Jeff Varner
Encyclopedia
Jeff Varner is a news anchor and reporter, a former entertainment reporter, and a former contestant on the CBS
reality television
series, Survivor: The Australian Outback
. He played right defense for a hockey team in the local youth hockey league. He earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 15. He attended Southern Guilford High School
, where he was active in student government and theatre arts. He later went on to earn a journalism
degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
.
, 2001. He was a member of the Kucha tribe, and made it to the merge, but not the core group of nine, as there was a tie between him and Colby Donaldson
. At the time, in the event of a tie, previous tribal council votes would be used. Jeff had two but knew only of one, Colby had zero. It was revealed on the Survivor Australia Outback DVD, in the special commentary section, that it was Kimmi Kappenberg that inadvertently gave away the vote he had against him during the Episode 2 Reward Challenge. This is also mentioned by Jeff in the episode he was voted off, early in the episode while the Kucha tribe is talking in their shelter at night. Tina Wesson
once referred to him as a "little devil
" because he delighted in tormenting his opposition.
During the show, Jeff's luxury item was a coloring book and a set of crayons. The Survivors colored in the books and signed their autograph in it, and after the show, he sold the pictures on eBay
to raise money for charities.
in Los Angeles, CA then E!
News Live, and then as a field correspondent and host for the TV Guide Channel
. He was a weekend news reader and field reporter at FOX 8 WGHP
in High Point, North Carolina
. In his first year in broadcast news, he won an Associated Press Broadcast News Award: "Rookie of the Year," in 2005.
Jeff began his career in communications as a public relations assistant and corporate communications manager for Citicorp in New York City
. He was part of the first team in the corporate world to utilize the internet to communicate project information as a manager in Citicorp's "Product Design and Development Division."
He used that background to transition into web development, working in developing web properties for Citibank
, MCI, Harlequin Romance, and Martha Stewart Living
Online. Jeff used his Survivor exposure to pursue his dream of becoming a television journalist.
He also worked for many years as the nightly anchor on WWMT Channel 3 in Kalamazoo, MI until April of 2011.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series, Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...
Early life and education
Jeff was raised on a tobacco farm in Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
. He played right defense for a hockey team in the local youth hockey league. He earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 15. He attended Southern Guilford High School
Southern Guilford High School
Southern Guilford High School was founded in 1930 in the Sumner area of Guilford County, North Carolina. It operates on a block, college-styled schedule ' as opposed to the traditional bell schedule that has 6 periods year long. Southern has an enrollment of around 1021, grades 9-12...
, where he was active in student government and theatre arts. He later went on to earn a journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
.
Survivor
Jeff was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian OutbackSurvivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...
, 2001. He was a member of the Kucha tribe, and made it to the merge, but not the core group of nine, as there was a tie between him and Colby Donaldson
Colby Donaldson
Colby Donaldson is an American television actor, best known as the runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback and as the host for the show Top Shot.-Personal life:...
. At the time, in the event of a tie, previous tribal council votes would be used. Jeff had two but knew only of one, Colby had zero. It was revealed on the Survivor Australia Outback DVD, in the special commentary section, that it was Kimmi Kappenberg that inadvertently gave away the vote he had against him during the Episode 2 Reward Challenge. This is also mentioned by Jeff in the episode he was voted off, early in the episode while the Kucha tribe is talking in their shelter at night. Tina Wesson
Tina Wesson
Tina Wesson won $1,000,000 as the winner of Survivor: The Australian Outback. A married personal nurse from Knoxville, Tennessee, Wesson outlasted 15 other players to become the first woman to win the $1 million prize in 2001. She did not have any votes cast against her at Tribal Council...
once referred to him as a "little devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
" because he delighted in tormenting his opposition.
During the show, Jeff's luxury item was a coloring book and a set of crayons. The Survivors colored in the books and signed their autograph in it, and after the show, he sold the pictures on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
to raise money for charities.
Journalism career
Jeff worked as an entertainment reporter for KCBSKCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
in Los Angeles, CA then E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
News Live, and then as a field correspondent and host for the TV Guide Channel
TV Guide Channel
TV Guide Network is an American cable network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation....
. He was a weekend news reader and field reporter at FOX 8 WGHP
WGHP
WGHP, channel 8, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area...
in High Point, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
. In his first year in broadcast news, he won an Associated Press Broadcast News Award: "Rookie of the Year," in 2005.
Jeff began his career in communications as a public relations assistant and corporate communications manager for Citicorp in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was part of the first team in the corporate world to utilize the internet to communicate project information as a manager in Citicorp's "Product Design and Development Division."
He used that background to transition into web development, working in developing web properties for Citibank
Citibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...
, MCI, Harlequin Romance, and Martha Stewart Living
Martha Stewart Living
Martha Stewart Living is a magazine and a television show featuring entertaining and home decorating guru Martha Stewart. Both the magazine and the television program focus on the domestic arts. Martha Stewart Living began as a quarterly magazine in 1990, published by Time Inc..and is currently...
Online. Jeff used his Survivor exposure to pursue his dream of becoming a television journalist.
He also worked for many years as the nightly anchor on WWMT Channel 3 in Kalamazoo, MI until April of 2011.