A cast announcement has been made for Season 25 of "Survivor," and the new batch of stars to head to "Survivor" island -- this time, set in the Philippines -- includes actress Lisa Whelchel, former baseball player Jeff Kent and three former "Survivor" contestants.

Whelchel is best known for playing the wealthy Blair Warner on "The Facts of Life." The 49-year-old has three children and is a Christian author and speaker.

She insists she did not join the "Survivor: Philippines" cast to revive her acting career. "I'm a superfan of 'Survivor,'" she told Inside the Box, adding she "was born to play."

Fan or not, Whelchel's "Survivor" moment was trying. She explains on her personal website that "fun" is definitely not the word to use.

"I don’t think 'fun' is the word I would use to describe my experience," Whelchel wrote on her website. "Those days on the island were the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It pushed me to my extreme limits physically, mentally, spiritually, and especially, emotionally. I’m so very grateful for the opportunity and I’m so glad I did it but I think it’s like childbirth…I may need to put a few years behind me and some perspective in front of me before I would ever consider doing it again."

Another new "Survivor" cast member is former Dodger Jeff Kent.

Back in June, rumors first spread that the former all-star second baseman would join the 25th season of the CBS show. The 44-year-old has appeared on the small screen before as a contestant on ABC's "Superstars" in 2009.

For the first time in eight years, "Survivor: Philippines" will be comprised of three tribes named after animals in the region: Kalabaw (“Water Buffalo”), Tandang (“Rooster”) and Matsing (“Monkey”).

Three of the 18 castaways, to be revealed later this week, are former players who were medically evacuated from the game and are returning to finish what they started. In addition to the former "Survivor" players, Kent and Welchel, CBS has revealed the 13 other new contestants heading to "Survivor: Philippines," ranging from 20 to 49 years old and including everything from a business student to a former Miss Delaware, a tire repair person to a sex therapist and a lesbian cosmetologist to a seminary student.

Check them all out below!

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  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Jeff Probst

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Lisa Whelchel, a former TV teen star currently living in Dallas, Texas.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Lisa Whelchel, a former TV teen star currently living in Dallas, Texas.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Roberta "RC" Saint-Amour, an investment banker currently living in New York.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Roberta "RC" Saint-Amour, an investment banker currently living in New York.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Zane Knight, a tire repair man currently living in Danville, VA.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Zane Knight, a tire repair man currently living in Danville, VA.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Malcolm Freberg, a bartender currently living in Hermosa Beach, CA.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Malcolm Freberg, a bartender currently living in Hermosa Beach, CA.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Jeff Kent, a retired Major League Baseball player currently living in Austin, Texas.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Jeff Kent, a retired Major League Baseball player currently living in Austin, Texas.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Denise Stapley, a sex therapist currently living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Denise Stapley, a sex therapist currently living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Dana Lambert, a cosmetologist currently living in Winston-Salem, NC.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Dana Lambert, a cosmetologist currently living in Winston-Salem, NC.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Angie Layton, a student currently living in Provo, Utah.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Abi-Maria Gomes, a business student currently living in Los Angeles.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Abi-Maria Gomes, a business student currently living in Los Angeles.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Artis Silvester, a computer engineer currently living in Terry Town, LA.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Artis Silvester, a computer engineer currently living in Terry Town, LA.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Carter Williams, a track coach currently living in Shawnee, KS.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Katie Hanson, former Miss Delaware, currently living in Newark, Del.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Katie Hanson, former Miss Delaware, currently living in Newark, Del.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Roxanne "Roxy" Morris, a seminary student currently living in Brooklyn, NY.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Roxanne "Roxy" Morris, a seminary student currently living in Brooklyn, NY.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Peter "Pete" Yurkowski, an engineering graduate currently living in Holmdel, NJ.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Peter "Pete" Yurkowski, an engineering graduate currently living in Holmdel, NJ.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Sarah Dawson, an insurance sales woman currently living in Silver Spring, MD.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    Sarah Dawson, an insurance sales woman currently living in Silver Spring, MD.

  • Survivor: Philippines Cast

    The "Survivor" cast.

Season 25 of "Survivor" will premiere with a 90-minute episode on CBS on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET.