Speaker 1: Hey guys, my name's Benjamin Norris and this is my
Speaker 1: first pop up episode of TV Reload. I've had a
Speaker 1: lot of requests to feature some of your favorite reality
Speaker 1: TV stars and actors on the podcast, and while I
Speaker 1: would love to have everyone from each show across the
Speaker 1: networks and streaming services, I'm just going to start featuring
Speaker 1: the occasional guests who are making the biggest waves on
Speaker 1: your TV screens. So expect to hear some inside stories
Speaker 1: from the most loved, the most controversial, and the most
Speaker 1: exciting names we all would love to hear just that
Speaker 1: little bit more from. Today, I have Simon from Australian Survivor.
Speaker 1: He has played a really strong game and has been
Speaker 1: featured quite heavily throughout the current series Brains Versus Braun
Speaker 1: on Channel ten sunken with two immunity idols. He is
Speaker 1: the shock elimination no one's all coming, which is what
Speaker 1: all Survivor fans know as a blind side. I for one,
Speaker 1: I'm going to miss those budgy smugglers and his gameplay. However,
Speaker 1: let's not embarrass ourselves and get started with today's guest
Speaker 1: from Australian Survivor. It's Simon me.
Speaker 2: Australian Survivor is definitely taking on a very different style
Speaker 2: to what we've seen in say, the US seasons.
Speaker 1: What does it take to win the World's Toughest game?
Speaker 3: Where are the cracks?
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 3: How did I not see this coming? Simon could fill
Speaker 3: the pressure and.
Speaker 2: You know, I would have done it if there wasn't
Speaker 2: on TV and there wasn't half a million dollars on
Speaker 2: the line. I found myself as a leader and the
Speaker 2: alpha male within this tribe.
Speaker 3: If that made me out as the villain at the
Speaker 3: end of the day, then so be.
Speaker 1: You haven't first voted out of Australia. So I have
Speaker 1: a brain versus rawn Simon.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so much is out of your control. You know,
Speaker 3: you've just got to You've just got to do what
Speaker 3: you can.
Speaker 1: Hey, Simon, how are you?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Look, I didn't expect to be here this early, that's
Speaker 2: for sure.
Speaker 1: I know. Well, I think it was a huge shock
Speaker 1: for most people watching this show. I think it's probably
Speaker 1: the biggest shock for the season.
Speaker 3: Yeah, shocked is definitely a way way to put it. Like, yeah,
Speaker 3: massive blind side.
Speaker 2: For the first time ever, Today's challenge is not about winning.
Speaker 1: We want to lose today.
Speaker 2: Throw the immunity challenge, blindside Simon, send him home with
Speaker 2: two idols in his back pocket.
Speaker 1: I need to get rid of the app. Simon needs
Speaker 1: to go.
Speaker 3: I mean, was that cool or was that cool? Like
Speaker 3: to watch that go down?
Speaker 2: You know, just such an epic epic game, epic plan
Speaker 2: to see it all kind of come off. And it
Speaker 2: took my tribe, my own alliance half the other tribe
Speaker 2: to like bring me down like it was.
Speaker 3: It's pretty cool. So I'm very very happy to be
Speaker 3: part of, you know, an.
Speaker 2: Epic TV moment, just yet maybe not the side of
Speaker 2: history that I wanted to be on. Oh that is
Speaker 2: absolutely heartbreaking to be the first person industrowings of Ivory
Speaker 2: go home with not one but two idols in my pocket.
Speaker 3: That one really hurt.
Speaker 1: Well, my first question for you is something that's plagued
Speaker 1: me the entire competition. Who would win in an arm
Speaker 1: wrestle between you and Jonathan Lapallia?
Speaker 4: Oh god, oh look jail Pete like man, yeah, he
Speaker 4: is ripped like there is no denying, like the best
Speaker 4: guns in the outback, and he said.
Speaker 2: He couldn't find it. You know, he'd been in La
Speaker 2: and the gyms weren't opening stuff, but he was still
Speaker 2: looking in really good form. So I was very impressed
Speaker 2: there and I wouldn't count my chickens.
Speaker 1: Last night must have been pretty intense for you to
Speaker 1: be able to watch this. A lot of Survivor castaways
Speaker 1: have described watching their final episode with the Nation as wild.
Speaker 1: Can you walk me through the experience last night?
Speaker 3: Yeah, watching myself on TV has been really interesting.
Speaker 2: We will probably have a bit of a waker saying this,
Speaker 2: but like, I'm watching this guy who I look up
Speaker 2: to and you know, I support, I share a lot
Speaker 2: of the same morals as him, and I just want
Speaker 2: him to succeed. And I'm really just just cheering on
Speaker 2: this person who I'm still invested in, and I just
Speaker 2: want him to do well and I don't want him
Speaker 2: to fail.
Speaker 3: And that's been really exciting.
Speaker 2: And I have enjoyed watching my failures and triumphs throughout
Speaker 2: the season.
Speaker 3: And then last night was last night was actually really nice.
Speaker 2: I didn't have the sweaty hands, I wasn't like, you know,
Speaker 2: sitting like this in front of the TV the whole time.
Speaker 3: It was actually closure for me in a really nice way.
Speaker 2: That edit was really kind to me and I think
Speaker 2: it really showed how I played a lot of my
Speaker 2: game this year and the way that I approached all
Speaker 2: kind of travels, And I think that, you know, a
Speaker 2: little bit to the edit probably didn't have me as
Speaker 2: pinners a little bit more confident, but you know, I
Speaker 2: was very aware of the reality of what was going
Speaker 2: on and the twists and turns that we're going to
Speaker 2: be coming my way. So it was closure in the
Speaker 2: sense that I was sitting there and being like the
Speaker 2: amount of times that I played back that forty eight
Speaker 2: seventy two hours before I got eliminated, be like, where
Speaker 2: did I muck up?
Speaker 3: What did I miss? Where are the cracks?
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 3: How did I not see this coming? And there were none?
Speaker 2: It was so well executed across every single touch point
Speaker 2: days in advance that yeah, I mean, how do you
Speaker 2: combat that? Like that's that's huge, like in your own
Speaker 2: alliance turning on you, the whole tribe being in on
Speaker 2: a new information being passed on to the other tribe
Speaker 2: on that you know, that little crazy twist.
Speaker 3: Me not thinking it was going to be, you know,
Speaker 3: be anything there it was. It was.
Speaker 2: It was the perfect storm, the perfect blind And I
Speaker 2: have to give full credit to everyone in there, Danny
Speaker 2: for enabling it, Hailey just the mastermind behind that. To
Speaker 2: blindside the blindsider, and like Flick and Chelsea, like they're
Speaker 2: acting throughout that entire period was incredible, Like I really
Speaker 2: underestimated them, And yeah, it was poetry to watch back.
Speaker 1: Have you been able to check out the reaction that
Speaker 1: you've received online from the fans from last night's episode.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, I.
Speaker 2: Didn't really sleep last night and I've been overwhelmed with
Speaker 2: the support that I've got. There's so much love out
Speaker 2: there and it's been really nice to see that everyone had,
Speaker 2: you know it, what's so supportive of me in my approach.
Speaker 2: And I think that the only thing is that I
Speaker 2: feel like Australia was collectively.
Speaker 3: Like play a right or on point of the TV.
Speaker 2: But everyone's been so nice and I'm so grateful for that.
Speaker 3: And I went into the game with my morals.
Speaker 2: To play hard, play fair, to enjoy it and have
Speaker 2: fun and just soak up the experience and to be
Speaker 2: a good human and I really feel like that came
Speaker 2: across last night.
Speaker 1: Well, I saw a few people putting together a dream
Speaker 1: team for the next All Stars, and now most of
Speaker 1: these people have you on the list, so it would
Speaker 1: be remissive me not to ask you this question. Would
Speaker 1: you go back?
Speaker 2: Hell yeah, if my fiance is watching this, like we
Speaker 2: need to discuss this at another time, not this year.
Speaker 3: I mean, look at that. If they call me, yeah, sure,
Speaker 3: but like I need.
Speaker 2: Time to recover because I mean, anyone who plays know
Speaker 2: the know what you go through, and you know the
Speaker 2: dreamal fatigue and the mental stress that goes along with
Speaker 2: playing a game like that.
Speaker 3: It's crazy.
Speaker 2: I am absolutely honored to have people and it's quite
Speaker 2: overwhelmed by the amount of people saying, you know, all
Speaker 2: stars too, or fans versus favorites or heroes versus villains.
Speaker 3: It's been really nice to see. But you know, I
Speaker 3: don't like getting too ahead of myself.
Speaker 2: I'm happy to just focus on the game that I
Speaker 2: played at the moment and really thankful for the opportun
Speaker 2: needed to play once and to have that experience because
Speaker 2: as a fanboy, I mean that was huge, Like it
Speaker 2: was just life changing and I'm just so grateful to
Speaker 2: have that there. But look, it would be a it
Speaker 2: would be beyond my wireless dreams to go again. And
Speaker 2: I think you know, you turn that up and it's
Speaker 2: a different game.
Speaker 1: How many times did you apply for a survivor? Because
Speaker 1: I know a lot of diehard fans apply a lot
Speaker 1: of times before getting in.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I look, I applied a couple of times. I
Speaker 2: really wanted it after I watched Lee go through and
Speaker 2: when he came second that time like that, that was
Speaker 2: really like, okay, I really.
Speaker 3: Need to do this.
Speaker 2: So that was the twenty seventeen he won twenty sixteen
Speaker 2: or twenty seventeen that I really wanted it on it
Speaker 2: And you know, it's always heartbreaking, you know, you just
Speaker 2: you never hear anything.
Speaker 1: Auditioning for reality television is brutal. So how did it
Speaker 1: happen for you?
Speaker 2: I got poached for this season, So it was, you know,
Speaker 2: just like a pretty incredible thing there where I had
Speaker 2: applied in previous years and it just so happened that
Speaker 2: they were looking for some one that you know, in
Speaker 2: terms of straight male, which was Bran.
Speaker 3: It was so grateful and then they're like, oh, you're
Speaker 3: a you're a super fan. I'm like, oh my god,
Speaker 3: are you kidding me? Like, yeah, I haven't like many times,
Speaker 3: like let me at it, Like what do I need
Speaker 3: to do? Like I couldn't believe my luck there.
Speaker 2: You can't have all super fans, but you do need
Speaker 2: to have some kind of base level of appreciation for
Speaker 2: the opportunity that you've been given. Because for anyone who
Speaker 2: loves the show or even casually watch the show and
Speaker 2: be like, I'd love to get that crack, like you'd
Speaker 2: like to think that they get a shot over someone
Speaker 2: who's like it would be good for my career, would
Speaker 2: be good for my public dissona like that. That grinds
Speaker 2: me a little bit.
Speaker 1: What was the reality of the show like versus your
Speaker 1: expectation If.
Speaker 2: You were to really sit down and think about what
Speaker 2: that would mean, it's probably pretty spot on. Like we
Speaker 2: get to play this game, and you know, I would
Speaker 2: have done it if there wasn't on TV and there
Speaker 2: wasn't half.
Speaker 3: A million dollars on the line, But you.
Speaker 2: Get to play this game at the expense of the
Speaker 2: you know, the producers a bit making a TV show,
Speaker 2: so there are things that need to be done, and
Speaker 2: then there was always the magic TV that it kind
Speaker 2: of happens, which always goes down like there's always going
Speaker 2: to be, you know, a reality of that.
Speaker 3: So I feel like it if you were to sit
Speaker 3: down and think about it. It would make a lot of
Speaker 3: sense out doing what you really go through it.
Speaker 2: And I think you have to go in with the
Speaker 2: right attitude to be like where you know, you do
Speaker 2: need to take any moments that you have to yourself
Speaker 2: to reflect about your game and what's your next move
Speaker 2: and what are you going to be doing. I always
Speaker 2: wanted to make sure that I was steps ahead of
Speaker 2: where I needed to be, so if I needed to
Speaker 2: have a relationship with someone, I already had some kind
Speaker 2: of foundations there.
Speaker 3: So I wasn't going in blind.
Speaker 2: And you know, I think that comes with just awareness
Speaker 2: and appreciation of the game and making most of it.
Speaker 3: So yeah, it was. It was a really special thing
Speaker 3: to be part of and it was nice having a
Speaker 3: little peek behind the behind the scenes and.
Speaker 1: See how it all comes together. But you talked about
Speaker 1: going in and did you initially have a game plan
Speaker 1: that you would take into the competition.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2: I did, and I did everything that was I did
Speaker 2: the opposite of everything there, and I you know, I
Speaker 2: spoke about this with a couple of a couple of friends.
Speaker 3: You know, I didn't want to be the alpha.
Speaker 2: I didn't want to be the leader, and I wanted
Speaker 2: to keep the target off my back and just knew
Speaker 2: sure not be a small player.
Speaker 3: But there are opportunities that arise that you need to
Speaker 3: play the cards that are in your hands, and you
Speaker 3: know you can only you.
Speaker 2: Only find yourself in that situation when you're around there
Speaker 2: and you're like, Okay, these are the people I'm playing with.
Speaker 3: This is what I've got to work with. And it
Speaker 3: doesn't matter how much you prepare for it.
Speaker 2: You just have to be able to adapt and create
Speaker 2: and build and hope and pray to Macedonian Jesus and
Speaker 2: the survival gods, because yeah, so much is out of
Speaker 2: your control.
Speaker 3: You know, you've just got to You've just got to
Speaker 3: do what you can.
Speaker 2: Well.
Speaker 1: At the launch of the show, you said to one
Speaker 1: of the magazines that you were okay with being the villain,
Speaker 1: being a TV villain. How how does that sit with you? Now?
Speaker 2: You've got to love print because it always goes down
Speaker 2: and am you know they always take that clickbait and
Speaker 2: then put it down for me, I think the way
Speaker 2: I approach it, like, you know, I'm going to play
Speaker 2: the game with you know, my integrity and you know
Speaker 2: the morals to me, and that's what's important. Then I
Speaker 2: think that really shone through. But I didn't care how
Speaker 2: that came across. You know, as long as I knew
Speaker 2: what I was saying, I knew what I was doing,
Speaker 2: was very aware of what was going on around me
Speaker 2: and everything, So I wasn't concerned because I knew that
Speaker 2: I played the game well and you know, I could
Speaker 2: have my hand in my heart and be proud of
Speaker 2: who I was as a player, and I feel like
Speaker 2: that really reflected who I am in real life, which
Speaker 2: is really nice.
Speaker 3: So you know that made me out as the villain
Speaker 3: at the end of the day, then then so be it.
Speaker 3: And I mean, you know you can't. You can't please everyone,
Speaker 3: You never can.
Speaker 2: But yeah, I think I think it was quite kind
Speaker 2: and I did like my story arc that was it was,
Speaker 2: it was. It was a nice journey. I do need
Speaker 2: to apologize to like anyone who was following from my
Speaker 2: point of view, like and my poor mother who still
Speaker 2: knew the outcome, but was just she was so emotional
Speaker 2: in the crime the whole way through, because this stress
Speaker 2: levels for anyone supporting me, we're huge, like people biding
Speaker 2: the now is going, oh my god, he's gone like,
Speaker 2: how is he? Why did he do this? And how
Speaker 2: is he getting out of this one? And I just
Speaker 2: managed to work some magic and pull it off. So
Speaker 2: pretty impressive that I managed to, like, ye, hang around
Speaker 2: full of on.
Speaker 1: I have no fingernails left, by the way, because I'm sorry.
Speaker 3: I'm sorry, mate.
Speaker 1: And I put that on Twitter. I said, you know,
Speaker 1: don't miss tonight's episode, and you know, good luck with
Speaker 1: your fingernails. What would you say was your most proudest
Speaker 1: move in the competition versus your worst move in the competition?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 2: Look, worst move is an easy one, is obviously saying
Speaker 2: talking about the second idol, with the information that I
Speaker 2: had at the time, I would have done it again,
Speaker 2: which is which is always hard. But you know, I
Speaker 2: wouldn't have made any decisions differently based.
Speaker 3: On what I had at the time.
Speaker 2: Right, best move, I've got two talking away off the
Speaker 2: bottom from that Benny. You know that Benny split vote,
Speaker 2: like they missed an opportunity to send me home and
Speaker 2: Shannon made a massive mistake there, Like that was huge
Speaker 2: to be able to have enough social capital to keep
Speaker 2: myself alive and convince my enemies that I'm we're.
Speaker 3: Hanging around to then return the favor, but putting.
Speaker 2: The nail in Shannon's coffin and you know, setting that
Speaker 2: up and having some balls and some faith in working
Speaker 2: with new alliance members and then not playing my idol
Speaker 2: at that Like that kind of social read is such
Speaker 2: a huge, huge play and a huge confidence in yourself
Speaker 2: to follow through with that and then to you know,
Speaker 2: just speak up when the time was right and to
Speaker 2: nail Shannon's coffin shut in the heat of the moment
Speaker 2: like it did. Beat cool, calm and collected like that
Speaker 2: was that was really nice And I didn't realize the
Speaker 2: gravitas of that until I really watched it back when
Speaker 2: I saw Shannon had the blinkers on for me, I'm like, wow,
Speaker 2: I didn't realize how big that monkey on my back was,
Speaker 2: like and what you said winning Survivors, I just need
Speaker 2: to beat Simon, Like I was like, what, Like, yeah,
Speaker 2: she was really gunning for me, so I would.
Speaker 3: That was awesome.
Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on having these two idols?
Speaker 2: Now?
Speaker 1: Come on, because like you got two idols, you're in
Speaker 1: that tribal cancel play one.
Speaker 3: Look, it's a nice little memento.
Speaker 2: It's it's definitely not half half a million dollars or more.
Speaker 3: Importantly, the title of Soul Survivor.
Speaker 2: To me, Hey, if you want to buy one, I'm
Speaker 2: selling two hundred and fifty grand or five.
Speaker 3: Hundred k or two.
Speaker 1: That's one way to get your money back.
Speaker 3: Oh do you think you know?
Speaker 1: There's a lot of conversation about this about whether or
Speaker 1: not the producers this year have made the access to
Speaker 1: the idols a little bit too easy. Do you think
Speaker 1: it was easier to find the idols this year compared
Speaker 1: to other years?
Speaker 2: Probably a bit of a purist in this form of
Speaker 2: the form of the game. Australian Survivor is definitely taking
Speaker 2: on a very different style to what we've seen in say,
Speaker 2: the US seasons, whereas there are more twists and turns
Speaker 2: and being that longer game, especially you know, a couple
Speaker 2: of like non a limb episodes and everything that there
Speaker 2: are arguably things that happened that are unexpected, and we
Speaker 2: did see so many idols in play this season it
Speaker 2: was crazy.
Speaker 3: Do I think they were easier to find?
Speaker 2: Like? No, they're like that first one though, I found
Speaker 2: that was out there for forty eight hours apparently, and
Speaker 2: everyone had walked past it.
Speaker 3: And had a chance to grab it.
Speaker 2: But idols come to those who look for them at
Speaker 2: the end of the day, and it's always weird if.
Speaker 3: You're on top and they're looking for a looking for
Speaker 3: an idol, right, Like that's weird.
Speaker 2: The volume is definitely something that's been taken into consideration,
Speaker 2: or the number of idols, like there's been taken into
Speaker 2: consideration for how, you know, to bring a casual audience.
Speaker 3: Along to keep it interesting. And it really.
Speaker 2: Marks with people's games when there are so many twists
Speaker 2: and turns when you're just trying to count the numbers
Speaker 2: as best you can. But I think it's something that
Speaker 2: we're going to have to learn to love and live with.
Speaker 2: In Australian Survivor. Yeah, I mean I'm sitting at home
Speaker 2: on the couch being when Laura found it either like
Speaker 2: the next day and I've got two and I'm like,
Speaker 2: why is there another one?
Speaker 3: Like this is too many? Like what's going on here?
Speaker 1: From the trees?
Speaker 2: But look, it does keep it interesting and it does
Speaker 2: keep you keep the game fun. And look, I like
Speaker 2: how they've I like the direction that the show is
Speaker 2: going in where you know it's not straightforward, But I
Speaker 2: mean it's fun. Like you look at the reaction after this, say,
Speaker 2: maybe Georgia and Rachel's vote, like you know, they were
Speaker 2: the first two straightforward votes in this game. And you know,
Speaker 2: some of the casual fans, casual watchers were like, you
Speaker 2: know what not so jaw dropping kind of thing, like
Speaker 2: you know, where is this?
Speaker 3: Can you give us something? And I think the fans
Speaker 3: had come to expect.
Speaker 2: It, and that's going to create a new breed of
Speaker 2: player where you have to be good enough to be
Speaker 2: able to adapt it andjust around these things and not
Speaker 2: be not.
Speaker 3: End up as a casualty of you know, of the
Speaker 3: of the twists.
Speaker 1: And here I am whose relationship with you changed the
Speaker 1: most throughout the competition.
Speaker 2: Would you say, I think Shannon's like I really I
Speaker 2: really like her as as a human and we got
Speaker 2: along so well, like we were probably the on like
Speaker 2: the real tool on the Braun tribe who knew and
Speaker 2: appreciated and understood the game. And that came through and
Speaker 2: in some of our conversations that we had, and she
Speaker 2: knew that I deserved to be there and deserved to
Speaker 2: you know, deserve to.
Speaker 3: Be around for longer than Benny. But we had this
Speaker 3: wild like rivalry. Bit.
Speaker 2: I loved Shannon's energy and how much she brought the
Speaker 2: tribe together and you made everyone feel like welcoming and
Speaker 2: included and was just.
Speaker 3: So nice and beautiful.
Speaker 2: So yeah, I loved that relationship that we had, even
Speaker 2: though we were like, you're biting heads and going for
Speaker 2: it and the the leader of each alliance within our tribe,
Speaker 2: but then we were able to bond so well in
Speaker 2: those challenges, and you know, God, I missed that not
Speaker 2: having shut in there, but we were lifting people up,
Speaker 2: lifting Andrew off.
Speaker 3: I'm like, G's like, couldn't you shut it? Like you're
Speaker 3: a little bit lighter and tall, like that was an.
Speaker 2: Epic to have her around, and she was a she
Speaker 2: was a weapon in her own right. So it was
Speaker 2: like what a journey that was, and it was great.
Speaker 1: You know, I think we all wanted to see how
Speaker 1: your relationship would have evolved with Emmett. How do you
Speaker 1: stayed in the competition? What did you foresee happening?
Speaker 2: Yeah, there was only room room for one of us
Speaker 2: in the outback, and I think we both realized that
Speaker 2: pretty early on. We were really close out there, and
Speaker 2: you know, he had a great energy and I love
Speaker 2: beaming around him and conniving with him and just hanging
Speaker 2: out with him and stuff. But there was I feel
Speaker 2: like we both had his underlying appreciation, and we both
Speaker 2: hitted to keep each other at an arm's length because
Speaker 2: we were the challenge beasts out there and it was
Speaker 2: really cool to go up against him and compete against
Speaker 2: him and go hit for hit with him, but we
Speaker 2: knew that at some stage, I felt like we were
Speaker 2: going to come up against each other and that was
Speaker 2: going to be, you know, a real showdown, and the
Speaker 2: moment that if we both made it to merge, the
Speaker 2: moment that one of us lost an immunity challenge, like
Speaker 2: a big physical immunity challenge, not necessarily an endurance one
Speaker 2: because I suck at those, but like I don't know,
Speaker 2: maybe an obstical course or something that whichever one doesn't
Speaker 2: win immunity would be going home.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it would have been pretty intense.
Speaker 1: I'm going to give you some rapid fire questions just
Speaker 1: to try to interview off so short answers with these,
Speaker 1: if you can. I'm a former reality TV contestant, so
Speaker 1: I understand that a short answer for a Reality TV
Speaker 1: contestant is still a long one but we'll see how
Speaker 1: we go. And I've never done this before, so let's
Speaker 1: just see how I go with remembering this. So all right,
Speaker 1: let's go. What is your advice for anyone going into
Speaker 1: the competition?
Speaker 2: Don't get far ahead of yourself, keep a levelhead and
Speaker 2: take a strong or a.
Speaker 1: Tewel to lie on those Budgie smugglers. Have they sold out?
Speaker 1: Have you checked out online to say, okay, you've still
Speaker 1: got them one?
Speaker 3: They haven't made off yet?
Speaker 1: Anyway, Moving along, who have you remained in touch with
Speaker 1: the most after the show?
Speaker 3: Big d? Yeah? Wow, Yeah, he's been amazing.
Speaker 2: I just I love his energy and it's been so
Speaker 2: great to kind of catch up with him, FaceTime him
Speaker 2: after each episode?
Speaker 1: Who played it up to the cameras the most?
Speaker 2: Emitt like and I would love to see George, but
Speaker 2: I feel like that was just George and George being
Speaker 2: unapologetically George and I love that. But yeah, Emmat was
Speaker 2: a cool guy and and get a really good vibe
Speaker 2: around camp, but definitely turned it up to eleven.
Speaker 1: Are you the alpha male in real life, within your
Speaker 1: friendship circles and at work and play? Is that really
Speaker 1: who you are?
Speaker 2: I'm a leader I don't think like I don't think
Speaker 2: alpha male necessarily. I make sure I'm very self aware
Speaker 2: of the people around me, and you know, I'm not
Speaker 2: a dictator.
Speaker 3: I don't like being an arrogant asshole.
Speaker 2: And I think that you can easily be stereotyped as
Speaker 2: a bit of a winkar in being that alpha role.
Speaker 2: And I think, you know, your self awareness is a
Speaker 2: really important part that needs to go hand in hand
Speaker 2: with being a leader.
Speaker 1: Would things be different if you had not sat that
Speaker 1: immunity challenge out?
Speaker 3: Oh? Good question.
Speaker 2: No, At end of the day, I think the result
Speaker 2: still would have happened. It would have happened in maybe
Speaker 2: a different order, but I think they would have They
Speaker 2: would have made it work.
Speaker 3: That was an impossible challenge, Like it was incredible.
Speaker 1: How do you feel now about the plan to evict
Speaker 1: Flick falling through?
Speaker 4: Oh?
Speaker 3: Yeah, look, that one hurts. Like Flick, I definitely underestimated
Speaker 3: her and she.
Speaker 2: Was an amazing a liar and player, and she almost
Speaker 2: had me where I almost went back to her.
Speaker 3: And I knew very early on even aughter she crossed
Speaker 3: me that I still need to try to repair that.
Speaker 2: But god, she had the blinkers on for me as well,
Speaker 2: and I probably didn't realize how bad that was, but
Speaker 2: I brought Flick in first, and I thought it was closer.
Speaker 2: I spoke to Flick for, I spoke to Danny and Chelsea,
Speaker 2: and she went the first.
Speaker 3: One that I had, really when you.
Speaker 2: Thought I was bonding with and wanted to work with
Speaker 2: in this game, and so, yeah, that was really hard
Speaker 2: when you know she flipped on me. But I understand that,
Speaker 2: you know, people can make your own decisions and everything
Speaker 2: like that, and can make your own choice and where
Speaker 2: they want to go down, and she saw it as
Speaker 2: she didn't want to be on the bottom of myself
Speaker 2: and gap. So you know that's understandable there that she
Speaker 2: would have been fourth in line. But you know, I
Speaker 2: was doing the hard leg work to bring those people
Speaker 2: around me as opposed to setting it up to bedl
Speaker 2: for and be the dictator like I needed to do
Speaker 2: the work for protection as opposed to be the leader.
Speaker 1: You know, it seemed Danny was super confident that she
Speaker 1: would blindside you. Would you still have Danny over for dinner?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would.
Speaker 2: I can't hold any gameplay against people out there, That's
Speaker 2: the nature of what you're about to do.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we've definitely spoken since, and you know, I.
Speaker 2: Had a really good connection with her out there and
Speaker 2: a lot of respect for her. You know, I don't
Speaker 2: necessarily respect her gameplay and how she really heard that,
Speaker 2: but you know, it's a pretty juicy carrot to like
Speaker 2: the potentially you want to take a swing out to
Speaker 2: eliminate the biggest threat in the game with two idols
Speaker 2: like that looks pretty good on someone's resume if you
Speaker 2: can pull that off. But fortunately it wasn't Danny's. It
Speaker 2: wasn't Danny's move, so it was enabled.
Speaker 3: By her, but it wasn't her final move. So I
Speaker 3: think that I love her and we shared a really
Speaker 3: genuine connection out there overall.
Speaker 1: At this stage, who are you more salty with Danny
Speaker 1: Flick or yourself? Oh?
Speaker 2: Look, I don't hold I don't hold any any any
Speaker 2: grudges there, like to anyone all myself, Like I'm I'm
Speaker 2: I'm just grateful for.
Speaker 3: The experience that I that I had to be able.
Speaker 2: To when you play out there and meet some you know,
Speaker 2: some amazing, wonderful people, and you know when you have nothing, Look,
Speaker 2: you're out there with nothing, and you have a real
Speaker 2: appreciation for what little you have and you know those
Speaker 2: friendships in those moments and you're sharing stories about our
Speaker 2: life and our families like that.
Speaker 3: Was that was really special and that have a really
Speaker 3: good bonding moment.
Speaker 2: So you know, I'm people to be able to share
Speaker 2: those moments with everyone, regardless of where we sat in
Speaker 2: the tribe, because that was you know, to me, that
Speaker 2: was real and you know, I take a lot a
Speaker 2: lot away from those human connections.
Speaker 1: I'll take that as your the most saltiest at yourself.
Speaker 1: Then my last rapid fire question for you is how
Speaker 1: many times did your fiance hit you in the arm
Speaker 1: while watching the show.
Speaker 2: She was actually really good, so she wasn't too like
Speaker 2: you know, I didn't, I didn't make too much of
Speaker 2: a fool of myself.
Speaker 3: I think the menopause question if you remember that.
Speaker 2: But when I was speaking to Kara and I got
Speaker 2: that stupid music edit and that was pretty funny.
Speaker 3: It's like, what are you doing there?
Speaker 2: It was actually a much deeper conversation about in mitriosis,
Speaker 2: which I was, you know, for a straight mail and
Speaker 2: knew quite a lot about and was quite a big
Speaker 2: connecting conversation to Kara and I. But the edit was
Speaker 2: hilariously awkward, and that was like, you know, you don't
Speaker 2: ask that to women, and you know, in the situation,
Speaker 2: it was very relevant, but.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it is what it is.
Speaker 1: Well, I thought it was pretty amazing, So I'm going
Speaker 1: to take that as she hit you. Every episode well
Speaker 1: done on I think there's some really amazing episodes there.
Speaker 1: The last question I ask all my guests on TV
Speaker 1: reload is what is an amazing story from behind the
Speaker 1: scenes that where as an audience would appreciate that we
Speaker 1: might not have seen.
Speaker 2: Yes, okay, so my my, it's not even my moment,
Speaker 2: it's this is way. What Way achieved out there and
Speaker 2: what she overcame was so incredible. She can't like she
Speaker 2: can't swim. I mean she can swim, but like, you know,
Speaker 2: but not for very long. And you know, you have
Speaker 2: to do a swimming test in a pool, but when
Speaker 2: you're out there with your shoes on, in clothes, trying
Speaker 2: to do it through an obstacle course in when it's
Speaker 2: winny and everything like, that's next level.
Speaker 3: But what Way overcame for the tribe was so incredible
Speaker 3: to watch and be a part of.
Speaker 2: And she just put her fears to the side and
Speaker 2: has just put herself truly out of a comfort zone
Speaker 2: and just committed with her whole heart. And that was
Speaker 2: just such an incredible human journey that she was going
Speaker 2: on out there.
Speaker 3: It was so special to see and be a part of.
Speaker 2: And I'm so proud of her for what she achieved
Speaker 2: and so grateful to get to know her. And you know,
Speaker 2: I think it was really nice to see some of
Speaker 2: those moments of celebration, you know, in terms.
Speaker 3: Of the snippets of Way and I really getting to
Speaker 3: celebrate together. I really loved it. Like she's an amazing human.
Speaker 1: I just thought it was hilarious. In one of the
Speaker 1: first two episodes, she needed to get across this netting
Speaker 1: and she literally in her mind needed to get across
Speaker 1: the netting, but her legs didn't understand where to go,
Speaker 1: and she just seemed to her energy pulled her across. However,
Speaker 1: you cut back to a scene later on and you
Speaker 1: could see that she had bruises all over her legs.
Speaker 1: I might not have been bruises, might have just been dirt,
Speaker 1: but it definitely looked like.
Speaker 3: Oh mate, she was she poor.
Speaker 2: Way, She's just covered in bruises and like battered and broken,
Speaker 2: and you know, just you wake up more than you
Speaker 2: covered in dirt, like it's hard to hide.
Speaker 3: But you know, she was always.
Speaker 2: Smiling and it was it was just beautiful, like a yeah,
Speaker 2: she is just an amazing player and an amazing human
Speaker 2: and how she kind of carried herself out there just
Speaker 2: so special to see.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I hope she goes really far.
Speaker 1: Well, mate, I just want to say you were fantastic
Speaker 1: on the show. I think those budget smugglers definitely going
Speaker 1: to sell out wait to see you come back for
Speaker 1: All Stars because I'm just going to already say that
Speaker 1: that's happening when it's not. And I know nothing, but
Speaker 1: you were fantastic on the show. So thanks for joining
Speaker 1: us today and being able to take us.
Speaker 3: It's been a real pleasure.
Speaker 2: And you know, I love these opportunities to talk about
Speaker 2: gameplay and the experiences and the strategy like that because
Speaker 2: I was a Survivor fan, like I mean, this is cool,
Speaker 2: like you know, having been able to connect with people
Speaker 2: who you want to get the inside scoop and work
Speaker 2: out what was really going on, and you know, I
Speaker 2: love I love people like fatiguing like what went on,
Speaker 2: especially in a game like this where it means so
Speaker 2: much to me, so yeah, thank you very much.
Speaker 3: It's awesome to be a part of