The flight attendant took home the $1 million prize during Survivor: China and planned to explore the world with it, but he faced challenges with alcoholism after his time on the CBS reality show.
A frequent guest on the Dr. Phil Show, he made headlines in 2017 when he claimed to Stat and The Boston Globe that the show’s producers provided him with alcohol and Xanax before bringing him onto the stage during his notorious 2013 appearance, where he registered a .5 on a Breathalyzer test. (He appeared again in 2016, admitting he had relapsed.)
A representative for the show denied these allegations, stating to E! News, “The Stat article does not fairly or accurately represent the methods of Dr. Phil, the TV show, or its mission to educate millions of viewers about drug and alcohol addiction. The show does not provide drugs or alcohol to its guests, and any suggestions to the contrary are erroneous nonsense.”
During his Reddit AMA in 2018, Todd expressed, “I’m grateful in many ways for the show [Survivor]. It helped me receive assistance in some of the best places in the country. That’s a gift right there. There are aspects of the show I dislike and believe are not genuine. … I should have been hospitalized; there shouldn’t have been liters of vodka in my dressing room.”
After winning in 2007, Todd, who previously dated fellow contestant Spencer Duhm, became a waiter in Orlando. He told People in 2012, “Customers often say, ‘I recognize you from somewhere,’ but I never reveal where. They tend to leave poor tips if they know I won a million dollars.”
Now “happy and sober,” Todd shared in his Reddit AMA that he manages a movie theater.
