It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload, the podcast Past Weep That Life. Hey guys, welcome back to TV Reload. Thank you for clicking and downloading. On today's episode with Garrek, the eighth eliminated contestant from this year's Australian Survivor on Network ten, I will be talking about his time in Samoa and of course what he thinks now that the smoke has well and truly
been snuffed out on his torch. Australian Survivor Titans Versus Rebels is a showdown that pits the winners against the underdogs and the big wigs against the battlers, with each player competing for the grand prize of half a million dollars. Garreck is a loss prevention officer from Queensland. Initially a
loyal member of Ferris and Kirby's majority alliance. However, as we know, that went to shit after he felt portrayed by Kirby's duplicity in the First Tribal Council, which was where Garrick and Ferris developed their stronger version to Kirby's position in the Rebels tribe. After the tribal switch, it was obvious to everyone involved that the fractured Rebels team had turned on themselves, with Garrek becoming the most vocal
in getting rid of Kirby as soon as possible. Ultimately, Kirby saw the writing on the wall first and won out by swaying the Rebels block and successfully knocked Garrek out of the competition. Garrek will discuss who is to blame for his elimination and explain who are the dirty dogs that he holds responsible. We will talk about Garreck's position and get some understanding if the rules of tracking a petty thief works in the Game of Australian Survivor.
I will get to the bottom of the growing battle of the Beast with Garrek's perspective on Kirby and Ferris and why both of them are fighting for that top dog position. Plus, we will find out if he's been able to let things go Obviously we saw him quite cross at the end of that episode, but we'll also find out if it ever hath worked with Kirby again. There's actually so much to unpack with Garrek, and I have to be honest and say this is a surprise to me, but I've enjoyed chatting to Grek more than
anyone else this season so far. So sit back and relax as we dive just that little bit deeper into the world of Australian Survivor. I just want to start off this podcast by saying that I had a dream when you first turned up as a preview to be on the series, that you arrested me for something. And I was like, that's when you know a Survivor player has penetrated the psyche when you're dreaming about them.
I'd love to know what you were stealing. I want to do anything wrong while I'm around.
Well we know that now. PS don't start a podcast by telling your guests that you've been dreaming about them.
Now, I take that on board. That's not bad.
How are you anyway? Are you a right?
Look, it's just a bugger, But I'm all good. Like the anxiety has started to subside.
I've stopped screaming why me? I'm good now? Yeah, I'm good.
But what are your neighbors thinking of you? Watching Survivor three nights a week? Are they okay? Have they they moved house?
They've moved.
I noticed a couple of them walk past and look up in the window during the evening.
Crying and screaming and laughing. I mean, this is this is a general reaction to anyone being on reality TV.
Right, Yeah, for sure?
What a right? I mean the last thirty minutes of your time in Survivor, I was sweating watching it, and I've watched episode twice and I had the same reaction knowing the result.
I guarantee you weren't sweating as much as I was. And I didn't know the outcome either, so I was as blind as you. I knew I was going home, but I didn't know the where's in the house and who's and how it all eventuated.
Have you watched the Extended Tribal Council, by the way, because I don't normally watch that, but I watched that this morning where you get to see everyone's rationale, like when they hand out. Have you watched that yet?
I haven't, Man.
I just I got up last night and I just went, you know what, I'm going to bed, I'm turning my phone off and I'm going to get up late.
So I haven't done anything. Today will be the day.
Who are the most angry at? At this point? You mentioned the dogs at the end of the episode. Instead of the Dogs being the sanction of that blindside, which I'm assuming is from those original Titans from at least Winner, Charles Valaria, Kelly and Scott right.
The Dirty Dogs was really Winner and Scottie, I mean.
Scott when he votes for you, he says, I love you, man, and I just had to do this because you were Ferris's right hand man. I mean, he looks like a very genuine man. I have never never met him myself, but I got the impression that he's a very genuine person. And he did look like it pained him to make that decision. It seemed like he was forced into it.
It's crazy because Scotty and I from the very word go were bed buddies. We slept beside each other every night, whispered this sweet nothings. We had such a beautiful relationship every night, and we were aligned. We had myself, Eileen and Scotty had a very secret alliance. I did bring Ferris in at one stage there. Ferris had a difficulty trusting Aileen, whereas I said to you know, she's good, and then Aileen had a difficulty in the end trusting Scotty.
And she's the one who informed me what was going on, and whereas Scotty was telling me completely the opposite. So I really loved Scotty. I still do in the end of the day. It's a game, and I don't any grudges. I have no regrets whatsoever. But him and Winner were telling me what I wanted to hear, and that's why they were the dirty dogs.
I mean, it is the game of Survivor, and I mean these players are all just playing exactly what I guess the game of Survivor is, and it is to lie, cheat and steal. And you protested that going into the show, so I mean, you know what you sign up for.
I lied and cheated as well. But the certain things that I don't get. When you are aligned with somebody and you say, okay, this is what we're going to do, I'm more of the line and cheek to the ones that you're not aligned with, get information from them, give them information that can help you and not hindrance to you gain.
But when you're aligned with somebody and they're the ones giving, that doesn't make sense.
I would never have done that with Ferris Faris, would never have done that with me in the very beginning, Kirby and I were tight as we were so tight. I hadn't even spoken really to Ferris at that stage, and Kirby and I spoke, we're going to go through this together. And then when she did the flip on the challenge, Well, that doesn't make sense. If we're aligned, why not just tell me even if I don't go with that plan, or even if I'm not one hundred percent with that.
Plan, at least informally, that that's what reliance means.
But is there any more perspective being thrown on that once watching the show? Have you been able to rationalize what she did in any other capacity now that you've seen the full.
With the throw of the challenge, that first.
Week throw of the challenge? Yep, which is what I guess is the root of the issue with both of you. Now that you've watched it as a show. How does it make you feel? Has has it changed the way you felt about it at the time?
No, no, no, I just don't get it.
I'm going to get into that in a little bit because I'm kind of getting a little bit ahead of myself, because I really do want to ask you, you know, off the back of just working out who those dogs were in your mind. I did really want to find out what you feel about Ferris, because he should have played the idol. And I'm assuming that when you turned to him and it was very clearly said that you said, I'm going home to Ferris. Was that your plea for his idol?
Yeah?
And why didn't he do that? I mean, why didn't he give that to you? Aileen's there saying to do it.
Yeah. Maybe I'll never know. I don't know what.
And I'm sort of propressoring you into a conversation about this because I wonder whether now there is a perspective over whether Ferris and Kirby are both just playing a very hard game and they've both done the wrong thing by you.
What a horrible thought.
I don't have ruined any friendships, mate.
Look, I honestly don't know. When we were in camp before before we walked out to the tribal, I knew it. I had already worked out in my head that we didn't have the numbers. Ferris was convinced in his head the original Titans were with him. Whilst Ferris and Raymond were playing their frivolities in the water, yelling and screaming. I was laying in the hammock watching and I knew it. I seen the tells, I heard the little whispers. I even caught it just a moment trick out of one of their mouths.
So I knew.
And at that stage, I said to Feris, mate, we don't have the numbers. I guarantee you we don't have the numbers. And I even said to him, I don't believe Kelly has an idol. And if she doesn't pull it out, play your ider for me, because I know I'm going home. And Ferris was convinced, No, no, no, man, you're paranoid. He says something about paranoia right in that tribal.
He does.
Yeah.
He kept saying to me, you're paranoid, mate, You're sweet. We've got the numbers. And I kept saying to him, man, this is what I do. I see all this stuff, and I know we don't have the numbers. We walked out towards tribal with me questioning it because of what
Ferris had said. The moment we sat down, the moment JLP asked one or two questions and I looked left and right and see, I just knew I've seen it, and from there I leaned forward first to Eileen and said I'm gone here, and then Eileen first mentioned to Ferris played the arder for Garrett.
I'd already told Ferris and Eileen that this point he needs to play for me.
Then Kirby's going home, and would we would have accomplished our goal anyway.
I mean, it really does bring us to your backstory, because I mean, if you read the comments on social media, which they always say, don't do it, and to be fair, don Garret, don't do it, don't do it. But like if you're reading the comments, people were really they really did feel like you lived up to your backstory. And the backstory I think was so compelling with what it is that you do for a job and your ability to smell a rat and your ability to pick out
those nuances. People, even people that weren't your biggest fan, did give you that. They commended you for that. So your instincts were great. But that begs me to ask you the question as to why you decided to be a right hand man for someone like Ferris when you could have been a king yourself.
Yeah, look, I think I don't actually think that I was a right hand man to Ferris.
I know it looks that way, do I say on the edit or on the show. But I had my own ideas.
My idea of eliminating Rihanna to break up Kirby. That's not a second lieutenant decision, that's the cap core. So I had things like that, And yes, I looked more upon myself as Ferris and I's equals. Ferris was way more loud, way more outspoken, way more flamboyant, with all of that kind of thing. I'm not that in character, but in mind, I am as tough as nails and as strong as as any major.
So I thought to myself, I'm going.
To play this game, the one who's behind the scenes but still calling shots.
But I guess that the thing that I worry about and what I think now in hindsight, I'm in hindsight. It's a great thing, especially for a podcast, and we going to talk about this, and I get to sound like I know what I'm talking about, but I wasn't there, So who the hell am I? But as a king, you would just steal the you would take the general's idol. I just felt like you could have demanded that at that point you were right by making the decision to
if that idol had been played, Kirby would have gone home. Yeah, you know that. I think you could have demanded that from him.
There's that hindsight because now when I look at it, and even even straight up after, when I was sitting in the dark, going oh my god, my time's done, even then, I just was saying in my head.
One hundred times, why didn't I just stand up.
Say to JLP, let's not go any further and then plead my case that one bit stronger to Ferris? Because if I did that, Ferris would have played that idle for me. I guarantee you one hundred percent he would have. But Ferris was so lost in that moment. He just knew that in his head, he knew that there was that he had all the numbers, and that it wasn't necessary when that Eileen first thing to do it, I can just see confusion on Ferris's face.
What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What, hindsight what I should have done? One hundred percent?
He stood up and said stop, jailpe stop, stop stop. And if I pleaded that the others they would have had no no hole to run down, and I would have accomplished what I what I'd set out to do. But unfortunately, when you're in that moment, your mind is racing so hard, and what we paramount in my mind is I'm going home, not how I can stop this.
I mean, I just I want to go back to this lost prevention officer thing, which I think is just genius for a game of Survivor. Like I just think, how I don't know how you got cast on the show, but however that happened fantastic. You know, the fact that you'd busted doctors and corporate professionals, you know, just today. But has Survivor blown you cover with doing your job?
It has, Yeah, it has a lot. Look in a couple of weeks, I'll be the old last Yesterday's newspaper, so I should be good again.
At the moment, I'm wearing.
Hey, I won a series of reality TV eleven years ago. I couldn't pay someone to recognize me, so don't worry about it.
That's Vego, so it's not really an issue. I'm going to head back over to Bali after we finish this. Take another couple of weeks. By the time I come back, We'll.
Ready to bust them more criminals. Like you know, you'll be back back on the job with your superhero powers. Why do people steal?
Though?
Like as in I wanted to ask you this right from the moment we saw you. What about these people that have high paying jobs and their desire to steal? Have you thought about that?
I think it's so many variabooks because I because I do sit down at times and when I come across a genuinely nice person who's doing it, I sit down and try to fathom why.
And what they say.
Will some of them genuinely do it for the thrill? They genuinely do it just for the thrill, like they don't need to. And I'm not talking a chocolate bar. I'm talking big, big dollar stuff, you know, thousands of dollars of goods. As so many there's some that plead that they they clapped the main X and they can't help it. They've been doing it for years and they've been getting caught for years. But there's some that actually, you know, it's like talking to you.
Why did you do that? Man? And he goes, I just I just do it because my life's boring and it's a thrill.
Can you assess small nuances to detect the sort of a person that would steal? Like I mean, when you're inside a store and you're watching someone and someone does present themselves as a corporate professional, you know, what are the small things that you can pick out that means that you can You could say, I've got to follow that person, do you know what?
I'll ask that all the time when I train up and coming lpo's new ones, they'll ask the same thing. And it's a really bizarre thing. I say this a lot, right When a good poker player has no tell, he's a good poker player, but a better part poker player can see the tell. And then you asked them what's the tell? I said, I don't know. I don't know if it's the eye that twitched, or the hand moveing or what. And it's the same with me.
I don't know what makes me think that person's about to commit a criminal act.
And yet ninety nine percent of the time I go, cook, here's one, and sure enough I'll follow on covertly, sometimes up to forty five fifty minutes. Bang gotcha, and I look, I honestly can't tell you what it is. It's got to be a subconscious thing. I've worked with guys that I've tried to train for weeks on end weeks on it and they never get it. Just never get it.
It's something in here.
It's a psychic ability, do you know what I mean? Like I said, you know, could those talents you know to detect, you know, a petty thief translate into self awareness in a game like A Strand Survivor? Could you see people presenting the sort of things in their character that you would follow in a person in a shopping center.
Yeah, I believe I could.
I believe I could, and I believe that a few times that it was shown on TV when I said, hey, this is not cool, man, I know what's going on someone like Kelly.
You got no because I got lost. I would lose my vision of the game when Kelly was near me, Bizzarah, no one's ever done that to.
Me before, But just so radical thought and then all of a sudden, I would have to go forget about Kelly.
It's a good thing to say. I actually think that's a really good way to deal with Kelly. I think if everyone just was forgetting about what she was doing it might also be a safer way to play with her.
Such a difficult easy said than done.
It's like taking a child shopping. I don't know this is coming up to me right now, but you know you can only sort of keep them close to you, but you got to stay focused on what the items you've got to get. Do you know what I mean? Like, I'll lose them, but don't get too distracted by their nonsense. No, Kelly, you can't have that toy today. God, I hope she
doesn't listen to this anyway. Can you please explain, in your words as we go back into sort of a Ferris and Kirby conversation, what their issue is, because we all know that first week happened and that is the root of all their evil. But is there something deeper? Because when I thought about talking to you today, I thought you are the perfect person to talk about the fraction that has to be there behind the scenes as to why these two people are sparking and rubbing each other the wrong way.
I think I just put it straight down to nothing more than a couple of alphas alpha male versus alpha female, and you just can't get that alignment when it's like that. I don't have that alpha my mentality.
I am, in my head, yes, stronger and fitter and smarter than you, but it's not for me.
It's not a competition.
But for Ferris and Kirby, I think that all comes down to I'm better than you, and I'm going to show you how I am better than you.
Is there a problem with these two people needing to be at a higher power? I think you understand this. You don't necessarily need to be perceived as top You don't know how do I say this. I don't think to rule the roost. I don't think you need to have the title. I think you can do that. That's behind the scenes. But these two seem to be getting a little lost in their king and queen title and who is top dog?
Yeah percent, I've tried. I tried a heap of times to say that. To Ferris. I said to him, I'm going to be darker.
We should be darker, even keep our alliance a little more darker. Ferris was one that wanted to be outspoken and wanted to be to be the leader at the same time, even though Kirby wasn't as vocal about that.
Yes, she just wants to be the leader. She just wants to be the king.
And so with them both knowing that about each other, I don't think there was any room to not butt heads.
That's how are they going to stop that? I tried.
I tried to align with Kirby after the after the misunderstandings between us, and she made me cry.
She made you cry. You know the starter news. You were very honest with her, You aligned with her. You told us that at the start of this chat. You know that you did have a relationship with her, and she dogged you at the start. I still wonder whether or not, and I'm sure you're wondering the same thing. Could you have ever played with Kirby again? And you know, if you were going to make it towards the end, you were going to have to play with her.
Yeah? I was.
I was because people online are saying that you have a vendeta against her, just the same as feris. They're like, he is furious with her and he is not letting that go. I'm talking to you today and I get the feeling that you have that in you to just forgive whatever was there.
I had forgiven from the first one. And even though I put my head in in the shelter and I said to Kirby, you've roped me? Man, Why why? I can you know why?
And then it.
Happened the second time, and Yeah, from there I thought, I don't think I can forgive her. I would have played with her again, but it wouldn't have been the same. It's that broken VARs blew it back together.
Always see the cracks the same. The crack would keep on getting bigger and bigger. I am like that.
How do you feel about her now? I think is the question.
Look, she's I know, the genuine, real Kirby when I first met her. You can't hide who you are when you first meet There's no reason, there's no airs or braces, there's no reason to be someone fake. And I'm not usually wrong. I could be wrong on this case, but I think Kirby is a beautiful, wonderful person. Our first connection is genuine. Then the game played, and Kirby, she's a game player, and she's a bloody good game player. So I don't take that away from her. What she
did with me, that's all game. So yeah, I don't hole grudges and I absolutely have no regrets.
And when it's all said and done. I hope Kirby and I can get together and have a beer.
I can feel that in you, you know, And I just wonder whether or not the people that watch the show sometimes buy into it a little bit much, because when you're reading people saying, oh, you know, he was so angry with her. You know, I think that we are entitled to live our emotions. I think that's important for sure.
And I can tell you what you want to get into the state where you are broken. Man, you are broken. That game is brutal. You're broken, you are hungry, you were tired, and you were cold, and you're not going to be nasty. Hey, think again, your emotions just going to be wired, so wired that you speak out and maybe you are a little bit aggressive. And I know how I was. I watched last night and at that particular moment, that's how I felt. I don't take it back.
I have no regrets.
Give me another go at speaking with Kirby when I've got a full belly and had a good night's sleep and I'm not cold and i haven't been brutalized, well, it would be completely different.
She's a beautiful person.
He said it was really hard as well to leave home. I remember seeing that very early in the early days of getting to know you. You know, what was it like to return home to see your dogs and be back at home and be in the comforts away from survivor was that?
Yeah, look all of that stuff, you know, that's that's paramount to a beautiful life, isn't it?
Me and my wife, Yeah, that's that's what we have. That's what we want. We're best friends, we have our dogs, We go from walk together.
And when that's taken away from you, and I'm not talking about taking away from you. You're overseas and you can make a phone call, I mean zero, zero connections from that day bank, that's it.
You don't see that person, you don't hear that person. It's just what you can remember. And so the very last moment is a kiss and a cuddle and a pat of the dogs. That's what you hold on to. It's tough.
It's tough, and I doubt it's anybody that wouldn't be emotionally changed at missing their loved ones for that long.
Yeah, coming back is just exhilarating, man.
Yeah, you crumble, I crumbled, turned to jelly could you lay it on thick.
With your wife for a while. Oh, I'm still recovering. Did you lay it on so that she looked after you?
Absolutely? Who wouldn't, Who wouldn't.
I have to let you go because we're running out of time, but I'm asking everyone to finish the sentence. In the Game of Survivor, I have this motto.
You all know what it is, and in the Game of Survivor definitely resonates. Think young, have fun, and don't let the old man in live forever.
And then the last thing I ask everyone, something that I ask everyone who joins the podcast, is what's something from behind the scenes, something we didn't get a chance to see, because obviously there's a lot that goes into a day.
Oh, the brutality.
It's tough, man, The stuff behind the scenes is tough.
I can tell you right now.
Every single person that is on that show, every producer, every gaffer, every carrier, just for phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal, and I love every single one of them.
This is like Golden Year's Survivor, and what a joy it has been, and how lucky you have been to be able to be a part of it and also to leave such a mark on a show like this. I think you did a very good job. People won't forget you. I really enjoyed watching it, so yeah, thank you for your generosity chatting with me today. It's been quite a meat.
It's been a pleasure.
Look, I tell you, getting that golden ticket and becoming part of the Survivor family.
Is there's absolutely nothing like it. It's just beautiful. I enjoyed talking with you too. I hope we talk again soon.
Yeah, next time when you come back. I feel like you left enough scratches in the wall will be silly for the producers to get you to come back.
Never say never, I'm down. You don't even have to ask me. I'm there tomorrow.
You'll be there tomorrow. Have fun chatting to everyone about the show. Yeah, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.