Jane Hammett Bright is a hardcore fan of the reality television show “Survivor.”

She’s seen every season and rarely misses an episode of the long-running program. Tonight, she’ll have extra motivation to watch the show’s season premiere at 8 o’clock on CBS.

That’s because Bright, 56, of Jackson Springs, is a member of the cast of “Survivor: Nicaragua.”

“I am an enormous fan,” Bright said. “The only time I ever missed the show is if there was no possible way I could get to a TV.”

She plans to watch tonight’s premiere at a friend’s home with a group of about 20 people.

“We are throwing a little party,” she said.

The show is billed as a “Battle of the Ages.” This is the first year the tribes have been divided by age.

A dog trainer, Bright is the oldest female among the 20-member cast that will be vying for $1 million.

She will be a member of the Espada Tribe, made up of individuals over age 40. It will compete with the La Flor Tribe, which consists of 10 members age 30 and younger.

She called being selected for the show “the ultimate high” and said being the oldest female contestant didn’t faze her.

“This show was made for me,” she said. “I had a wonderful time, and yeah, there were times when I was miserable (out there), but there have been times in my life when I have been more miserable.”

Bright grew up in South Carolina and learned from an early age how to swim, fish, live outdoors and be self-sufficient. She said those skills served her well during her time in Nicaragua, a country that she said could be beautiful and harsh.

“I’m a lot tougher than I look, and I’m resourceful,” she said. “I’ll find stuff if it can be found.”

She said the chance to be on one of television’s longer-running and more popular reality shows has been a real blessing.

“I have gotten a lot of phone calls, e-mails and congratulations,” she said in a phone interview Monday. “I heard from people I haven’t heard from in years. They are like, ‘Jane, is that you?’ and I say, ‘Yeah, that’s me.’”

Bright owns Shadow Hill Kennel and Farm. For more than three decades, the kennel’s dogs — mostly Shetland sheepdogs — have won multiple awards at shows across the United States.

In February, one of her dogs, a Shetland sheepdog named Shadow Hill’s Star Chaser, won Best of Breed at the Westminster Dog Show.

North Carolina is well represented on “Survivor: Nicaragua.” There is a contestant from Durham and another from Fairview.

This year's cast also features Jimmy Johnson, an NFL broadcaster for Fox Sports and a former head football coach who has won championships in college and the pros. Johnson, 67, is the oldest male contestant

Bright can’t talk about the results of the show, but she said she is excited about tonight’s premiere and urged everyone to watch.

“I do good,” she said. “Things happen around Jane.”

Contact Tom Embrey at tembrey@thepilot.com.