Frankie Grande Talks About His ‘Survivor’ Audition Experience Before Joining the Big Brother House
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Frankie Grande, brother of pop star Ariana Grande, has taken fans on a nostalgic journey with the unveiling of his audition tape for the reality show Survivor. The video was shared on March 4, coinciding with the show’s ongoing 50th season celebration.
In a light-hearted announcement, Grande mentioned that he had “dug into the archives” to find the tape, humorously noting it was filmed “three noses ago,” a reference to his past rhinoplasty surgeries. While he did not secure a spot on Survivor, he humorously pointed out that he ended up starring in the Big Brother house instead.
The audition tape begins with a shirtless Frankie delivering a Kubrick-style stare down the camera, followed by a lively dance performance against the backdrop of Los Angeles. He showcases a range of talents, including breakdancing, diving, gymnastics, and tree climbing, all in an effort to demonstrate his readiness for the challenges presented on Survivor.
“I’m fully trained for it, because I was in the Broadway show Mamma Mia!,” he explains during the video, expressing his belief that he could have become the next Survivor champion. “Clearly, there are a lot of similarities between Broadway and Survivor.”
Although Grande didn’t make an impact on Survivor, his career has flourished in the years that followed. He notably appeared on Big Brother 16 in 2014, and in 2025, he released his music album Hotel Rock Bottom, featuring a remix of the title track with his sister Ariana.
“This song is so personal to me, and having her on it makes it even more meaningful,” he stated in July regarding Ariana’s contribution to the project.
The full audition tape is now available for viewing, providing a glimpse into Grande’s early aspirations.
In honor of how epic #season50 is turning out, I dug into the archives (three noses ago) to find my @survivorcbs audition tape. Ended up booking a stay at the Big Brother house instead 🏠 pic.twitter.com/5qnVYmPCgE
— Frankie James Grande (@FrankieJGrande) March 4, 2026
