A reprieve decided by viewers
Telecinco's sixth gala of Supervivientes All Stars 3, broadcast on the night of 15 October, settled a reprieve between María Jesús Ruiz and Chiqui, the last two contestants eliminated. Both had spent their time as 'salvajes' (wild castaways) moving between the two beaches. Viewers backed Chiqui with 61.3% of the vote against 38.7% for Ruiz. Presenter Jorge Javier Vázquez announced the outcome shortly before 2 a.m., returning Chiqui to the show as a full contestant and ending Ruiz's stay for good.
The reprieve followed the departure of Albert Barranco, who left the programme for medical reasons and created a vacancy the production filled with one of the two former contestants. Before the vote, the castaways gave their views, and they were far from unanimous. Asraf Beno, Omar Sánchez, Yola Berrocal, Rosa Benito and Arkano preferred that Ruiz stay, while Víctor Janeiro and Damián Quintero sided with Chiqui. Captains Marta Peñate and Rubén Torres also opposed Chiqui. Peñate said she did not consider Chiqui trustworthy and that she acted behind the others' backs, while Torres criticised some of her comments about the other contestants.
Captains leave and the beaches merge
Peñate and Rubén Torres then left their beaches, ending the captains' stage of the season. Their departures came after a heated on-air confrontation between Chiqui and Peñate, which El Confidencial described as including shouting, tears and near attempts to leave. Peñate said it had been a pleasure to take part and that she had tried to give her best despite a difficult period. Torres, a firefighter, said he would have liked to stay until the end and keep taking part in the challenges.
Vázquez, visibly moved during the farewell, told viewers:
I have been presenting this programme for 15 seasons, since 2011, and ceremonies like this still move me, watching the contestants live it.
With the captains gone, the two groups were combined, and all contestants now share one beach, Playa Leyenda, according to El Confidencial. Before the merge, the teams completed a reward challenge in 16 minutes and won an intermediate prize of fishing gear, a lantern, canned food and a daily ration of rice.
Leader and nominations
Ivana Icardi won the leadership challenge after a demanding endurance game, becoming the first leader of the unified phase, and dedicated the win to her daughter and family. The other contestants first nominated Damián Quintero and Asraf Beno, and Icardi had to add a third name, choosing Víctor Janeiro. Explaining her choice, she said:
I do not want to touch the girls, we deserve a rest.
The three nominees now face the elimination vote on Thursday, 22 October. Their names will decide who leaves the newly merged group, and the audience will once again determine the outcome.