Over the past two weeks, Parade has presented interviews with this season’s castaways who will compete for the title of sole survivor. But before we get to tonight’s premiere, we’ve got one more cast breakdown. Before the season began, it was time to hear from host Jeff Probst and executive producer Matt Van Wagenen as to how they thought this group of twenty would fare.

From an overall perspective, the Island of the Idols cast boasts a diverse array of ages, locations, ethnicities, and life stories. Season 39 was the first cast put together after the departure of mainstay Lynne Spillman, which caused the show to look at the casting process differently. What resulted is a group of twenty fans who have gone through trials and tribulations to get to the island, and they’re ready to let Survivor change them.

“This group is all very open about what’s going on in their lives,” says Van Wagenen. “It’s almost like LOST. Everyone is here for a purpose. A lot of people feel like this is a walkabout. They’re going off on this adventure because it’s something that’s needed in their lives. These people are great storytellers and very in touch with their feelings.”

“I think what the audience is going to see is that it’s the most powerful group of women we’ve ever had,” adds Probst. “There’s something undeniably happening in our culture, and you see that manifesting in women’s new confidence. A sisterhood that I’m not used to seeing. It would not surprise me at all if five or six women got together and said, ‘Let’s just run this game. Let’s slay every man out there and claim there.'”

In honor of the theme of this season involving veteran players Sandra Diaz-Twine and Rob Mariano as “teachers” of Survivor, Probst and Van Wagenen were asked assign the castaways “Survivor superlatives.” Read on for their answers, and be sure to check out Parade.com after the episode tonight for an exclusive breakdown of the premiere with Probst.

Most Likely to Find an Idol

Probst: Good first question. A lot of these people are going to make the mistake of looking early because they are so eager. I’m going to give that to Chelsea Walker. I think Chelsea is so impulsive, and she’s wanted this for so many years. I don’t know if she can contain herself. She’s going to run around like crazy. But she’s so driven, used to winning and overachieving, that she’s most likely to find one.

Van Wagenen: Chelsea Walker. It’s been her thing for years. I remember after she was cast, casting sent us a video of her in her dad’s garage. Her dad had built her a replica of the challenge where you have to balance a ball through a maze shaped like a snake. There was a video of her doing it and talking [expletive] afterward. She has been so excited for this. She’s been in the rotation for years, and this felt like the right time for her. She’s going to be aggressive. She probably goes in and tells herself, “Chill out.” I don’t think she can help herself. And that’s one of the things I love about her. We saw a shift last year with women finding idols. I hope we get to see more of that.

Most Likely to Get Tricked by a Fake Idol

Van Wagenen: This is kind of a weird choice. I wonder if Tom Laidlaw would get fooled. It’s like taking down a giant. I think he’s going to be playing aggressively. As the oldest player on his tribe, I’m curious how he’s going to relate to younger people. I think he’ll feel it and start looking for things. He has so many people on his tribe who are tricky. If you go down the list of people on his tribe, they all have things up their sleeves. Tom is very confident, and he’s one of those guys who I think can have their confidence catch up to them.

Probst: Damn, that’s a good question too. Tom Laidlaw is most likely to get tricked by a fake idol. And I don’t think he’ll see it coming. It won’t occur to him that it could be fake.

Most Likely to Go on a Challenge Run

Probst: Tommy Sheehan. Tommy’s an all-around athletic guy. He seems pretty nimble in terms of thinking and staying light on his feet while having a sense of humor. That is the one thing that differentiates. People ask, “How is Joe Anglim so dominant? It’s not only that he’s physically dominant, but he’s also very calm. That adrenaline kicks in in challenges, and it takes over. Suddenly you’re behaving in ways you wouldn’t normally behave because your fight or flight is pushing you. With Tommy, I don’t think he gets that excited about it. He’ll stay calm.

Van Wagenen: I would hate to be with this group physically speaking. I’d look so short and schlubby compared to all these people. It was not intentional. Kellee Kim would be my pick. It’s almost cliched at this point to get rid of the strong guys at the merge. The truth is the big, strong guys aren’t winning challenges. It’s more about mental endurance with puzzles and a little bit of athleticism. If you’re talking about an all-around player, Kellee’s IQ is sky-high, and she’s clearly an athlete. She’s the type of person I could see locking in.

Most Likely to Flip

Probst: Dan Spilo. There are a lot of flippers here. But Dan is most likely to flip. He’s a good read and would be smart when he’s thinking about doing it. I also think Dan wants to play a big game. Sometimes that leads people to make moves simply to make a move. Quite often, that drives the story and does you well. I’ve noticed over the years that with players who are reluctant to make moves, the game tends to start passing them by. If you’re not driving, you’re a passenger, as another player has said. Dan is definitely a driver.

Van Wagenen: All of them! (Laughs.) I think the game has changed so much. When Cochran flipped years ago in his first season, there was such a backlash against it. That’s just not the case anymore. With voting blocs and “trust clusters,” whatever you call it. That’s part of the game now.

Least Likely to Flip

Van Wagenen: I feel like Janet Carbin is someone who does not want to lie. She wants to be truthful. She’s going to have a hard time doing it. If she did, I think she’d have a hard time not getting caught. It’s also interesting talking with Elizabeth Beisel. I don’t think she’s going to have a hard time flipping. But being dishonest is going to be tough for her. Everyone is here to play the game. And these days, flipping is like an Immunity Challenge. It’s what you do.

Probst: I don’t think anyone is likely to remain loyal unless it’s in their best interest. I think this is going to be a very competitive season. There’s no Edge of Extinction, so there is no second chance. They should all flip! That’s the name of the game. You just have to know when to get off the boat you’re on and get on another one. I’d be very disappointed if there were someone I could look at and say, “Oh, they’d never flip. They’re too loyal.” Survivor is not about loyalty.

Class Clown

Van Wagenen: Elaine Stott! I have a soft spot in my heart for Elaine. During casting, she actually took one of our casting associates and put him in an armbar until he tapped out. She is fantastic. She has so much charisma, so much fun with every situation she’s in. She’s one of those people who I was immediately drawn to. I could sit and talk to her for hours. If we could get a bunch of Elaines from a factory, it would be fantastic. I can’t wait to see how she does. She’s so charming and funny. She’s not physically intimidating. If she can last, I think she can do really well.

Jeff: On one tribe, it’d be Tommy. On the other, it would be Elizabeth. She has a great sense of humor about herself. She doesn’t mind making fun of herself. When you’ve proven what she’s proven of what she’s capable of achieving, you can’t hurt her. She laughs at herself. Tommy’s job of being a fourth-grade teacher allows him to use humor; that’s how he inspires his kids to learn. He talked about it when we met him. “I’m the guy who everybody wants to be in class with because I’m fun.”

Biggest Flirt

Probst: Chelsea’s a flirt, in the same way that Parvati is a flirt. There are certain people, men and women, who know that part of their charm is flirting. They know how to do it, and they know how to make the person they’re flirting with feel very special. Even though Chelsea is scattered with her energy, she’s determined to get your attention.

Van Wagenen: I think it will be one of the guys. Dean Kowalski likes to lay it on thick. I have a feeling in New York City, he’s probably on Bumble getting a lot of dates. For the women, I’ll also go back to Elaine. Elaine will flirt with men and women. It doesn’t matter who you are. She said to me she likes taking things. Guarantee by the end of episode 1, she’s already flirted with Jeff.

Most Outspoken

Van Wagenen: Noura Salman. She’s going to tell you what she thinks. She’s going to sometimes get herself in trouble because she’s not going to hold back. She’d like to, but I don’t think she has it in her. That’s part of the reason why she’s her. If we had people who were good at holding back, we probably wouldn’t put them on the show. Noura is definitely in the front of the line for that.

Probst: I’d say Karishma Patel. Karishma may start quietly. But if her true personality comes out, she is very outspoken. She has strong opinions, she’s boisterous, and she can be loud. All great qualities. She doesn’t suffer fools at all.

Most Outdoorsy

Probst: Janet lives in the water. Even though she’s almost 60, she doesn’t seem to tire. She doesn’t care about the rain, injuries, or what she looks like. Her entire swimsuit could fall off and she wouldn’t care. It doesn’t matter to her. She wants to be out here and live in it. She’s the one who wants the weather to be difficult because she thinks it will be an advantage for her.

Van Wagenen: I think Jack Nichting is pretty outdoorsy. At Ponderosa, while people weren’t looking, he went halfway up a coconut tree. I know Jack wants to make a mark as a “jungle boy” out there. I have a feeling he’ll actually flourish. He has big shoes to fill. He does have a really interesting story and is really smart. He was an alternate last year, and this has happened before. Jay from Millennials vs. Gen X came out as an alternate for Kaoh Rong, and it didn’t work out. If Jack can leave his mark on the game the same way Jay did, then we’re going to be stoked.

Most Dramatic

Van Wagenen: That’s a tough one; there’s a lot of them. I’ll say Noura. She’s outspoken and dramatic with big energy. I hope she does well and doesn’t get in trouble early. She is going to be drama. Even her life has been dramatic. She made a lot of money and was really successful in her career. Then she ditched it all. She’s going to continue to be dramatic out there.

Probst: I think it’s Noura and Dan. If you’re doing drama royalty, the king would be Dan and the queen would be Noura. And ironically, they’re on the same tribe. So it should be a lot of fun to watch.

Most Unique

Probst: Without question, Vince Moua. I’ve never met anyone like Vince in my life or casting. He’s two completely different people. There’s “College Vince” and “Homeboy Vince.” It’s like someone who speaks two languages. He can intercut between the two sides of his personality. He grew up in two separate worlds and knows how to use those. That’s a giant skill out here, so long as he can find when to use which one.

Van Wagenen: Vince. That was actually one of the words we used to describe him when he walked through the door for the first time because of his background and culture. He’s destined to be a shaman in his family. It’s amazing. But he also grew up in a tougher neighborhood, then went to Stanford. The thing with unique characters is that they can go one of two ways. Tai was very unique, but he fit in well. Other times people are unique, they stick out like sore thumbs. The question is what works out for him. I think he has a lot of upside.

Most Authentic

Probst: I think the most authentic is Lauren Beck. She is what she appears to be. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s super likable, very smart, beautiful on the outside and inside. And she’s a dangerous Survivor player. She’ll tell you, “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. I’m playing just like you are.”

Van Wagenen: This is the one who really surprised me. I would say Ronnie Bardah. I loved Ronnie from the first time we met him in casting. He’s someone who I was cheering to be on the show. He’d be on the top of my list for any season. I just liked him because he’s a great storyteller. He’s got an interesting backstory and he’s going to play the game hard. As we’ve gotten closer to Day 1, he’s really opened up. It’s funny that you would say a poker player is authentic. If he can express that to everybody, it’s going to charm them. Because it’s charmed me. On the surface, he comes off one way. But I think there’s such a deep level to him that it’s ready to open up and talk. It will be interesting to see how he is with everybody else.

Best Liar

Van Wagenen: I think part of being a good liar is not looking like that “type.” It’s the one who surprises you. In a weird way, I think Molly Byman is going to be one to catch people. Victoria Baamonde was a fantastic liar because she comes off as sweet and nice. But there’s a dastardly side to her. Molly is a huge threat. Part of it is because she’s got that big smile, big hair, big energy. I don’t think she’s lying just because she likes it. I think it’s for the sake of the game. She’s not used to that in her life, but she’s going to take to that like a fish to water.

Probst: Jason Linden is probably a pretty good liar. I’m not saying he does it for a living. What he does in his career is maybe omit certain things or change the focus to help drive his story. Those skills allow him to easily not tell you the same thing six different ways to convince you his story is the one you should listen to.

Most Likely to Succeed

Probst: The people that stand out would be Molly, Lauren, Missy, Tommy, Elizabeth, and Elaine. I’ve listed all women except Tommy. Wow. Molly was the first person we put on the season. We met her and loved her. Then she called and said, “I have to pay my tuition for school, which is during the same time that Survivor shoots.” And we said, “Don’t pay your tuition. We’ll commit to you right now.” That speaks to how much we liked her because we like to keep our options open to the last second. I like Molly because she’s complex. She’s driven to accomplish things, as evidenced by her already big accomplishments in a young life. She also has a bit of a chip on her shoulder. She wants to show her dad she can do this. She studies Survivor like a savant. She has these boards with all these strategies. But there’s another side to Molly that’s impulsive and thrill-seeking. She’s the one who says, “Yeah, I’ll do that! Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Molly is a threat to win because she can call on any skill and is the type of player who might say, “I’m going to go for it.”

Missy personifies why I still like doing this show. It’s because of the people I get to meet. Missy is one of those people who you’d get one impression from talking to her for five minutes and another from talking to her for an hour. She doesn’t ever feel the need to brag or tell you things she’s been through or accomplished. The more you dig, the more you realize, “Oh my God, you’re only 24?!” I like Missy as a winner in this game. I think people are going to be surprised as they get to know how good she could be at playing. People who are quiet talkers seem to hold some power.

Van Wagenen: I think Molly is going to do fantastic. The only thing that can get in her way is if people see her coming because she’s a triple threat. She’s worked hard for this. She’s at a good age. I think that helps you relate to older people and younger people. I think she’s well-spoken and smart and she’s going to do really well. I also think Jason is going to do well though maybe not right off the bat. He talked to me how about he looks like Rob Cesternino and said, “Where I’m from, they make molds of this face.” (Laughs.) But he plans on playing a little bit like Rob. He’s with a lot of big jocks on his tribe. If he can endear himself with his tribe and get on a strong footing to begin with, I have high hopes for him.

I also have high hopes for Ronnie if he can successfully open up and not just come off like a gruff East Coaster and [expletive] talker. We’ve also been surprisingly optimistic about Missy. At Ponderosa, she didn’t give away a lot. I think people were wondering what’s behind that face. Then she sits down with you and starts to warm up and charm you. All of a sudden, you want to listen to her. She’s a huge fan; she’s athletic, she’s smart. I have high hopes for her as well.