Reality TV Romance
Did Boston Rob & Amber’s Epic ‘Survivor’ Romance Inspire ‘The Hunger Games’?
If we had a nickel for every time a duo of star-crossed lovers proved their ability to outwit, outplay, and outlast, we’d have (at least) two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
Arguably, the most famous American reality TV competition, Survivor, pits an isolated group of contestants against each other in a series of physical and mental challenges until only one person remains. While no blood is shed on the reality show and all contestants are over 18, many fans have drawn a connection between the real-life competition and the fictional one depicted in the hit dystopian franchise, The Hunger Games.
According to a 2008 Publishers Weekly article, “The idea for the brutal nation of Panem came one evening when she was channel-surfing between a reality competition and war coverage.” In author Suzanne Collins’ own words: “I was tired, and the lines began to blur in this very unsettling way.” Over time, that inspiration mixed with the lessons of the Greek myth of Theseus, which taught Collins that political violence is at its worst when killing someone becomes killing their children, and thus The Hunger Games was born.
While there has been no confirmation that the reality competition that inspired The Hunger Games was Survivor, from an outdoor setting to interpersonal alliances, the two share a wide number of similarities. Perhaps the most significant similarity between The Hunger Games and Survivor is the idea of the showmance.
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In 2003, Survivor‘s most beloved couple, Amber Mariano (neé Brkich) and Rob Mariano, better known as Boston Rob, met on the show’s first all-stars season. Landing in the same tribe and forming an alliance on day one, the contestants formed a platonic connection that quickly evolved into a romantic one. Outlasting their competitors, the duo became the final two contestants. However, due to his “aggressive” gameplay, the jury of their fellow competitors voted her the winner. At the live reunion in 2004, fans were shocked to see Amber Mariano walk out in an “I [HEART] ROB” shirt.
Her iconic shirt quickly became synonymous with Boston Rob’s proposal, taking place on stage later that night, when almost everyone in America watched as he told her: “I’ve seen you at your highest high and your lowest low and between it all we work together as a team to accomplish so much.” He continued, “In the end, I ended up falling in love with you. You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my entire life, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” (It’s giving Peeta, no?)
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While The Hunger Games was not written until three years later, we are convinced that the Survivor showmance served as the inspiration for Katniss and Peeta’s inside (and ultimately outside) the arena romance, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in the movies. Much like Katniss, Amber shared that flirting with Boston Rob was a “complete strategy.” However, throughout the game, their alliance grew stronger, leading her to admit, “You’re not ever supposed to feel secure in this game, but with Rob and I, I feel 99.9% secure.” While Katniss and Peeta utilized their arena romance to win sponsors, the relationship they portrayed during the games was incredibly similar to what Survivor fans saw of the Marianos’ love story.
Most showmances don’t make it out of the game, and if they do, they’re rarely made to last. However, if you ask us if Boston Rob and Amber Mariano’s highly televised relationship was “real or not real,” we’d argue that what started as a strategic alliance instantly became one of the greatest love stories of our time. In our opinion, there’s no way that a plot inspired by Survivor would not be influenced by the franchise’s most famous couple.
In April 2025, the Marianos celebrated their 20th anniversary, a month after readers celebrated the release of Collins’ fifth Hunger Games book. Still in the public eye, Boston Rob was recently a fan-favorite contestant on the U.S. version of The Traitors. As for their private life, the couple now has four children: Lucia Rose, Carina Rose, Isabetta Rose, and Adelina Rose. Coincidentally, all four of their children have names following the Covey tradition of having two first names, the first linked to a poem, folk song, or ballad, and the second a color. Coincidence?
Do you think Boston Rob and Amber Mariano’s Survivor romance sparked Katniss and Peeta’s Hunger Games relationship? Comment below!
