Local 'Survivor' lives to play another week

Contestants were gunning to vote Glen Ellyn mom Kathy Sleckman off the show when "Survivor: Micronesia" debuted Thursday night.

Host Jeff Probst had earlier predicted Sleckman, 45, would be the first one voted off, calling her "wacky." She does indeed speak her mind, gushing to a fellow contestant that he was the first gay man she had ever known.

Sleckman and fellow first-time contestant Jason Siska, 22, of Fox River Grove, were two the "fans" who became part of the Airai tribe and competed against the "favorites," the Malakal tribe, who had appeared in previous "Survivor" seasons. Both Sleckman and Siska survived when the newcomer tribe won its first challenge and gained immunity.

The Malakal tribe voted off Jonny Fairplay, who said his mind was elsewhere because he's about to be a father.

Sleckman's future remains a little dicey, though. Previews of next week's episode showed her crying and complaining, "It's not good emotionally for me to be here."

-- Pam DeFiglio