CBS’ ‘Survivor’ is a popular reality series where contestants are divided into groups to compete against each other, as one of them emerges to be the sole survivor who outplays everyone. Season 44 featured some fierce and strong individuals, but amidst all the fighting and drama, Matt Blankinship and Frannie Marin were lost in their own world. Their sweet and affectionate moments were some of the highlights of the show. If you shipped the pair and want to know about their current relationship status, we’ve got you covered.
Frannie and Matt’s Survivor Journey
Right from Day 1 of season 44, there seemed to be an instant connection between Frannie Marin, a 23-year-old Research Coordinator who hails from St. Paul, Minnesota, and Matt Blankinship, 27, a Security Software Engineer from Albany, California. In less than a week, their alliance blossomed into a showmance, and everyone had their eyes set on the pair. Before the show, Matt had ended a relationship but seemed ready to start anew with Frannie. They were seen playing fisherman and fishy as well as occasionally cracking jokes and flirting with each other.
In one of the episodes, Matt said, “She is really cute. She’s got a really funny laugh. The snorts! You know, it just makes my heart gush. I would 100% ask Frannie out. And I think she likes me, too. And we trust each other completely.” They were both in the Soka tribe and truly had their partner’s back at all times. Frannie didn’t want to give the impression that the two were a pair in front of her tribe, but she also didn’t feel like staying away from Matt. She described their partnership as “two dorky magnets” because they were always attracted to each other.
Another adorable moment of the couple was trying to communicate with a praying mantis for laughs and giggles while other contestants stared at them with dumbfounded looks. In episode 7, a huge twist testing the contestants’ endurance sent forced the duo to play separately and not as a team. Frannie won the individual immunity challenge, but she didn’t step down and went on to earn immunity for her whole team. Unfortunately, this led to Matt’s exit from the show. So now, viewers are eager to know whether the two have preserved their relationship even after this incident.
Frannie and Matt Are Still Together
Yes, Frannie and Matt are still together, and they have no hard feelings about each other. Matt is smart and understands that Frannie had to decide to win the competition, and it was not a personal grudge against him. As per reports, they were both crying while watching their last episode together.
In an interview with Parade, Matt confirmed that the duo is still very much in love and has plans to explore Ethiopian cuisine and live their best lives together. He said, “I mean, it was two dorky magnets; we couldn’t separate from each other! The chemistry was immediate. And so I went into the game, wanting to just let the experience be whatever it was going to be. I didn’t want to force it to be any one way. I wanted to just take in the whole thing. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I just wanted to like let myself enjoy every aspect of it. It was totally unexpected, and caught me off guard.”
Matt added, “But in all honestly, it made my life and made the whole thing so much richer for me.” In conversation with Entertainment Weekly, he opened up about his feelings on the show and how he wasn’t expecting to find a romantic connection at all. He said, “For me, that connection is so strong. That relationship with me and Frannie is so beautiful and so pure. It would be a disservice to me and a disservice to her to not allow that to flourish, regardless of game, you know? I’m the real winner of Survivor 44.”
Talking about his feelings for Frannie and their relationship, Matt shared, “We’re making it happen.” Even though Matt Blankinship and Frannie Marin haven’t posted any cute couple pictures together, it is evident that the pair are still dating and have long-term plans. Though they do live quite far from each other in different states, we are sure the two will make it work and we wish them all the luck!
Read More: Where Was Survivor 44 Filmed?
