‘Alone’ Season 12 Premiere: 1 Person Has Already Tapped Out

Can these survivalists handle the heat? For its 12th season, Alone is trading the frozen Arctic tundra for the parched South African desert. Rather than battling sub-zero temperatures, record snowfalls, and long winter nights, this batch of contestants will have to survive in an arid environment where wild animals like warthogs and baboons reign and water is the most precious resource. 

Who will make it to the finish line and take home the show’s $500,000 prize? That’s anyone’s guess. But Alone Season 12 premiere, which aired June 12, made it clear that this will be a contest like no other. 

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Alone Season 12 Episode 1.] 

‘Alone’ Season 12 contestants set up camp in Africa

“The Land of Great Thirst” follows five of this season’s 10 survivalists as they begin their Alone journey.

Pablo Arguelles, 55, was born in Cuba and immigrated to the U.S. with his parents when he was 11. He now lives in Florida. Pablo is confident his practical skills and will to survive will give him an edge in the competition. He’s gone all-in on Alone, even quitting his job as a video editor to dedicate himself to winning the show.  

Will Lamb, 31, is an exotic animal rancher from Texas who calls himself a “primitive enthusiast.” Unlike some contestants, he doesn’t make his living with his survival skills. But he thinks his technical abilities and mental fortitude will help him as he fights to win Alone. 

Kelsey Loper, 35, runs a horse rescue and lives off-the-grid in Montana. She’s a confident hunter and fisherwoman who calls herself a “force to reckoned with.” But is she prepared for what Africa is going to throw at her? She seems a little alarmed when she spots baboons near her camp. 

Jit Patel, 35, grew up in the U.K. but now calls New Zealand home, where the former Army Cadet works as a outdoor education instructor. If he wins Alone, he hopes to use the money to buy a plot of land for him and and his girlfriend to establish a homestead. 

Katie Rydge, 46, is a mom of two and survival skills teacher from Australia, something she’s been doing to two decades. She’s skilled at foraging plants and fishing, which she thinks will be an important asset. But she believes her secret weapon will be her experience in arid environments. 

One survivalist is forced to head home early 

It doesn’t take long for the survivalists to confront the harsh reality of the Great Karoo Desert. All immediately focus on water. While each person’s camp is located near a water source, they’ll need to clean and purify the water so that it’s safe to drink. Failing to do so could lead to a nasty illness and an early exit from the competition. 

Food and shelter are also priorities. Everyone is content to set up temporary shelters as they get the lay of the land. But their different approaches to procuring food soon become apparent. Jit forages some prickly pear cactus and explains his plans to fish. Katie throws out a line soon after her arrival and is rewarded a few hours later when she catches a mudfish. She also forages some seeds, explaining that her strategy is to have a good supply of plant food in order to keep her spirits up when she doesn’t have protein. Meanwhile, Pablo is still focused on hydration. His attempt to build a coyote well is a frustrating failure, so he settles for straining the water through fabric and then boiling it. 

Will spots some kudu, but ultimately decides it will be “too much animal” and that he’s “not ready” to hunt yet. Kelsey makes a different choice. First, she sees a waterbuck. But because she only has a 50-pound bow, she can’t hunt them. But when she encounters a warthog, she does take a successful shot. However, killing the animal presents a whole new set of problems, as she doesn’t have a clear plan for how to get the meat back to camp before it starts to spoil. She’s eventually able to butcher most of the animal, but could her lack of planning be a sign she’ll make other mistakes?

As Day 3 dawns, Jit is hopeful his fishing will pay off. But his stomach has other ideas. He’s hit with debilitating diarrhea, followed by vomiting. After an unpleasant night, he realizes he has no choice but to tap out.

“I wasn’t scared of being alone, but I am scared of my health,” he says. “It doesn’t feel like a situation I can recover from.”

With that, Jit becomes the first – but not the last – person to exit Alone Season 12. Who will be next to leave the competition? Find out when in the upcoming episodes of Alone, airing Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on History Channel.

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