'Survivor' Season 33 Runner-Up Ken McNickle Revealed Cancer Diagnosis After Putting Off Testing

One of the two runner-up contestants from Survivor Season 33, Ken McNickle, has announced that he has cancer. In a series of Instagram posts, he shared the news with his followers and supporters, at first more cryptically, and then later with more information. Now, people want to know what kind of cancer he has and whether or not his prognosis is positive.

When Ken competed on Survivor in the Millenials v. Gen X season, he was part of the latter tribe. He ended up ending the season in second place, and he was known as a strong physical competitor. In the end, that's what did him in, as he was blindsided by an ally. But outside of that, on social media, Ken continued to be a source of inspiration for other people.

Ken shared a post on Instagram about his cancer diagnosis with a series of photos of him in a doctor's office with a hospital gown covering him from the waist down. He wrote in text on the screen that he had immediate questions and then anger, and felt a "feeling of defeat." But, he added in another slide in the post, he wants to fight his diagnosis.

Although Ken didn't share what kind of cancer he has in that Instagram post, he did share a video afterward to go into a bit more detail. In the video, he warns his viewers that if they can't handle a little honesty when it comes to medical terminology and details, to essentially keep scrolling.

Then, he shares more details about his cancer diagnosis and how it felt to hear the words from his doctor.

"I waited almost a year until my skin was tearing open to get this checked," Ken admits in the video. "And had I gone in sooner, it would have been a simple procedure, not a three inch hole in my chest. I waited for almost three months, seeing blood fill the stool every morning, before getting checked out and confirmed that my insides were tearing open. And I waited until that lump on my testes had grown to the size of the other two before getting it checked. And I was wondering why so many times I have been so f--king stupid."

According to his Instagram bio, Ken is a "life coach for heart healing." He offers virtual coaching sessions and he has specific men's groups dedicated to helping men learn how to love themselves while also being held accountable for their actions. And, in addition to his life coaching business, Ken was on Cameo at one point.

Outside of his work, Ken has a daughter and a woman he refers to as his "lady." But his Instagram is mostly about inspiration posts and videos rather than details about his personal life, even if he does share personal photos from time to time. Now, his cancer diagnosis has sort of bridged that gap to allow Ken to be vulnerable and continue to reach other men.