The runner-up wishes he and Shan could have discussed their differences in another forum.
Why didn’t Deshawn do better with the jury?
Did he think he was a goner during that fire-making contest with Heather?
Deshawn Radden on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
And how does he feel now about his game seven months later?
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, congratulations on being the runner-up ofSurvivor 41.
DESHAWN RADDEN:Thank you, man.
Deshawn Radden on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
I really do appreciate it.
I’m glad we made it through, man.
So, thank you.
Deshawn Radden on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
All right, let’s get into it.
Were you surprised to receive only one vote at the end?
No, I wasn’t surprised to receive only one vote.
I knew I would’ve been surprised if I didn’t receivethatvote.
I would’ve killed Danny.
I would’ve been so upset.
I wasn’t surprised by the middle of that Tribal Council.
So, I wasn’t surprised by the end.
I know you’re doing jury votes in your head as you go to Tribal.
So what votes surprised you?
I’m thinking, I had a really strong bond with Evvie.
I’m pretty sure she’s going to vote me.
I wanted to hope that I had Liana and Shan.
I knew I didn’t have Ricard.
If Danny was my number one, I think Heather was probably like the number one and a half.
So I thought that there was a possibility that I could have Heather.
So I didn’t know that I was dead in the water until they started asking those questions.
Why do you think you were dead in the water?
I want to be diplomatic here.
Okay, so I’ll take accountability for sure.
I might get static, but I think that certain people are a little bit weird about emotional gameplay.
It does not matter who you are, emotions are healthy."
I don’t think I always express them in the most healthy way.
I think she played an amazing game, super deserving.
I think she deserved to win over both Xander and I, regardless.
I’m glad that she got the win because she played a great under the radar strategy.
I think that it helped that it’s been 7 seasons and the jury really wanted to see that.
And I think I also didn’t help myself by how emotionally I was playing.
I have to imagine that wasn’t easy for you to sit there and hear that.
Oh yeah, for sure.
I guess a little bit of fear too, of what is the public going to think of you?
The fact that this is how I’m being perceived by this Black woman.
I didn’t realize why she was doing it in the moment.
For me, it’s like, “All right, just don’t vote for me.
So that really hurt.
So it’s like, “Oh, he’s just being emotional.
Of course he’s hurt by that.”
I hope people don’t perceive me as just being a cry baby again.
I was a little bit hurt.
No, I think you’re being, as you have always been, very open about your feelings.
All right, let’s play a little game ofSurvivorWhat If?
Let’s say Heatherdoesbeat you at fire.
Whom do you vote for to win?
Erika, 100 percent.
It’s not even close.
Because like I said earlier, I really do respect her game.
I think that especially me playing the entire game with her, I think we would forget Erika.
Every day she was on the island, I was on the island.
We spent the longest time together.
So I know the nuances of her game.
I know that she was setting up that little minority alliance on the side.
I know that she won those immunities.
I know that she was really fighting from the bottom.
So I knew that Erika was gunning for it.
I think Erika was the strongest player of the three.
A shout out to Danny because he played a good game as well.
How surprised were you to win that fire challenge?
I think the wind was maybe taking hers away from her rope, which is what helped you out.
Were you thinking you were done at all during that?
Everything happened to just come together.
Don’t go out like a clown, right?
So there was just a voice in my head.
If you’re going to lose, just don’t quit.”
Yeah, I definitely thought I was a goner for sure.
I’m glad I didn’t quit because that’s what happens when you stick things out.
So part of it made it into the season.
That actually wasn’t the case.
So, funny fact is that I was actually gunning for Sydney before Erika was gunning for Sydney.
The reason why was because Danny and Sydney became really, really close.
I started to feel threatened by that.
I was like, “Why are y’all discussing strategy without me?
Why are y’all bringing plans to me after y’all have discussed them without me?”
Really just trying to be controlling.
This is awful, very awful to me, but that’s where I was at.
So I wanted Sydney out of the game.
There was no camera there, so you didn’t see that on screen.
So everybody on the team was in on the challenge throw except for Heather and Naseer.
Erika was in on it.
She just thought that we were throwing the challenge to get rid of Sydney.
And Sydney was in on it.
You had some big highs and some big lows in this game.
When you add it all together, are you glad you did it?
Oh my God, yeah!
Sometimes you are volatile.
Sometimes you are impulsive and sometimes it’s possible for you to be those things that people are saying.
I think that goes beyond anything that money can buy.
So I’m definitely glad I did it.
So, listen, I had no idea who Monty Hall was.
I didn’t know if he had a problem.
I would’ve been out at whatever, seventh place.
So I’ve heard it a lot.
But if I would’ve known the Monty Hall problem, I would’ve went home!
I get the secret behind it, but sometimes you just got to go with your gut.
And I’m glad I did that in that moment.
