Brain & Courtlin Talk With ‘Survivor’ Contestant Denise Stapley of Marion

Season 40 of 'Survivor' had not one, but TWO Eastern Iowa contestants, and we were lucky enough to interview one of them this week!

If you've listened to Brain & Courtlin in the Mornings on any Thursday for the past few months, then you've no doubt heard us talk about our obsession with the latest season of 'Survivor' on CBS. 'Survivor: Winners at War' was the 40th season of the show, so the producers decided to bring back 20 winners from previous seasons to compete for a prize of two million dollars. Two of those returning winners are from right here in the Corridor!

Sarah Lacina of Cedar Rapids and Denise Stapley of Marion both made it to the very last episode on this season of 'Survivor.' Sarah was in the final four, while Denise made it to the top six. Both ladies were fierce competitors, so it was extremely easy to root for them from the very beginning. We could not be prouder to have them as representations of the state of Iowa. That being said, we are so excited to tell you that Denise agreed to do an interview with us this week!

Denise is a 49-year-old therapist, wife, and mother living in Marion, Iowa. She was the winner of 'Survivor: Philippines,' which was season 25 of the hit show. This season, she pulled off one of the biggest power moves in 'Survivor' history when she took out Sandra Diaz-Twine, the only contestant in the game to ever win more than one season. The surprise elimination earned her the nickname "Queen Slayer." She talks about that major moment in our interview, plus her decision to audition for 'Survivor, the little things she missed the most about life at home, how she stays in shape, the awkward bathroom situation, and more! She was absolutely wonderful and we are so honored that we got to speak with her. Here is our full interview with Denise: