models all around. It's too bad, since I tend to find normal looking people more interesting. I still wouldn't be able to identify the male halfs of three of the top four teams in the last AR since they were all so generic model-ly looking.

I would be fine if Burnett wanted to pick good looking people from people who applied, but if he went outside and picked people who did not even apply to be on Survivor, that would not sit well with me. I would almost see it as attempting to influence the outcome of the show indirectly (sort of, but not really).

We thought the opposite, that the cast this season wasn't up to par with some of the others in that regard.

There are? At least the females? I guess my standards are pretty high or I am used to what I saw on Amazing Race S6. A lot of people complained about it, but I couldn't care less.

Same here. There are no women that I thought were really attractive: no Ambers, Elizabeths, Julies, or Jenna Ms in this group. No women with great (fake or real) jugs neither.

I'm hoping Wanda writes enough songs about this to record a cd (It could be called Sour Grapes). She has the potential to be the next William Hung.

It also seems to be a huge risk to take with little possible return. There are many easily verifiable details listed about each contestant. Why would they create something that could be proven false so effortlessly? Plus, when Survivor has taken a hit in the ratings, or in the estimation of its fans, it hasn't been due to a lack of eye candy. In fact, it is just the opposite. Surely the producers know this.

As an English teacher, I'm sure she loves that sentence.

Cry me a river. They had a chance to play the game; they just lost in record time.

das

What's funny is that the article doesn't mention that Jonathan (the guy eliminated at the same time as Wanda) was a "model" type.

Me either. There are only a couple I would even think about looking twice at. One of them is not that creature with the freaky looking eyebrows.

Kim and Stephenie caught my eye. But none are super-hotties.

I dont watch the show anymore but Ive seen the contestants and some do look like models but that isnt going to get me to watch the show. The only thing that would get me to watch is if they were naked.
The more I read about Burnett (including interviews) the less I like him

is it a true survival situation yet on these shows?
I mean dumping the people off and literally not giving them any help. maybe give them a small kit at the beginning, like they might have from a lifeboat or airplane crash. no "we'll give you fire if you win this stupid game" but more like "you want fire? start rubbing sticks"
I guess make the show more like a real life Castaway (the Hanks movie). only assistance would be doctors on hand to pull the people out if they start showinf signs of malnutrition

So she is complaining because they "cast" people instead of "choosing people based on auditions"?

And the difference is...?

This could be one of the most stupid contrived scandals I have heard of. She may actually be more mentally defective than she appeared to be on the show.

Hey everyone....that statement came from Wanda.
Easily one of the most insane, wacked, delusional people they've ever had on any reality TV show. Seriously, she's not playing with a full deck. It's all in her mind...what fragments are left of it.

Seriously, models or no models, she should've known the deck was stacked against her from the start. She wasn't in great physical shape, so she had three options:
1. have some other skill or knowledge that makes you a "keeper"
2. be an aggressively hard worker
3. be very endearing and likable that you form bonds (and alliances) quickly

For 1, horrid singing doesn't count. For 2, I don't remember her doing a whole lot, not enough to stand out at least. And for 3, she grated the nerves, which is the opposite of endearing. Bye Wanda.

True but at least The Amazing Race and Big Brother own up to it and refer to them as models. Looking through the cast list for this one, I see a lot of suspicious 'waiters' and whatnot.

Wasn't Jase/Big Brother listed as a firefighter for most of the show?

Maybe... I was thinking of Drew and Diane.

Yeah if Wanda didn't annoy the hell out of everyone by singing while they were rowing, she'd still be there. Can you imagine her singing for 30 days with stress levels as high as they get?