It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week that line Welcome TV Reload listeners. Mineame is Benjamin Norris, and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss or the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment and very little is known about how our favorite
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On today's podcast, I have Fraser, who was booted from Australian Survivor this week after a very hectic tribal council. Fraser was totally minding his p's and q's when somehow he got caught on the crossfire of George versus Simon, which saw Fraser blindsided and sent home. This week has been a massive week on Australian Survivor. First JLP lost his mind building height for this week's episodes, and then
the media started signing off on it as well. And now fans have been saying it was the best tribal council ever seen in Survivor history, and I kind of tend to agree with them. So this episode's going to be kind of fun because Fraser is willing to unpack what went down. I will find out if he thinks George was right to send him home instead of Jordie. Does he think that Simon should have used his idol
for Stevie? Will we find out if he think it was fair that there was that secret challenge for immunity. Whilst we're going to get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of the third week of Australian Survivor, which you can catch up on now on Tenplay. Anyway, let's bring Fraser into the podcast and I really hope Hi, mate, thanks for popping in and chatting about Australian Survivor.
Happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me.
I don't know why I keep laughing. I think it's because my nerves and my whole body. You haven't recovered yet from that tribal council.
You think that you haven't recovered. No, it's you know what, it was such an epic moment. Crazy to watch it unfold. I think I kind of suppressed how I felt at the time. But you know, I consider it like therapy watching it back.
I think they're the only person in the world that's going to say that that was like therapy. I think I need therapy afterwards. But I might be correct in saying that that was the most intense tribal council ever seen on the show.
Brian, You know what, at least in all the survivor I've seen, it was intense. And I'll tell you what, being there and going through it even more difficult of a situation in real life.
It was.
It was just nuts and there's no there's no other way to describe it other than hectic.
Well, you seem like collateral damage in a shit storm set up to make Simon rude the day that he ever set his eyes on George.
You know what, look, I think it was there were so many sliding door moments, and you can always over analyze and think, oh, what if what if I had done this differently? What if I had had this conversation with this person.
And done that?
But you know what, nothing will change if what actually happened. I do think I was collateral damage and I think I got caught in the cross fire took a bullet.
But I'm at peace with that. And I think George.
Made a really clear statement last night on when we went to tribal council that he has accomplished everything that he could have ever wanted to accomplish coming second in his previous season, So when he's come around for this time in Heroes Versus Villain season eight, he just wants to make a statement and he's there for chaos, and I think that was proven last night.
Well, I think that you are absolutely correct, and I also think that there was many sliding door moments as to what could have happened in that tribal council. Do you think that having a surprise challenge, though, was fair to have been brought out at that.
Moment personally having gone home, No, I don't. I think was the most unfair thing that could have happened. But you've got to be at peace with That's how the game rolls, right. It's so unpredictable, and every moment that you think it's predictable will completely derail your plans and thoughts of what was going to happen next. We knew tribeswap was so imminent, we were down to such a select handful of people and tribe mates left that it
was all about the long game. We knew that things were going to change dramatically, and that's why we went into last night's decision with a plan to really shape things up.
It was about long game.
And for Simon to win that challenge, that was just, you know, almost a nail in my coffin that that was it and someone else is going home. And I felt so confident, even though I didn't know at that point in time that George definitely had an IDOL, I had a really strong inkling that someone as such a smart player such as George had a plan.
What do you think would have happened if Simon hadn't won that immunity idol? Though? Do you think the whole thing would have changed?
The whole thing would have changed. I feel super confident that whilst Simon says that he had some idea that he was going to be copying votes last night. I think he honestly only anticipated that to come from George and potentially the girls. But I felt that he felt that he was in such a strong position with the four of us myself, Jeordie, Simon and Steve, that he was in the majority and he had the numbers. So had everything gone to plan last night, no challenge and
no win for individual immunity. Even if Simon felt uncertain about his position and played what he thought was an iol at the time, he would have been going home.
I felt like George would have been smarter to take out Jordie, you know, seeing as he really screwed him over and came out and said, you know, look, Simon, you know you've been thrown under the bus by your mate. I mean it was so brutal that I thought, well, he's going to have to written down Jordie and not you, because you know, it seems to be an unrepairable friendship. After being so brutal, did you think it would have been smart for him to over to Jordi instead of.
You, Look, it's an interesting conversation, so at the same time, if he had gotten rid of Jordy and no votes had been cast for me, then I would have felt pretty safe and we would have been a type four myself, Shiney Leaves, and George right, and I would have not felt indebted, but I would have felt probably you know, secure in that even at the lowest of the four in terms of that sort of alliance as such, you know, moving forward, I definitely would have been voting together with
those three. But I think in probably George's mind at least, what he would have been thinking was, you know, look, if I do keep Jordie, he is isolated. The girls haven't voted with Jordie, so he feels like he can't trust them. Simon can't trust Jordie.
You know, have you got a call Stevie with all the different lines, you know, like a serial killerboard.
Like JORDI that tribal he would have been very isolated, not knowing who to trust. Same as Simon, same as Stevie. So it was the perfect play in retrospect to set George up in a majority alliance of three and then
probably bring Stevie on side. And I think keeping Jordie around would probably been a decision made for the future sort of long term game that Jordi was probably considered more of a threat than I was, having been a returning player that more people from the hero's tribe would have seen him play before, so there's probably more of an argument in the future to get out Jordy instead of have people vote for himself if it came down to it.
I like the fact that you see you yourself and Jordy as spice girls. I'm just going to I'm going to make up with spice girls. You both would be. But I was really worried for Jordie because when you flip flop and play both sides, you usually don't last very long in the game. I mean, this is not a smart game plan for Jordy from my opinion. I noticed people online yesterday saying the opposite. They thought it
was great. But you know, I just think Jordie so early in this episode, you know, saying that he's going to flip flop to me had me smacking my head and the TV.
Look you say that, But if it came off, then you know it's a completely different conversation. Right, So if this move had come to fruition, Simon had went home myself, Jeordie, Shawnnie, Liz and George.
You know, who knows.
How far that would have gone if we had a tribe swap one move later, you know, someone else who'd gone home, et cetera. But I don't think it's probably worth thinking, you know, was that a right decision. It didn't work out, and it ended up probably not being a good.
Decision for us in the end.
But no one could have known that that twist of a challenge mid tribal was going to happen.
But would it be fair to say that maybe the Spice girls wouldn't have followed the vote to get rid of Jordie, Like maybe it was better for him to say you, for George to say you, because the girls felt like I think that they played into the plan.
Yeah, no, look, you're definitely right.
Look, I think, however, that they had such blind faith for George's strategy and his mind and where he saw the game was going, that if he had made an argument to vote Jordie or Stevie, that they probably would have gone with it. You know that there's history there between Shannie and Stevie, right, So I think that if he had made an argument for that they would have jumped on board, but it just happened that, at least last night, George saw a better circumstance of voting me, and I'm.
Okay with that.
Well, Stevie played right into the emotions of George's what I call jungle book snake routine. Do you think he will forgive Simon or you know, do you think that alliance has now imploded, you know, for good?
If I'm judging from what I saw last night, I do think that there's Look, I know Stevie. I spent a lot of time with him on the beach. He's an interesting individual. He's got such an amazing story. But I do think that trust, friendship are really really important things to him. And I don't know, honestly if that
relationship between himself and Simon can be mended. Right by George baiting Simon, trying to get him to burn his idol for no other reason other than to get rid of it and so that it's no longer in the game, knowing full well that Stevie was not going to be taking enough votes to send him home, and then Simon not willing to save his friend and his ally Stevie. I think that that relationship is probably burned.
Were you sitting there thinking Simon is so wrong? Like, I mean, if you were Simon and you had that opportunity to play this idol for Stevie, what would you have done? I mean, I still think you know, he had to look out for himself. I mean, maybe he would only save himself some time. Maybe he would be only there for two more tribal counsels, but in that time, dynamics change, Things change on a dime, So maybe he needed to keep it instead of playing for Stevie.
And I think that comes back to Simon's game last season, right, I think that really comes back to his sort of I would imagine that he's quite frightful on not playing idols correctly, and that becomes this really nervous sort of decision around what to do.
And it looks as much as you've got to work with people, it is a selfish game. You have to have your best interest in mind one hundred percent of
the time. You only go along with someone else's plan if it suits your best interests as well, But you make them believe like you're doing them a favor by voting alongside them, right, And I think he just knew that he couldn't play it for Stevie after what had just erupted at Tribal And if that hadn't been out it, if Jordi hadn't been out it as betraying his friend Simon, then maybe he would have played it. But I think
he felt very unsafe at that point in time. It was probably the right call to hold on to it. And even if he had tried to play it, you would you know, it would it would have done nothing for his game.
Yeah, what about the conflict between Simon and George because it seems quite toxic and it really has divided audiences over.
Quite toxic, incredibly toxic.
I know. Do you think this is just good television and the boys are playing up to their roles or should this kind of behavior be called out? And are people right by saying that it has no place in survivor?
You know what? It was quite tit for tat, you know, and it was there was a boiling point, right, There was tension around camp and we saw some glimpses of that in last night's episode in terms of little comments and remarks here and there. They both just got on each other's nerves, and it's and it's easy to happen in such a confined environment where there is no off switch, there is no time off. It's one hundred percent of the time that you're just surrounded by these individuals and
that you have to get along when you don't. So it definitely escalated a lot, a lot higher than anyone would have expected. And I think you're right. I think one element of that is them wanting maybe a TV moment. They both played the game before, they know what is shown and what isn't. And you know, it did make for some good entertainment. I think it did, you know, And it was interesting. Jeordie did step in at the end. He said, guys, guys like, stop bickering. We're here to
have fun. Let's give Fraser's moment, you know, as I was sort of walking out, obviously to get my torch staff by Jonathan. So you know, I'm happy that they made peace for two minutes while I was able to do that and actually leave with my head held high and say proper goodbyes to everyone.
Yeah, it was nice. I mean, it was nice to them. I mean the interesting thing for me is I think a lot of these elements are really hard to watch, but they're my favorite because people in the real world do bad things. I think it's completely unrealistic of fans to believe that these contestants in high pressure situations are going to behave in a PG normal, nice and peace loving format.
You know, so one percent and this is the you know, this is the height of emotional instability, right You're on a beach, sleeping there with very little food ration and physically telling yourself day and day out, a constant nervous wreck from you know, the mental game of what this is and judging each and every person's move and conversation. Right, So it really puts you in this state of sort of I don't even know what to call it, but just yeah, yeah, pretty emotionally unstable.
My gosh. I mean it was such such good television from my perspective. I mean, I love when people I love good and bad. I love when people are exceptionally good on TV, and I love when they're terrible because it's engaging and it's reflective of society. And I think you're right.
I think I agree with you for sure.
Well, you were playing a very good game, I thought, and you know, I've already interviewed people coming out of the show who had acknowledged you, and one I hasn't even said that you were their pick to win, and said that your gameplay was so strong. You know, you seem to be waiting in the wings for your own sort of triumphant storyline in hindsight, now that you know that you were used as collateral damage, so easily would you play or would you have played things differently?
I think what I've gained from this experience, and you know, you're very knowledgeable about the show, and I think you very sort of experience and you have a really great understanding.
So it's awesome to sort of hear your opinion.
But I think the one thing that if I was, if I did have a chance to play again.
I would just be more ruthless. You know.
Look, I came in with a very very clear strategy and plan, and that was to lay low under the radar. You know, do not step out of turn, do not say anything outrageous and crazy like you see George saying, and to get along, make good friendships, make honest friendships, and do not feel like you're selling people.
And I think that's people's downfall. For example, like Michael.
You know, I think too early on, he just came on way too hard, right, and people saw through it, and people didn't feel that it was real. You know that this friendship or alignment was really based on just his goals. It was completely selfish, right, So that I think, and I think that's why it did eventuate in his downfall. I would like to say that I'd probably play a little bit more ruthless if a second chance season came around. But you know, I'm still I'm still happy with everything
that I did. I made some great friendships. It was a crazy experience once in a lifetime and twice if you're lucky.
So you know what.
Three times if you're lucky, shone he's back for the first time. You know, like the story isn't over, And I mean, I wonder how you feel with you know, the other opinion that these returnees. I mean, you're saying you'd like to come back, but people are saying that people shouldn't come back because of the unfair advantage. Do you think that this time around, we're getting major storylines for the returnees and that is allowing for the newbies to be treated like their toys.
Yeah. Look, I do agree that there is a really strong advantage by being a returning player. You just have this intimate knowledge of what's to come, which probably gives you this real sense of calm and you know that it'll be okay, right, you know, whereas as a new player coming into the game, as much as I didn't want to show it, you are constantly nervous at every turn, right, and you know, and that leads to you know, maybe not the best decision making, you know, when you're sort
of in this really heightened state of chaos of the mind. Right, So you know, I think there is a really big advantage of being a returning player. So maybe you know the answer there is that if there is a season with returning players, that they only play against returning players, not newbies.
Well that's the good point that you're making because of just like you know, you know, when you go to the zoo and you'd see them feed the animals and the animals would play with the food. They wouldn't just eat it, they'd throw it around. And I feel like with the new bees, that's what we're seeing. We're seeing these returning players know the game so well that they're not just eating you, They're playing with their food.
Look, yes and no, But I mean I don't agree because at the same time, whilst returning players know the game intimately, they also do feel a lot of pressure because they want to live up to or do better than however they did last time, and to leave the game unfinished to do or to be voted out earlier, would be a massive kill to their confidence and pride in what they've achieved.
Right.
I think if George was to come second in a previous season and then to go out in the first two boats, it would almost unravel how he felt about his first time round.
I mean, George, I don't necessari you know, George is an interesting cat because I don't necessarily know if you could change his opinion of himself in the game, even if he was voted out first.
You know, I think you're probably right with that, with that person in particular.
You know, the people's love of these programs, you know. Look, they brought Big Brother back and did a special edition of that, and I didn't get asked to come back, but it certainly didn't change my opinion of that show. I still loved it, and everyone expected me to turn against it and burn the thing down where I was like, no, I love this format so much that I was ready to be a viewer again and enjoy it for what
it is. You know, some people's love of these programs, I think is bigger than just them returning to come back and win.
Yeah.
Yeah, but I guess you just return to what you said, like as much as their returning players do, you know, have the benefit of knowledge and insight being a player
once before. I don't think it's probably fair to say for all new players that we were just toys that they play with, because I'm very excited to see how there's a lot of new players still on both tribes right, and I think there's a pretty fair shot that any one of us have actually being there, you know, come the end, So I'm super excited to see how it plays out.
I also think it's important to say that I believe I don't know this accurately, but I believe that, you know, Simon and George were together on the weekend before the episode played, which I think is in good faith of the fact that these two men don't really hate each other. It was television rivalry.
Yes and no, or do they just want to, you know, to have the exposure of each other's profile.
You know, who knows right?
Maybe pushing there fifteen minutes. I think it's what you're saying.
Maybe you know, you know, there's there's always an agenda in mind when I think it comes to George, So you know, look, yeah, I think I think it's a good thing to sort of make amends and move on and at the end of the day, it is a game.
Well, everyone that's been joining the podcast, I've not been asking behind the scenes secret, which is what I do on this podcast. I always asked for behind the scenes secret, sort of pushing that aside to ask people if you were like, actually, I'll ask it the other way around. So like when you left the show, not basically what you know now, but when you walked out of the show, I believe people ask you who do you think is going to win? Who do you think is going to win?
At the point of view leaving the competition last.
Night, I look, it was It's so hard to say because it was just insane, but I honest like immediate thoughts was I would really really love Jordy to win, and whether or not that's accurate or you know, everyone's going to have their own opinion.
Jordi is a legend. I think he is the most deserving and I think he's a real survivor. So he's got you know what, if we were sitting there at the end, he's got my vote.
I love Jordi too. I was actually only talking to in one of the other publicists from ten today and I just was like, you know, everyone's always talking about their order of who's the hottest, and I'm like, I don't know, but he might not necessarily be on site the hottest to look at straight away, but because of who he is, A is a he's just so appealing to me, you know.
Yeah, look I don't go that way, but he is hot stuff. Jordy is you know, like you.
Can have a man we can all have a man crush, you know.
Yeah, well so you know, if you're listening to this journy, you're my man crush. I got.
And if you were to be brought back, what is a theme that would suit you? Because I've been asking this question to people because everyone would love to come back. You know, it could be quite achievers versus noisy players. I don't know what's a theme that you think would work.
Well, that that definitely makes sense. You know.
Look, I think I kept to my own you know, in this in this season. I think that shows and a lot of a lot of the supporters, a lot of the really positive comments.
And people that are messaging and following.
My journey in Survivor, you know, Heroes versus Villains season eight was that I was calculated and I was careful, and I was cautious of not giving too much away while still being you know, still having that level of camaraderie and you know, getting around and getting around and getting amongst the others.
So potentially quite achiever.
Look, when Survivor calls you jump, so whatever season they've got for you coming up, you take the opportunity with both hands and you run with it.
It'll be like drag Queens versus dragons and you're like, I'm a dragon.
I could be a snake. Could be a snake, maybe not a dragon. Look, I'll take it. However you want to pay me, let's do it.
You have a lot of fans out there. I noticed that a lot over the last few weeks. I think that you struck a call with people, even though you were a quite achiever. You were fantastic to watch on the show, and I really appreciate this chatter to you today, especially after such a big tribal council that you know, you're sort of a spectator in as well. Getting your opinions has been vital, so I thank you so much.
No, I really appreciate for the opportunity to speak, sort of talk it through, and yeah, bless for the opportunity, So thank you.