Each weekday, EW will post the answers from a different player.
And those effects are not always pleasant.
“In a sense, we, the contestants, ‘work’ for the show.
Monty Brinton/CBS
ButSurvivorisn’t a safe workplace.
It’s time that changed.”
and after filming (“The show owes it to us to offer something in the way of aftercare.
Put mechanisms in place to help castaways reintegrate back into society.")
I had a YouTube channel.
I did a stint in real estate.
I went keto, then vegan, then gluten free.
I Thrived for a while.
I had my season of CBD.
Contrary to what TMZ reported, I didn’t bite anyone, punch anyone, or steal anything.
I started a 401c3 that was against everything war, hunger, bullying, seatbelts, you name it.
But we don’t talk about that anymore.
Now, I primarily make my living on Cameo and by selling scraps of my in-game underwear on eBay.
Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
After the show, I immediately returned to my job as an executive at a market research company.
What is your proudest moment ever from playingSurvivor?
I had no idea at the time, but if we lost, I was going home.
What is your biggest regret from yourSurvivorexperience?
My biggest regret is that I played so rigidly.
I formed my perceptions and plans way too early and held on to them way too tightly.
I had what I considered to be a genius game plan worked out for myself on paper.
How about a casting story instead?
The first time I went through casting was forCaramoanin 2012.
How do you feel about the edit you got on the show?
Nothing is more tedious than listening to a former reality TV contestant complain about his edit.
As a fan of the show, I can appreciate it in the tradition of other great downfall edits.
As a human being, that episode hurt my feelings.
What was it like coming back to regular society after being out there?
Was there culture shock or an adjustment coming back?
My game was so short that I had no difficulty coming back home.
At the time I was voted out, I could still “feel my family.”
In fact, my time out there actually clarified some things for me about life back home.
A few more days without sleep or food and I probably would have lost that perspective.
I definitely could feel my psyche starting to strain on my last day in the game.
I am incredibly grateful for all thatSurvivorhas given me.
Whom do you still talk, text, or email with the most from your season?
My relationships with the members of my cast have been fraught, to put it lightly.
We started out as a really tight group with an us-against-the-world mindset.
The people I was initially closest with are no longer in my life.
The relationships that have lasted, however, are rock solid.
Jenn Brown, my nemesis in the game, somehow became like a surrogate little sister to me.
Mike Holloway and I didn’t ever play together, but we came out of this experience very close.
He’s also taught me a thing or two, and I’m grateful to call him a brother.
So Kim and I had a rocky start, but we now share a deep bond.
We are each the person whom the other calls when life goes sideways.
Nina Poersch and her husband Dan are truly lovely people.
I see him a lot more than I want to.
Tyler lives with me.
Mike took home a million dollars, and I took home Tyler.
Peih-Gee Law (China,Cambodia) is the Elaine to my Jerry.
Corinne and I are and will forever be partners in crime.
I mean that literally.
Mind you, this was before I had even been on the show.
She is so patient, giving, and kind, and she personally looks after so many former castaways.
She really should be on the show’s payroll.Brice Izyah(Cagayan) brightens my life and inspires me.
But the Survivor I’ve known the longest of all is Hannah Shapiro (Millennials Vs. Gen X).
The explanation given was that I had been “quite critical of production in the media.”
That said, critique is what they cast me for.
After that incident, I didn’t watch again for a few seasons.
I thought it was spineless of production to punish me for standing up for my values.
My favorite season isPhilippines.
Who’s one player from anotherSurvivorseason you wish you could have played with or against and why?
Cirie Fields (Exile Island, Micronesia, Heroes vs Villains, Game Changers).
The first time I met Cirie was at thePrice is Righttaping back in 2016.
Cirie took one look at me and said “I like you.
You’re going to be my new Aras.”
I was starstruck, completely over the moon.
At that moment, I would have done anything to give her a million dollars.
Boston Rob was nearby and, ever observant, noticed our chemistry.
“I know you.
You’re smaht,” he said.
“You’re first out if we play together.”
Cirie immediately put her arm around me and said “Oh no, Robert, not this one.
He’s with me.”
Ever since then, I’ve been the property of Cirie Fields.
If you could make one change to any aspect ofSurvivor,what would it be and why?
The realSurvivorscandal isn’t dumb twists or calories.
In a sense, we, the contestants, “work” for the show.
ButSurvivorisn’t a safe workplace.
It’s time that changed.
Before the game: The show needs more rigorous screening standards for cast members.
That’s actually not funny.
Based on my cast alone, I’d say that the current system is inadequate.
Or maybe it’s designed to fail for maximum entertainment value?
During the game: The show needs to enforce a zero-tolerance policy toward any behavior that endangers the contestants.
That includes physical danger, emotional danger, and reputational danger.
First incident, blam, you’re out of the game.
No pep talks from Probst.
Just put you on the boat and see ya never.
The producers know what we’re going to do before we do it.
They’ve had food, water, and sleep.
They’re the responsible parties in this equation.
Save us from each other, and save us from ourselves.
That’s not enough.
That’s not ok.
After the game: We risk a lot to playSurvivor.
Many of us leave or lose jobs.
Many of us come back with trauma of one form or another.
Others have a delayed reaction and really go off the rails when we see ourselves on TV.
Put mechanisms in place to help castaways reintegrate back into society.
Offer coaching on social media dos and don’ts.
Survivoris a transformative experience for many who play the game.
Some of us handle those transformations better than others.
But most of us would benefit from a little help.
I was one of the lucky ones from my season.
I got out before things got really ugly.
I had good insurance and I was already in therapy.
I was going to be OK, no matter what.
But probably around 1/3 of my cast is still not OK.
Multiply that over 40 seasons.
These people deserve better.
Finally, would you play again if asked?
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