SOUTH PORTLAND — Dan Foley of Gorham keeps finding a way to stay on “Survivor.”

The 48-year-old postal worker survived the ninth episode of “Survivor” on Wednesday night. He’s now one of nine people left competing for the show’s $1 million prize.

Foley watched Wednesday’s episode with about 200 fans and friends cheering him on at Thatcher’s Restaurant. But Foley has been harshly criticized on social media for some of his comments on the show, including on the April 8 episode when he said that someone should “slap” contestant Shirin Oskooi.

Foley contends he’s been a victim of selective editing this season, and that he had prefaced his remark by saying Oskooi should be slapped back to reality, like a hysterical person in a scene from a movie. “Survivor” publicists said the show’s cast members are usually filmed for about 3,000 hours. That footage is then edited down to fit 15 or so one-hour episodes. This season’s episodes were filmed during 39 days last year in Nicaragua.

Wednesday’s episode showed that no matter how Foley appears on air, he did gain several friends and allies among the cast members during filming. When it came time for the contestants to vote someone off at the end of the show, which happens every week, he was part of a group that conspired against two other people. Though people were seen in previous episodes saying they wanted Foley voted off, during Wednesday’s episode only one person voted against him.

The next episode of “Survivor” will air April 22 at 8 p.m. The finale will be May 20.


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