April 10, 2026 • 22 mins
In this chat, Benjamin Norris sits down with Keiley, one of the most memorable players from Survivor's Redemption season. They dive into Keiley's experience watching the season back, discussing the edit's accuracy and the surprises that came with it. Keiley shares her thoughts on playing the game, her relationships with tribe mates, and the big moves that made her stand out. They also talk about Keiley's preparation for the game, her time on Redemption Beach and her thoughts on the current players still in the game. This conversation is a must-listen for any Survivor fan.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's in the news today, but it was actually on
TV Reload, the podcast last week that Life Yoday. Guys,
welcome back to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris,
and today we are diving straight into one of the
most talked about newbie players of this season, astraand Survivor Redemption.
Now you know, I love a player who can actually
play the game, and today's guest, Keiley, came to play
(00:21):
and honestly may have been too dangerous to sit next
to at the end. In this chat, we unpack what
it's like watching the season back and whether the edit
really told the truth or if there were things happening
out there that even surprise them. We get into a
huge idle conversation where trust, strategy, and so called friendship
necklaces collide, and I asked the question we're all screaming
(00:43):
at the TV and asking what the hell were you thinking.
I also have a bit of fun with Keighley discussing
the now iconic no blinking moment that viewers compared her
to something from a horror movie. And when I say viewers,
I mean me. I think I compared her and I
do in the chat to you know, the Bloomhouse film Annabelt,
and of course I asked the question if Killy would
(01:04):
go back and do it all again, and who from
this season actually deserves to win. This is a really fun,
honest chat with someone who absolutely delivered this season. So
if you love big moves, big personalities, and a little
bit of chaos, you're going to love this one. So, guys,
here is my chat with one of Survivor's most memorable
players this season. M's Keilly. Hey, mate, I've gone to say,
(01:26):
right off the bat, how good are those eyebrows?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Thanks? I know right, they are popping today, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Then? Did you go and get them done for ready
to chat to the media today?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
No, I didn't. I am actually surprisingly low maintenance as
a girl. They are actually tattooed on, so I've just
had them refresh, you know, a week and a half ago,
so they're looking really good right now.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So good. Hey. I want to start by talking to
you today about watching this show back. So it is
such an experience when you've committed to such a long
shoot and then you know what you've put into the game,
but you don't know what everyone else has put into
the game, and then watching it I can have some
really big aha moments. Well were your biggest? Oh, I
(02:11):
didn't realize that happened while I was out there?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Is it bad of me to say that I didn't
come across too many aha moments? I look, a lot
of the stuff that played out was really how I
remembered it as well. You know, the edit is pretty true.
I guess some of the most surprising stuff was seeing
the other tribe carry out their tribal councils. Obviously I
(02:33):
wasn't there, so that was new information. But the reality
is Ben is when we merged, they told us about
their tribal councils, and no one was lying. They told
the truth. So what I saw on TV was exactly
what they told me. And maybe an AHA moment is
that I was thinking, was I the only one lying
out there?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Like?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Was it just me?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I don't know if Survivor fans are going to come
through when I say this, but I do have this
feeling that you were playing the game and not many people.
I feel like I'm going to offend people you.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Really knew I was playing the game.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, everyone's playing the game, but I feel like you, well,
I will remember you out of all of the newbies
from this season, I think you played the most epic game.
I really do think you did such a great job
out there where I do think some of the people
that are left now, I'm like, well, that's kind of luck,
chance and circumstance where Keilly made decisions.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, I mean I was hustling out there, and you know,
I came into Survival with no real strategy, but I
did have one goal, and that was to make it memorable.
And I think I achieved that. I have got some
incredible memories behind me that I get to reminisce on
and I also get to watch them play back on
television because they were enough to make the edit. And
(03:45):
for that, I am so proud and I'm so grateful
that my friends and family sit down and watched me,
you know, blindside on or go to Redemption Beach and
crack the motif off the top and you know, craft
this gorgeous idol fake find a real idol in the
most glamorous position. I would say, play it for Brook,
(04:05):
you know, achieve Idol Gate and went to back to
back community challenges as well. So I really put in
the work and I really created the memories and you know,
now they get to see it in television form, and
I love that. I love it.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
You came to play, You came to play, you came
to slay. I don't think that they were even thinking
that they could take you to final tribal Council because
you would have had the most amount of agency. So
maybe they didn't always know that you had that much agency,
but they certainly felt like that at this point of
the game. I think that's the end and why they've
chopped you out of there.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, I think so. And you know, I guess that's
nice to be such a big threat that they couldn't
bear to sit next to me at the end. I
think I would have had a really cool story. I mean,
everyone gets to watch my story now on the DV
which I love. But it was devastating not to make
it there, and it was devastating to go out the
way I did.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
I wish it was different if it was possible, And
it's really hard to Sunday Morning quarterback this kind of stuff.
But my feeling was if you brought Brook across, like
if Brooke had survived, maybe maybe the next two maybe
I think you might have been able to make it
to the end. I think that's my today theory. What's
your sort of Sunday morning quarterbacking at this point, Like,
(05:21):
how could you have reversed this exit by.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
You know, taking that idol out of Sally's hands?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Why didn't you do that?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Wow, I'm not really good at the one on one
combat challenges, Ben, That's not really my style. But no, Look,
I do understand the final six vote and sending Brook home.
And look, I'm not naive to the fact I'm sitting
next to Brook Jowett, who actually is capable of winning challenges.
She really is. And I also know Brook is not
(05:52):
taking me to the end. We both know that in
each other, and we're both trying to create connections on
the other side at this point as well. And would
it have got me another day in the game? Maybe?
I also think as soon as I'm not wearing that necklace,
I'm gone ski anyway. And I was hoping that, you know,
(06:13):
by fulfilling the mission of the newbies, which is to
eliminate all attorneys, that maybe I would see the change
in gameplay and maybe people would think differently about how
they want to approach the final five tribal council and
perhaps I could be a vote for someone else who
wants to take advantage of that tribal council. But alas
(06:36):
the Honorable Attorney was booted from the game.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I mean, you did get to get to this sort
of juicy point for the newbies, being that all of
the attorneys have gone home. But it kind of felt
like for returneys versus twenty newbies to me, like it
felt like we need twenty newbies to try and get
rid of these motherfuckers, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
So yeah, yeah, it was a bit like that at times.
I mean, I think a good example of that is
Idle Gate. I am not a Returney by the way,
Like I am a newbie, but we're seeing an eight
v two and Brook still goes back to the beach
and I go back as well, and so it was hard.
It's hard to get the returneys out. They are so
(07:17):
good at this game, and I learned so much from
them as well. I think that really helped me along
with my game. So it was hard for the newbies.
It was you know, I'd hate to see a twelve
twelve or even a full returning season terrifying.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Well, it seemed like when I was because this is
happening all the time. Whenever you talk to newbies, you
talk about their game and they say they want to
come back, and you know they want to be a
returning And when I was throwing those sorts of questions
around with the actual returneys this year, they all mentioned
your name. They were like, because I was asking for
who has made a noisy enough game, who's got enough agency,
(07:56):
who's got a personality that we want to see back?
And your name keeps coming back around. Are you going
to take those fancy eyebrows back to the beach at
some point? Like, how's that sounding for you?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I think it would be a real disservice to Australia
if they didn't see these gorgeous eyebrows.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Again, this is a podcast. People can't see how good
they are anywhere else. Scramblod on in stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah baby, you know then there. I got up to
a lot in this season, don't get me wrong, and
Killer Cheap so much I am exhausted almost watching it back.
I'm like, wow, man, that was a lot of work.
But there are a few things still on my list
of things that I would like to do and so
I'd go back. I'd play again. It'd be really scary, though,
because I know what the Returneys were up against, and
(08:39):
so becoming an actual Returney could be really hard for me.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
My favorite thing about you is, and this probably might
not land very well, and you probably might. I hope
you don't take offenses. But I kind of thought of
you as like this Annabelle Doll. You know those scary
annabel do dohole movies.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
It's the lack of blinking.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah, Like I we would watch it and watch your face,
and your face would just be like, I mean, yeah,
as a TV prosent but I guess you're just trying
to not give anything away. You're giving a neutral face, right.
But I kind of walked away with this thinking that
you're I will remember you was the scary doll.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
How many sequels is annabel that doll had, by the way,
in those towns Blumhouse Bloomhouse film genre, So.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah, she's unkillable, that annabel Doll.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
This is just your origin story, right this.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, yeah, Look, I'll be honest. I was aware of
my lack of blinking out in the game. I didn't
know about it before playing survivor. Now I know about it,
I'm aware, I'm going to work on it. But I
was kind of made aware of it whilst I was
in Samoa, and I didn't really believe it because I
thought I blink people like I'm a I blink. Watching
it back, I'm scaring myself as well. It's really scary.
(09:54):
And when they zoomed in on my eyes in some
of the shots, I mean it was it was gold,
but it was really it was like that Annabel Dole.
Really scary.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Yeah, terrifying. You were having like you could have different
levels of conversation with people and you would still not
be blinking.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
I know, I was just so focused. Then it's a
sign of focus.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Were you stressed at the end, because I was looking
at your face in the last episode and I was thinking,
this amount of days on the beach is obviously starting
to really wear and tear, because everyone that's left there
at the moment honestly looks like they're at breaking point.
Is that fair to say that you're all at this
point of the game had lost it.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yes, and no. I still had a lot left in
my tank. I was ready to go to the end.
I was ready to stand on Pegs or whatever is
you know, waiting, but I hear it's always Pegs. Mark
told me about his Pegs challenge at Final three, and
I'm ready to rock and roll for it. So it
was it was so sad to go because I was
(10:57):
ready to keep playing. But it is exhausting as well.
I mean by staying in the game, I was going
back to a shelter that was invested with maggots. And
you know that's like not super appealing, but in exchange
for half a million dollars, I will stay and I
will sleep in that shelter. I would rather that over
(11:18):
getting my torch staffed.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yeah. I think the strange things that you will do
on these shows. I remember I put a live I
think it's called a meal worm, but it looked like
a maggot. So anyway, some one of that in my
mouth for a show that I did once, and I
just think back to that and I think, God, what
is it that I won't do to be on television?
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Oh my gosh, I mean this has been That's actually
the question we all get faced with when you are
on TV. What would I not do?
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Let's get short, Yeah, it really was. So I want
to know about your preparation plan, because if anyone prepped
this game and sort of knew what they were doing
and understood the assignment, it's you. So you apply and
you ob getting closer and closer to you know, being selected.
What were you doing? Like, how are you getting yourself
into it? Are you're rewatching episodes where you're contacting your
(12:08):
favorite players on Instagram? I want to know this schematic.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I've never watched a full season of Survivor and I
still haven't to this day. But there's only a few
episodes left.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You've watched your sister, You've watched your own.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Well, there's still a few episodes left. But I am
going to see it out. I'm going to watch it all.
I can't wait to see what the guys get up
to now that I'm out of the equation. But I've
never watched a full season. I've seen episodes here and there.
My brother is a fan of Survivor. This is like
the ultimate sibling taunt of Now you get to watch
your sister in your favorite show. So for me, I think,
(12:44):
I you know, I really you don't have time to
get your strategy together or train for Survivor either surviving
is the cost of entry in during the game? Is
the cost of the game, you know, learning how to
make a fire? Yeah, sure, that's great. I didn't do that.
I didn't learn how to open coconuts. Caleb was always
(13:06):
there to open the coconuts for me, So I didn't
need to have that skill. But I was lucky to
have a lengthy career in in fraud prevention and like
anti financial crime arena. But not only that, I have
lived and worked in some very very high risk countries,
and I have been in some very high risk situations
and so risky positions, taking big risks isn't new territory
(13:31):
that I am covering. It's just different because now I'm
on a beach in Samoa. So I think my preparation
has been you know, over the last decade of all
the things that I've been getting up to in my
own life.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Yeah, it's like you've been collecting like a skill set
for something like this. Really I have been.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
That's exactly right, And you know, over time, I think
everyone's got it in them though. You know, we all
have relationships throughout our life, and it's how you navigate
those relationships, how you get in there. Really quickly with
people build that trust and it's not just surface level trust,
it's are you going to save my ass in tribal
council tonight kind of trust. And so that's hard to
(14:14):
train for Within a couple of weeks before you're on
the beach in Samoa.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
It kind of feels like though, having this conversation with
you and having this kind of understanding of reading people
at that moment in this final on travel council for you,
you know, when you decide to give Sally half of
the idol, did you know did you feel like this
is a fifty to fifty split or did you think,
oh no, this was a mistake right off the bat,
Like what happened as soon as you handed it over?
(14:40):
What was going on in your mind?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
In my mind, I'm thinking, wow, you know, this is
two halves of an idol, you know, making an idol,
which is the most powerful tool in the game, Like
this is the biggest currency that you can have. You
can really change things with this. I've had an idol,
a real idol and a fake, but had a real
idle and I know the power that it has because
(15:02):
it saved me and Brook and we went back because
I played it for somebody else, and I'm sitting there thinking, Wow,
Sally has put together these two halves, created an idol.
She's about to play it for me. That is huge,
and I can't believe someone is doing this.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I don't believe she's going to play it for you. Though.
The whole time, I.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Really thought I thought she would have. Sally and I
had a really good relationship. We were together every single day,
you know, including Redemption Beach, and Sally's really sentimental. I
really thought she would play it for me, and then
she didn't, and that was really sad. That's a bit
of a bummer.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
But what about when she called it a friendship break
like she was like as a friendship thing, I'm like,
what she should have done is taken it off you
and kept it all in one go and said, look,
I'm keeping this with myself. You know, super sells mate,
and I felt like that would have been more survivori ish.
I don't know. What did you think about her decision
to call it a friendship necklace?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Well, it just kind of reduces something that has so
much power in the game into nothing but something of sentiment,
you know, a piece of jewelry. And I love the
gesture of it in the real world. Like I love jewelry,
but I love money, So keep me in this game.
Sally gab Ittt. I love an advantage being played. I
(16:16):
would have loved to have seen that idol live its
full potential. And you know, play it on laws, play
it on Caleb, play it on yourself, but play it
didn't have to be on me. But it was disappointing
to see it not played at all, because honestly, winning moves.
If that, if that idol was played, that is huge,
two halves coming together for a whole. You've taken it
(16:40):
off Keiley. You have blindsided her by not playing it
for her, but you have, you know, perhaps caused a
debt in somebody else because you play it for them.
Maybe you know you've you've broken some trust with somebody
else or like distrust. Its cause idols can really disrupt
the game. And I would have loved to have seen
that happen.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
It was its destiny, you remember in Friends.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
With the Idol destiny baby was like.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
The Christmas tree needs to live It's Christmas destiny or
whatever kind I'm paraprasing.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Idle needed to live its idol's destiny and its life
was cut.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Short, almost as though sometimes when you're talking to these people,
I've been doing this for years, and I remember it
was George's first idol that he went home with. Oh
maybe it was Simon's. Someone went home with an idol
and they were wearing it for the chat, like, and
they were so happy to have it there. And I
was like carrying that around now, like it means nothing
to the outside world. What are you going to go
(17:31):
into the bank and there's a line and say, sorry, guys,
I can go to the front of the line. I've
got this idol from Like, No, it means nothing, and
you kind of bring it back into the game and
play it, you.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Know, bring it with me next time if you did.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Go back and want to know who you take with you,
Just give me three players from this season, only newbies.
I don't want to hear about Brooke and Simon they've
had that time.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Oh only Nybe's faith obviously.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Wow. Yeah, I've got faith.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I know, and I love faith and healing together. They
are up to some mischief, those two girlies.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
And you know what, Lottie, I'm obsessed with her, but
she doesn't want to do it. She's a really good
girlfriend of a friend of mine, and I'm like, you
were great, like good faces that Simon sort of highlighted
something to me as well. She was like, you know,
I don't think that Lottie wants to come back, do
you know what I mean? Like, I think she's got
bigger adventures or something. I don't know she does.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Look, Lottie's artwork is absolutely stunning. I am obsessed. But
I think Lordy's game play was exceptional. She I loved
watching her in the first half of this season. She
was incredible.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
It's just a really fun chick, do you know what
I mean? Like, she's the kind of girl you want
to go to the pub with you want.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
She's super cool.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Okay, So I don't know how dangerous this is, but
can you tell me who? Who do you want to win?
At this point? This is how we're going to wrap
this up today, because I mean, I could talk to
you forever, but I want to know who you would want,
like when you come out of this competition. I don't
want to know about what you know after this and
when you get to the tribal council. But tell me
who this point of the game when you were snuffed.
Who did you think deserve to win?
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Oh, yeah, it's a bit of a look. I think
out of the four remaining, any of them can win.
There is still time to do some incredible things. And
I'm yet to hear their full story as well, and
I can't wait to hear it. To be honest, for me, it's.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Strange that they've had this much time. They've had so
much time to plan that speech. When you think about
some of the other seasons where they're like, you know,
they just thrust into it. The next day, you just think, Oh,
I wonder how different you're expecting these speeches to be,
considering we have had the show shot so long ago
and now they are coming together to pitch.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Yeah. Look, if I'm sitting back in Samoa when I
left the game, I don't know what everyone's being up to.
But yeah, watching now, you know it can be tough
for some people. Sure, I can see that, But at
the same time, you know, different Survivor players value different things,
and as a DJUR, remember that is what I'm looking for.
I want to hear what your criteria is for the
(19:58):
Soul Survivor. I want to hear how you met that criteria,
and then the cherry on top for me is did
you commit any crimes while you're out there? Because I
want to know about it, Like, spill them to me.
It doesn't matter what they were. Did you lie, did
you steal? Did you do something naughty? Because that is
what I love and you know, for me, if someone
(20:22):
did that, they're probably going to get my vote.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Yeah, I'm with you. For me, when it comes to
reality shows, I want the person who took the most
amount of risks and who delivered the most amount of content.
You know. I like people who are noisy, who were fun,
who didn't play it safe and took their bag crap
into the show and just undid it all in front
of the audience.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Yeah, we like. We like messy sometimes, so no, look,
I need someone who's been a little bit mis genius.
That would really get my vote. But I can't wait
to hear the final tribal Council pitch.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
What are you going to wear? Have you worked it out?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I am not sure, man, I'm going to have a
look in my wardrobe. I've got you know, I've pretty
much got two options. So it'll either be a red
dress or a blue.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Dress okay, like the Shawnee red dress type thing. Are
you going to borrow one from sh No?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Like one? Like a like one. I've got a red
dress from Zimmerman tea length okay, yeah, I mean is
this not like a gala extrava garmza that I'm going to?
This is final travel Council.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
I'd wear my outfit, but I mean that's just me.
I'd wear the stinky clothes because I know people put
them in like little anymore.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
They don't fit me anymore. I lost a lot of
weight on Survival, so I've still got them, of course,
but they don't fit me.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Take them in, go to the little get them to
the tailor.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Yeah, send them off to my nana she could help
me out.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Go to the red dress though. Anyway, thanks mate, Can
I just say thank you so much for your commitment
to this show, And like if I had been selecting
people along the way each week going, I want to
talk to you know Simon and Dirty Harry, and then
this week, even though I could have talked to Brooke,
I wanted to talk to you and the main reason
was to say thank you, like you really entertained.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Thank you, thank you, and you were so welcome. It
was a pleasure going out there and having that experience
and making those memories. I loved every single day.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Putting the popcorn on for your next season, So thank you.
Enjoy chatting to the media, and enjoy chatting to all
the super fans. I'm I'm sure they've all got lots
of really fun questions for you today, and thanks then.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
I love meeting you great.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
I'm going to go keep it my eyebrows done because
I'm good.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I'll send you a link to where to go. Thanks guys,
It's in the news today, but it was actually on
TV Reload, the podcast last week that Life Yoday. Guys,
welcome back to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris,
and today we are diving straight into one of the
most talked about newbie players of this season, astraand Survivor Redemption.
Now you know, I love a player who can actually
play the game, and today's guest, Keiley, came to play
(00:21):
and honestly may have been too dangerous to sit next
to at the end. In this chat, we unpack what
it's like watching the season back and whether the edit
really told the truth or if there were things happening
out there that even surprise them. We get into a
huge idle conversation where trust, strategy, and so called friendship
necklaces collide, and I asked the question we're all screaming
(00:43):
at the TV and asking what the hell were you thinking.
I also have a bit of fun with Keighley discussing
the now iconic no blinking moment that viewers compared her
to something from a horror movie. And when I say viewers,
I mean me. I think I compared her and I
do in the chat to you know, the Bloomhouse film Annabelt,
and of course I asked the question if Killy would
(01:04):
go back and do it all again, and who from
this season actually deserves to win. This is a really fun,
honest chat with someone who absolutely delivered this season. So
if you love big moves, big personalities, and a little
bit of chaos, you're going to love this one. So, guys,
here is my chat with one of Survivor's most memorable
players this season. M's Keilly. Hey, mate, I've gone to say,
(01:26):
right off the bat, how good are those eyebrows?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Thanks? I know right, they are popping today, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Then? Did you go and get them done for ready
to chat to the media today?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
No, I didn't. I am actually surprisingly low maintenance as
a girl. They are actually tattooed on, so I've just
had them refresh, you know, a week and a half ago,
so they're looking really good right now.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So good. Hey. I want to start by talking to
you today about watching this show back. So it is
such an experience when you've committed to such a long
shoot and then you know what you've put into the game,
but you don't know what everyone else has put into
the game, and then watching it I can have some
really big aha moments. Well were your biggest? Oh, I
(02:11):
didn't realize that happened while I was out there?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Is it bad of me to say that I didn't
come across too many aha moments? I look, a lot
of the stuff that played out was really how I
remembered it as well. You know, the edit is pretty true.
I guess some of the most surprising stuff was seeing
the other tribe carry out their tribal councils. Obviously I
(02:33):
wasn't there, so that was new information. But the reality
is Ben is when we merged, they told us about
their tribal councils, and no one was lying. They told
the truth. So what I saw on TV was exactly
what they told me. And maybe an AHA moment is
that I was thinking, was I the only one lying
out there?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Like?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Was it just me?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I don't know if Survivor fans are going to come
through when I say this, but I do have this
feeling that you were playing the game and not many people.
I feel like I'm going to offend people you.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Really knew I was playing the game.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, everyone's playing the game, but I feel like you, well,
I will remember you out of all of the newbies
from this season, I think you played the most epic game.
I really do think you did such a great job
out there where I do think some of the people
that are left now, I'm like, well, that's kind of luck,
chance and circumstance where Keilly made decisions.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, I mean I was hustling out there, and you know,
I came into Survival with no real strategy, but I
did have one goal, and that was to make it memorable.
And I think I achieved that. I have got some
incredible memories behind me that I get to reminisce on
and I also get to watch them play back on
television because they were enough to make the edit. And
(03:45):
for that, I am so proud and I'm so grateful
that my friends and family sit down and watched me,
you know, blindside on or go to Redemption Beach and
crack the motif off the top and you know, craft
this gorgeous idol fake find a real idol in the
most glamorous position. I would say, play it for Brook,
(04:05):
you know, achieve Idol Gate and went to back to
back community challenges as well. So I really put in
the work and I really created the memories and you know,
now they get to see it in television form, and
I love that. I love it.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
You came to play, You came to play, you came
to slay. I don't think that they were even thinking
that they could take you to final tribal Council because
you would have had the most amount of agency. So
maybe they didn't always know that you had that much agency,
but they certainly felt like that at this point of
the game. I think that's the end and why they've
chopped you out of there.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, I think so. And you know, I guess that's
nice to be such a big threat that they couldn't
bear to sit next to me at the end. I
think I would have had a really cool story. I mean,
everyone gets to watch my story now on the DV
which I love. But it was devastating not to make
it there, and it was devastating to go out the
way I did.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
I wish it was different if it was possible, And
it's really hard to Sunday Morning quarterback this kind of stuff.
But my feeling was if you brought Brook across, like
if Brooke had survived, maybe maybe the next two maybe
I think you might have been able to make it
to the end. I think that's my today theory. What's
your sort of Sunday morning quarterbacking at this point, Like,
(05:21):
how could you have reversed this exit by.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
You know, taking that idol out of Sally's hands?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Why didn't you do that?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Wow, I'm not really good at the one on one
combat challenges, Ben, That's not really my style. But no, Look,
I do understand the final six vote and sending Brook home.
And look, I'm not naive to the fact I'm sitting
next to Brook Jowett, who actually is capable of winning challenges.
She really is. And I also know Brook is not
(05:52):
taking me to the end. We both know that in
each other, and we're both trying to create connections on
the other side at this point as well. And would
it have got me another day in the game? Maybe?
I also think as soon as I'm not wearing that necklace,
I'm gone ski anyway. And I was hoping that, you know,
(06:13):
by fulfilling the mission of the newbies, which is to
eliminate all attorneys, that maybe I would see the change
in gameplay and maybe people would think differently about how
they want to approach the final five tribal council and
perhaps I could be a vote for someone else who
wants to take advantage of that tribal council. But alas
(06:36):
the Honorable Attorney was booted from the game.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I mean, you did get to get to this sort
of juicy point for the newbies, being that all of
the attorneys have gone home. But it kind of felt
like for returneys versus twenty newbies to me, like it
felt like we need twenty newbies to try and get
rid of these motherfuckers, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
So yeah, yeah, it was a bit like that at times.
I mean, I think a good example of that is
Idle Gate. I am not a Returney by the way,
Like I am a newbie, but we're seeing an eight
v two and Brook still goes back to the beach
and I go back as well, and so it was hard.
It's hard to get the returneys out. They are so
(07:17):
good at this game, and I learned so much from
them as well. I think that really helped me along
with my game. So it was hard for the newbies.
It was you know, I'd hate to see a twelve
twelve or even a full returning season terrifying.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Well, it seemed like when I was because this is
happening all the time. Whenever you talk to newbies, you
talk about their game and they say they want to
come back, and you know they want to be a
returning And when I was throwing those sorts of questions
around with the actual returneys this year, they all mentioned
your name. They were like, because I was asking for
who has made a noisy enough game, who's got enough agency,
(07:56):
who's got a personality that we want to see back?
And your name keeps coming back around. Are you going
to take those fancy eyebrows back to the beach at
some point? Like, how's that sounding for you?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I think it would be a real disservice to Australia
if they didn't see these gorgeous eyebrows.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Again, this is a podcast. People can't see how good
they are anywhere else. Scramblod on in stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah baby, you know then there. I got up to
a lot in this season, don't get me wrong, and
Killer Cheap so much I am exhausted almost watching it back.
I'm like, wow, man, that was a lot of work.
But there are a few things still on my list
of things that I would like to do and so
I'd go back. I'd play again. It'd be really scary, though,
because I know what the Returneys were up against, and
(08:39):
so becoming an actual Returney could be really hard for me.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
My favorite thing about you is, and this probably might
not land very well, and you probably might. I hope
you don't take offenses. But I kind of thought of
you as like this Annabelle Doll. You know those scary
annabel do dohole movies.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
It's the lack of blinking.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah, Like I we would watch it and watch your face,
and your face would just be like, I mean, yeah,
as a TV prosent but I guess you're just trying
to not give anything away. You're giving a neutral face, right.
But I kind of walked away with this thinking that
you're I will remember you was the scary doll.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
How many sequels is annabel that doll had, by the way,
in those towns Blumhouse Bloomhouse film genre, So.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah, she's unkillable, that annabel Doll.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
This is just your origin story, right this.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, yeah, Look, I'll be honest. I was aware of
my lack of blinking out in the game. I didn't
know about it before playing survivor. Now I know about it,
I'm aware, I'm going to work on it. But I
was kind of made aware of it whilst I was
in Samoa, and I didn't really believe it because I
thought I blink people like I'm a I blink. Watching
it back, I'm scaring myself as well. It's really scary.
(09:54):
And when they zoomed in on my eyes in some
of the shots, I mean it was it was gold,
but it was really it was like that Annabel Dole.
Really scary.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Yeah, terrifying. You were having like you could have different
levels of conversation with people and you would still not
be blinking.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
I know, I was just so focused. Then it's a
sign of focus.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Were you stressed at the end, because I was looking
at your face in the last episode and I was thinking,
this amount of days on the beach is obviously starting
to really wear and tear, because everyone that's left there
at the moment honestly looks like they're at breaking point.
Is that fair to say that you're all at this
point of the game had lost it.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yes, and no. I still had a lot left in
my tank. I was ready to go to the end.
I was ready to stand on Pegs or whatever is
you know, waiting, but I hear it's always Pegs. Mark
told me about his Pegs challenge at Final three, and
I'm ready to rock and roll for it. So it
was it was so sad to go because I was
(10:57):
ready to keep playing. But it is exhausting as well.
I mean by staying in the game, I was going
back to a shelter that was invested with maggots. And
you know that's like not super appealing, but in exchange
for half a million dollars, I will stay and I
will sleep in that shelter. I would rather that over
(11:18):
getting my torch staffed.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yeah. I think the strange things that you will do
on these shows. I remember I put a live I
think it's called a meal worm, but it looked like
a maggot. So anyway, some one of that in my
mouth for a show that I did once, and I
just think back to that and I think, God, what
is it that I won't do to be on television?
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Oh my gosh, I mean this has been That's actually
the question we all get faced with when you are
on TV. What would I not do?
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Let's get short, Yeah, it really was. So I want
to know about your preparation plan, because if anyone prepped
this game and sort of knew what they were doing
and understood the assignment, it's you. So you apply and
you ob getting closer and closer to you know, being selected.
What were you doing? Like, how are you getting yourself
into it? Are you're rewatching episodes where you're contacting your
(12:08):
favorite players on Instagram? I want to know this schematic.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I've never watched a full season of Survivor and I
still haven't to this day. But there's only a few
episodes left.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You've watched your sister, You've watched your own.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Well, there's still a few episodes left. But I am
going to see it out. I'm going to watch it all.
I can't wait to see what the guys get up
to now that I'm out of the equation. But I've
never watched a full season. I've seen episodes here and there.
My brother is a fan of Survivor. This is like
the ultimate sibling taunt of Now you get to watch
your sister in your favorite show. So for me, I think,
(12:44):
I you know, I really you don't have time to
get your strategy together or train for Survivor either surviving
is the cost of entry in during the game? Is
the cost of the game, you know, learning how to
make a fire? Yeah, sure, that's great. I didn't do that.
I didn't learn how to open coconuts. Caleb was always
(13:06):
there to open the coconuts for me, So I didn't
need to have that skill. But I was lucky to
have a lengthy career in in fraud prevention and like
anti financial crime arena. But not only that, I have
lived and worked in some very very high risk countries,
and I have been in some very high risk situations
and so risky positions, taking big risks isn't new territory
(13:31):
that I am covering. It's just different because now I'm
on a beach in Samoa. So I think my preparation
has been you know, over the last decade of all
the things that I've been getting up to in my
own life.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Yeah, it's like you've been collecting like a skill set
for something like this. Really I have been.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
That's exactly right, And you know, over time, I think
everyone's got it in them though. You know, we all
have relationships throughout our life, and it's how you navigate
those relationships, how you get in there. Really quickly with
people build that trust and it's not just surface level trust,
it's are you going to save my ass in tribal
council tonight kind of trust. And so that's hard to
(14:14):
train for Within a couple of weeks before you're on
the beach in Samoa.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
It kind of feels like though, having this conversation with
you and having this kind of understanding of reading people
at that moment in this final on travel council for you,
you know, when you decide to give Sally half of
the idol, did you know did you feel like this
is a fifty to fifty split or did you think,
oh no, this was a mistake right off the bat,
Like what happened as soon as you handed it over?
(14:40):
What was going on in your mind?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
In my mind, I'm thinking, wow, you know, this is
two halves of an idol, you know, making an idol,
which is the most powerful tool in the game, Like
this is the biggest currency that you can have. You
can really change things with this. I've had an idol,
a real idol and a fake, but had a real
idle and I know the power that it has because
(15:02):
it saved me and Brook and we went back because
I played it for somebody else, and I'm sitting there thinking, Wow,
Sally has put together these two halves, created an idol.
She's about to play it for me. That is huge,
and I can't believe someone is doing this.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I don't believe she's going to play it for you. Though.
The whole time, I.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Really thought I thought she would have. Sally and I
had a really good relationship. We were together every single day,
you know, including Redemption Beach, and Sally's really sentimental. I
really thought she would play it for me, and then
she didn't, and that was really sad. That's a bit
of a bummer.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
But what about when she called it a friendship break
like she was like as a friendship thing, I'm like,
what she should have done is taken it off you
and kept it all in one go and said, look,
I'm keeping this with myself. You know, super sells mate,
and I felt like that would have been more survivori ish.
I don't know. What did you think about her decision
to call it a friendship necklace?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Well, it just kind of reduces something that has so
much power in the game into nothing but something of sentiment,
you know, a piece of jewelry. And I love the
gesture of it in the real world. Like I love jewelry,
but I love money, So keep me in this game.
Sally gab Ittt. I love an advantage being played. I
(16:16):
would have loved to have seen that idol live its
full potential. And you know, play it on laws, play
it on Caleb, play it on yourself, but play it
didn't have to be on me. But it was disappointing
to see it not played at all, because honestly, winning moves.
If that, if that idol was played, that is huge,
two halves coming together for a whole. You've taken it
(16:40):
off Keiley. You have blindsided her by not playing it
for her, but you have, you know, perhaps caused a
debt in somebody else because you play it for them.
Maybe you know you've you've broken some trust with somebody
else or like distrust. Its cause idols can really disrupt
the game. And I would have loved to have seen
that happen.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
It was its destiny, you remember in Friends.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
With the Idol destiny baby was like.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
The Christmas tree needs to live It's Christmas destiny or
whatever kind I'm paraprasing.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Idle needed to live its idol's destiny and its life
was cut.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Short, almost as though sometimes when you're talking to these people,
I've been doing this for years, and I remember it
was George's first idol that he went home with. Oh
maybe it was Simon's. Someone went home with an idol
and they were wearing it for the chat, like, and
they were so happy to have it there. And I
was like carrying that around now, like it means nothing
to the outside world. What are you going to go
(17:31):
into the bank and there's a line and say, sorry, guys,
I can go to the front of the line. I've
got this idol from Like, No, it means nothing, and
you kind of bring it back into the game and
play it, you.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Know, bring it with me next time if you did.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Go back and want to know who you take with you,
Just give me three players from this season, only newbies.
I don't want to hear about Brooke and Simon they've
had that time.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Oh only Nybe's faith obviously.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Wow. Yeah, I've got faith.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I know, and I love faith and healing together. They
are up to some mischief, those two girlies.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
And you know what, Lottie, I'm obsessed with her, but
she doesn't want to do it. She's a really good
girlfriend of a friend of mine, and I'm like, you
were great, like good faces that Simon sort of highlighted
something to me as well. She was like, you know,
I don't think that Lottie wants to come back, do
you know what I mean? Like, I think she's got
bigger adventures or something. I don't know she does.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Look, Lottie's artwork is absolutely stunning. I am obsessed. But
I think Lordy's game play was exceptional. She I loved
watching her in the first half of this season. She
was incredible.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
It's just a really fun chick, do you know what
I mean? Like, she's the kind of girl you want
to go to the pub with you want.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
She's super cool.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Okay, So I don't know how dangerous this is, but
can you tell me who? Who do you want to win?
At this point? This is how we're going to wrap
this up today, because I mean, I could talk to
you forever, but I want to know who you would want,
like when you come out of this competition. I don't
want to know about what you know after this and
when you get to the tribal council. But tell me
who this point of the game when you were snuffed.
Who did you think deserve to win?
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Oh, yeah, it's a bit of a look. I think
out of the four remaining, any of them can win.
There is still time to do some incredible things. And
I'm yet to hear their full story as well, and
I can't wait to hear it. To be honest, for me, it's.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Strange that they've had this much time. They've had so
much time to plan that speech. When you think about
some of the other seasons where they're like, you know,
they just thrust into it. The next day, you just think, Oh,
I wonder how different you're expecting these speeches to be,
considering we have had the show shot so long ago
and now they are coming together to pitch.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Yeah. Look, if I'm sitting back in Samoa when I
left the game, I don't know what everyone's being up to.
But yeah, watching now, you know it can be tough
for some people. Sure, I can see that, But at
the same time, you know, different Survivor players value different things,
and as a DJUR, remember that is what I'm looking for.
I want to hear what your criteria is for the
(19:58):
Soul Survivor. I want to hear how you met that criteria,
and then the cherry on top for me is did
you commit any crimes while you're out there? Because I
want to know about it, Like, spill them to me.
It doesn't matter what they were. Did you lie, did
you steal? Did you do something naughty? Because that is
what I love and you know, for me, if someone
(20:22):
did that, they're probably going to get my vote.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Yeah, I'm with you. For me, when it comes to
reality shows, I want the person who took the most
amount of risks and who delivered the most amount of content.
You know. I like people who are noisy, who were fun,
who didn't play it safe and took their bag crap
into the show and just undid it all in front
of the audience.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Yeah, we like. We like messy sometimes, so no, look,
I need someone who's been a little bit mis genius.
That would really get my vote. But I can't wait
to hear the final tribal Council pitch.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
What are you going to wear? Have you worked it out?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I am not sure, man, I'm going to have a
look in my wardrobe. I've got you know, I've pretty
much got two options. So it'll either be a red
dress or a blue.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Dress okay, like the Shawnee red dress type thing. Are
you going to borrow one from sh No?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Like one? Like a like one. I've got a red
dress from Zimmerman tea length okay, yeah, I mean is
this not like a gala extrava garmza that I'm going to?
This is final travel Council.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
I'd wear my outfit, but I mean that's just me.
I'd wear the stinky clothes because I know people put
them in like little anymore.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
They don't fit me anymore. I lost a lot of
weight on Survival, so I've still got them, of course,
but they don't fit me.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Take them in, go to the little get them to
the tailor.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Yeah, send them off to my nana she could help
me out.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Go to the red dress though. Anyway, thanks mate, Can
I just say thank you so much for your commitment
to this show, And like if I had been selecting
people along the way each week going, I want to
talk to you know Simon and Dirty Harry, and then
this week, even though I could have talked to Brooke,
I wanted to talk to you and the main reason
was to say thank you, like you really entertained.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Thank you, thank you, and you were so welcome. It
was a pleasure going out there and having that experience
and making those memories. I loved every single day.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Putting the popcorn on for your next season, So thank you.
Enjoy chatting to the media, and enjoy chatting to all
the super fans. I'm I'm sure they've all got lots
of really fun questions for you today, and thanks then.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
I love meeting you great.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
I'm going to go keep it my eyebrows done because
I'm good.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I'll send you a link to where to go. Thanks guys,
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