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Las Vegas Showgirl Survivor

Palau Vote:  Sole Survivor | Who's Next?

(Feb. 17) -- As Janu struggles to outwit, out-play and outlast on the latest edition of Survivor, Entertainment Reporter Kate Bennett went behind the scenes to check out what life was like for the showgirl before she headed off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Surviving Survivor takes skill, intelligence and strength, and that's exactly what Janu Tornell's friends say makes her the perfect Survivor castaway.

Cari Byers said, "It's always a balancing act when you've got something that weighs that much on your head or shoulders. So again, that should help her with her balance and strength."

Tornell is planning to stay in the running on Palau, according to those who know her best. And she has nothing but support from her friends and former cast mates at the Tropicana's Folies Bergere.

Janu is at least used to hard work with two shows a night six nights a week wearing costumes ranging from feathers and heels to butterfly wings.

Kirsten Wolner demonstrated to Kate, "This is the famous butterfly backpack that was originally made for Janu. And you can see, the span of it is quite long from one side of it to the other."

She is said to have a combination of strength, compassion and intelligence -- Janu speaks 4 languages -- and a healthy dose of encouragement from her pals.

"Some people here encouraged her, thought she'd be a great Survivor. And I think she just went with it. It's a big challenge for her and she likes challenges," says Cari Byers.

And now Janu is settling in for a different kind of life far from the stage, the billboards, the sequins and spotlights. It's Survivor and the only glamour Janu might find will be scoring a million bucks before the curtain falls.

There's no word yet on how long Janu might stay in Palau, but her friends and former co-workers are hoping the Las Vegas native makes it to the end of the million-dollar competition.

Eye on Entertainment, of course, keep a close eye on our hometown survivor.

And her hometown friends are keeping a close eye on her. Kate Bennett caught up with Janu's co-workers at the Tropicana Thursday night as they watched her for the first time on Survivor.

They had to tape the show because it airs at the same time as their real life show, Folies Bergere.

As long as Janu's on the reality show, the girls plan to watch to show their support for their cast mate.

Click here to visit the Survivor Palau website