It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week. They're welcome back to TV Reload. I want to thank you for clicking and downloading. On today's episode with Raymond, the fourth placed contestant from this year's Australian Survivor, which is now on Network ten, I will be talking about Raymond's 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 has been 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. Raymond is from New South Wales, generally perceived as a kooky odd ball who sided loyally
with his ally Ferris. Raymond spent most of the game lacking in agency until he noticeably flipped on his allies, blindsiding Jaden, before notoriously orchestrating Valeria's blindside two at the final nine by weaponizing his ultimate vote advantage. Pretty impressive stuff. Despite his high profile moves, Raymond was able to keep his target pretty low until that final four, where his alliance to Ferris made him an unappealing person for the
Titans to keep stringing along. On day forty five, he was eliminated in the second fire making tiebreaker that we've ever seen in Austraine Survivor history. We will unpack that advantage twist, from how Raymond pulled it off to who's still pissed off and if this could be the start of a career in acting. Raymond will talk about how and when his alliance with Ferris started and if Ferris had looped him in on the bogus top three deals
that he'd made with Mark and Caroline. I will ask about why he went so hard for that popcorn and get his POV on other castaways calling him weird. Plus, we will find out about the rumors that he was going to be a Titan and then was flipped to being a rebel and why he decided to sport that peroxided hair. There's actually so much to unpack with Raymond, and I have been pretty throughout the season that I've
really enjoyed his time. So guys, sit back and relax as we dive just that little bit deeper into the world of Australian Survivor. My friend, I'm so excited to
talk to you. Do you know what's really funny is that I was at a screening, you know, one of those fan screenings of the series early on, and I was talking to your executive producer, and you came over and spoke to him for a second and then walked away, and I didn't recognize you because your hair was different, and as you as you changed as you walked away, I heard him say, oh, yeah, that's Raymond. Raymond's so lovely.
And then I was like Raymond, and then like I watched as you went down the stairs, and I was like, well, he's much more handsome in real life than he is on the television.
Thank you, Ben. I think that's that's quite the compliment.
How the hell did Ferris manage to convince Mark and Caroline not to vote for him?
My whole thing going forward, like, I love Ferris, and I mean I want to go as far with him as possible, because I mean, the only thing that's better than your self winning is someone that really close to winning. And so I was trying to go as far as possible. But I always thought that the further I got with him, the more that they would target him over me, and then I would have a chance, like more of a chance going forward.
But it didn't happen, Like do those people not want the money?
Like maybe some of them? Maybe that's again it baffles me. But in a series like Tians Versus Rebels, where there's so many things that like no one knows what's going on for most of the time, anyway, I think it's a very fitting conclusion to my game.
Who would have been harder to beat in the final jury? If you and Faris were going head to head, Like if you both had made it there, how do you think you would have gone with the jury against Ferris?
I think even though the show makes me look like we goes and there's no way that I'm winning against first the end, I still think that I have like maybe three or two votes, which is more than I think the average person would expect of someone like me going into it. So it's about getting a read on every single individual Personnelt there.
Yeah, I kind of have this feeling though, you know, when I was saying this to Kirby yesterday, when Kirby came out of the competition, I've been sort of leading to a Kirby Ferris finale that I was picturing in my mind. And then when I didn't get that, I said to Kirby yesterday, I just felt like I threw the toys out of the pram and then I became desperate for you to win. I was like, now Raymond needs to win, O care Less or either of anyone.
Just well again with the edit that, I think that although there might be some people upset, I think that this final three going forward, with how much Mark, Caroline and Ferris have been edited, as like the personalities and the going for the throats of sort of people that they are, it should be a very enticing episode to end off the series with. Again, the end of it is Mark versus Carolina, Ferris versus Kirby, and Raymond just randomly being there doing whatever he is doing off camera.
So it's going to be probably an exciting finale.
You doing for the finale? I didn't have this question on my bingo card, but where will you be watching? I have a finale.
I have to be watching it with my best friend out there. I'm going to be watching it with feris a lot of people are coming to the thing. Garrick's even coming up, Kelly's going to be there, And although the finale is very exciting, I think rewatching the Garrick Kelly dynamic playouts like it did on the Island is probably a little bit more entiting to me, especially post game. So I mean, that's exciting. Kirby's coming up for three
reas coming up for it. I'm really looking forward to seeing all of them, and how exciting.
Okay, well, good luck with that one.
You know.
I have to say I was really drawn to you on this show, and you know, a lot of the people I watched the show with felt exactly the same, Like from the second that I saw you turn up on the beach of Samoa, even though you were sort of a smaller player to start with, I was like, I just I don't know why, but I kind of thought you were really unusual, and I love unusual people
if that's genuine humanly who they are. Is it interesting to hear that, you know, you could make such a big impact on people watching this show.
I think that the core demographic of Survivor is usually forty to sixty year old, So I think that if someone that's my age is watching the show, they're going to be a little bit left of sense or anyway, they're going to be sort of a lot of Maybe that's making fun of the average person watching their silk calling thems, But no, I am a bit cooky again, to be like I think, to be as much of a Survivor fan as the average person probably watching this is,
I think they're going to somewhat get me. Yeah, I'm a little bit weird. I don't think that I am the average person that you'd mind not seeing on reality TV and following a series like Euros Versus Villains that has so many fans, sorry to follow, there's so many fans of Survivor that are my age, and to be the person that is able to represent them, or to be the one that is pitched out of that large group of amazing people to actually be on the show
is a very humbling experience to begin with. So, yeah, I am a bit weird. I don't know if I think I diverted down a different topic.
Fine, because I mean you're kind of leading me to what I wanted to ask you anyway, Because you know, I've been chatting to everyone who's left the show each week and been really enjoying that. But early on there was a few castaways who talked about you being a little bit weird, and they said that you would often be laughing or cackling to yourself, giving them sort of joker vibes, And I just wondered whether or not that's just who you are as a person, or whether you
were trying to unsettle people in a way. What do you have to say about the sort of evil joker vibes that you were giving off to those people.
Well, it was a bit weird. I mean, when you're out there, you're out there for so long, you're going through hell, You're going through all these things and maybe where a lot of people delve into other internal things to focus on or think about. My usual go to
is like ironic humor and stuff like that. So the whole surrealism about yeah, the whole surrealism about someone like me being out there playing something like that and going through these things, it was it's almost as if the moment that you start taking seriously is the moment that all of it disappears, because what are the chances that someone like me winds up being out there so like I was going into it sort of viewing it as a joke, even though it's probably the most amazing thing
that I've ever done.
Are you very conscious for certain things, because like even your hair choice, the peroxided or the I'm going to call it what it is, the cheap peroxided white hair for a choice to make. Is that something quite deliberate or was that just how your hair looked when you were going in.
I sort of had I think maybe dyet hair when I was to my interview, and then to hear that, I mean, I'm the one that's answering the questions in the interview. So then to be told, hey, you're getting a chance to be on the show and you're going to be a rebel, I'm like, Okay, I don't really know how I am really much of a rebel. It makes sense looking at post game. I'm the sort of person that's willing to make decisions like to pull that stupid advantage move that I did. But at the time,
I was like, why would these people think I'm a rebel? Oh? Maybe it's because I have yellow hair, and I just went fully in with the yellow hair the day before going out there, so that was my line of reason for that.
Well, one of the other castaways also confirmed that maybe you were swapped over from being a Titan to a rebel at some point. Can you add anything to that conversation about whether there was a chance that you were going to be on the opposing team.
So at the very beginning, I made this joke, and the joke was, as they said, so, why you're a rebel? And I knew that they'd ask something like that. There's a lot that you don't see out there regarding the questioning. All the tribal councils go for like sixty minutes. Jailp's line of question goes for a lot longer than what's turn out there. And I knew that they'd be like, so, Raymond, why are you a rebel? And I had this line
in my head right ago. Actually I was picked to go on the time this tribe and I said no, and they said, how rebellious. We're going to stick you
here on the rebels tribe. But like I mean, they spliced it sort of together and they made it look like it like I knew what I was doing, but I fumbled the back instantly, and the idea that someone like me, someone that's been homeless, someone that works basically minimum wage jobs in customer service, would ever be considered as a Titan is one of the funniest things to me. So I thought it was like an instant joke. But then people were like, you pinxerious.
I was like, no, they believed it, you know, like I've had.
There's no way that someone like me would ever be considered a Titan. I have like, yeah, I don't. I think it was.
I can't remember who it is now, but someone I think it might have been the first chat. It might have even been Frankie, but someone was like, oh, I should have been on the other side. But at the last minute, I believe that Raymond stole my position and they quickly swapped him in, which meant that I had to swap out. But this is a perfect example of how little contestants actually know about what's going on. If you can blag everyone this hard and get away.
With it, possibly again, the idea that someone would ever consider me a Titan is ludicrous to me. And maybe now post being able to get on a true like Christian Survivor, and maybe some people might have this lase of the idea that maybe I could be considered, But nah, I'm literally like a nobody. I'm literally nothing. I've got nothing going for me. I feel like most courses I try it tape or even so the idea that someone actually that is ludicrous today, Well.
You're definitely not that, because I feel like you're You're now in my list of You're in my Survivor dream team forever.
I'll take it.
If you and George want to be there every year, I'd watch you guys on there every year. And you know there's a few others even.
Put in the same sentence as George as a real honor. So thank you.
Well, you know you quickly went hard for that popcorn and that auction, did you, being like a really big fan of the show, just suspect that there would be a clure and advantage in there, and that's why you went so hard for it.
The thing that you're gonna realize about, I mean, there wasn't much of a train out there, but my game of Survivor is lathered with a lot of irony. There's a lot of pros and cons between anything one. The auction could stop at any time. I am a massive fan of popcorn. I actually lived on popcorn for about four months while I was working Perish of Blue because
they couldn't afford anything else. I'm the biggest fan of popcorn, so that tops with the idea that the oction can end at any time, and I think that's something that nobody's going to probably be going for, even though I had to put four hundred dollars up for it. Is another reason. The fact that you're sitting there watching a live Survivor auction while being able to eat popcorn is
another thing. And I mean there's a little bit of a chance that you're going to get an idle, but sorry, not an idol or a clue or.
An advantage or a clue or whatever you got.
Or an advantage.
Elene even said that to me. Elene said she suspected there was something in the popcorn, but you were in her alliance, so she let you have it. She was like, oh, well, Raymond's in my alliance, so he can he can take that, because he'll probably bring that advantage twist to me, you know, if that was to happen. So she foreshadowed that where for you it was actually just your love of popcorn, which now goes on my little chalkboard of Raymond just being kooky as fuck and bring it off.
I've got this microwave popcorn thing where you're like, I'm a massive fan of popcorn. But I think that me being a fan of popcorn is an understatement, and again, the average person might not understand their love for something that's just as blase as that. But every single message that I got from family was I could tell that you were going to be the one that was talking
off that popcorn. It's just another I bet you wouldn't have paid four hundred dollars for popcorn back in the day when you were living off it.
I think it would have been ninety nine cents a bag.
It would have Still, four hundred bucks is about the amount that you pay at the cinema for it. So I still think that was getting it all.
Take Eden to task over that. I'm sure he'll talk to us about cinema popcorn price and after pulling off the advantage. People have been saying that you would be a fantastic actor. Is there any thoughts on making a career change. Could we see you as the new Heath Ledger. I feel like there's an offering there for you. I think you your audition has landed.
I think the ironic thing out of all of it is, again, I walked into the game of Survivor because I was a massive fan of the show, and I think a lot of people walked into the game thinking that this was the chance to demonstrate who they are as a person on national TV. So I think it's ironic that I'm the one that was able to do stuff like that. I don't think I'm overly a good actor. I sort of maybe know myself. I did look into a little
bit of body language while going out there. But I think that the reason that something like that could actually be pulled off is the sheer idea that someone's willing to not eat basically for three days or drink that much more at order for three days. It's to pull something that has it was commitment to the task. On top of it, the idea that it's so much to
lose doing something like that. No one would even probably even can think that I was trying to pull something like that off, because there's like a honestly probably like a five percent chance that you're able to pull something like that off. Trying to get every single number on you, someone not flipping, someone promising that they'd never write down your name. So that's just a reason that they like, no,
I can't do it. And it's just so many things that you have to balance with something like that, And realistically, again it's the wagh the pros and the cons of something like the popcorn on one hand, on the good side, if the thing doesn't work, then you're going home. You're eating a cheeseburger. You tried something. You're not leaving the
game with like a like a whimper. You're trying something, and it is such a dumb move that no one would ever expect to work, that you might even be brought back for an All Star season saying, oh, this guy made the dumbest move of all the time I go into an All Star season with no target on my back.
I think it's probably the most significant, most memorable moment of the entire series, like so iconic, it's so crazy. But I want to take you to task on something I really want to know. I've been waiting for this chat with you. I kind of hoped you'd win and we talk about this on a winner's chat. But it's okay. Why didn't you go harder for someone else? I think what would have been like a really Raymond idea, And how ridiculous of me to talk to you and use it as a Raymond anyway it.
Is you mean to take out another player?
Yeah, I vow to me, wasn't the right one. I would have loved it if you just all of a sudden took out Ferris or Kirby at that point, like a real batman villain move, a real boss man moved to do on a show like this, I think would have sent you into an atmosphere or whatever that word is that would have had you being talked about around the world. Do you know what I mean?
Be hindsight, I don't think that I could ever get rid of vivor of those two genuinely at that point in the game. I like, when I was doing it, I didn't think that I was going to be able to pull it off. And then when you do pull it off, there's the split second like I had a like I thought about everything while lying there in the dirt for the three days. But number one, it would have been astronomical if I'd done it. But if you get rid of Kirby, then everyone perceives it as a
sneaky move. Kirby is a like. Everyone loves Kirby, they adore her, and she's such a such an amazing person, and for someone like her to go in the most sneaky move of all time would look good.
I think you would have got chops for that. I reckon that's a resume move. That would have shot No, No, you didn't think so.
No, I can promise you. It's all about dury management. The people weren't overly happy with Hilaria Valaria was able to just tear people in new asshole in tribal councils and her winning the sixty thousand dollars and made a lot of people who are a lot probably a little bit less worse off than her feel very angry about that. And Kirby has a way with words. You can see how easy she's being able to flip people like that
on a dime. So if I'm singing at the end with Kirby is on the last tribal council, she would have a power over the jury to make these people even sway it. And on top of it, she's if you're getting to the very end with Kirby were not the end. But if you're going forward with Kirby, I got rid of Jason the last vote, and Jaden was a lot with Kirby, her and re Re. We was
so close and you don't sit in the addit. But there's only two people in the at that point that are bringing Kirby to the very end because she's not winning that last insurance challenge, and that's Jayden can end rearly. If you get rid of Jaydon, then the only person that can bring Kirby to the end of the game
so she can win is re Read. And at that point when I got rid of Jen, I didn't want Alex or Mark using that idol because if I was flipping my alliance something that I had like a pretty sure fire way down to the final five or six two in that point, if I'm flipping on these people, I want there to be reassurance that I have a safety net or something going forward that can get out of the player, especially at that point since Alice is a challenge beast, and if you can make Alex believe
that he played a good game, then he would probably be willing to pull someone like me to the very end. Where I can win against him, but it shows me wanting to flash Alex's idol. But the fact that I said, I will tell you who the votes are going for, and I will vote for you to get out Jayden, which really did need to happen, is because he's a challenge beast. That guy is so strong and so charismatic
and funny. But the fact that they went against my way when I was putting everything on the line is another reason why I was like, well, screw this, I'm going to pull my move because I felt like to by market and get out Hilaria with being the one
that I get out. There's just so many reasons for why everything happens out there, and again to Survivor, and you only see the surface level thing, but there's like four levels of every decision that's being made out there, whether it would be working out who's on the jury that's going to vote for you, dury management, how you get to the end, just everything. That's what Survivor is. It's the most mentally taxing game that anyone can ever play.
And for me to never be able to play something like that again, or like not be able to play it in day to day life really annoys me because how else am I going to be mentally fulfilled? Now for experiencing something like that.
Well, I've always been told, you know, when it comes to a show like this, there's if you think that there's about five storylines being told, there's usually two that are being aired. You know, So like the ratio of what storylines are happening for you inside your own mind versus what the viewers are saying, it diluted very quickly. I have such a short window with you, so I'm going to ask you three questions. We're going to try and get out really quickly.
Yes, So I've been wasting all this time on my thought patterns behind it?
I don't know, And I was here for it because that is such a big part of your game. So I really do appreciate it. But I'm going to smash these ones down. Did Ferris tell you about his bogus Final three deal? Did he loop you in on the fact that he'd made these two other Final three deals with Caroline and Mark?
I was lifted in into what Ferris was doing from the date to every single decision that he made, and I was in on that. But also when you get to a final four. And I'll say this quickly. When you get to a final full position, the cards have all been laid out. The only thing that makes a difference is winning that last immunity challenge, which Mark did. So from there the decisions have already been made somehow, for some reason, March picks to get rid of me
over Ferris. Caroline wouldn't have had much of us, say, because if she had wanted her way, then it would have been her probably going home in a three something. So she was doing whatever Mark was doing any and Ferris was. I was getting whipped in on whatever Ferris was doing anyway. And I think that Mark was trying to make Ferris look dishonest in that last tribal council, but everyone was seeing through. And I wish they'd trained me tearing him and you ass or during that last challenge, so.
That'd be good. I did hear about that, and I would have liked to have seen it. What would you have done if Ferris did write your name down? Obviously we loved the fact that he didn't, and he, you know, showed both the others that he was not a man of his word, but he was a man of his word to you, which we all loved. You know, what would you have done if Ferris had written your name down?
At that point it was never happening. But if it did happen, then I would not have been impressed going on to the jury, And yeah, I wouldn't have been happy going on to jury, and that it wouldn't have happened anyway, And it is dury management and Mark was really trying to get it to happen where Ferris for don my name so I would feel the traylead. But like I saw through it instantly. Everyone on the jury
was seeing through what he was doing. And he was just doing like a stance, trying to actually make some sort of thing that makes him record nice by the jury, because like he was getting like Curby and First who were running rings around him the whole merge phase of that game.
Who was not so forgiving of you with your advantage twist by the way, when you went back to the jury and a lot of people have said, you know, claiming that you had a mental health issue, but then turning out that you were lying. Even you you said said you guys are going to be so mad at me? Is was there anyone still holding a grudge. Was there anyone that hadn't let to go?
Maybe Valeria, But it's really hard to get a reed on Valeria just because of her how she omits herself as a person. She isn't a very emotional person. She doesn't like to I think let a lot of her emotions be shown, so it's hard to tell. But it's had to tell really much of Hilaria, I think in general.
But I think on a series like Titans Versus Rebels, with a series that has twelve recruits and twelve fans, and a lot of the fans making jury, I think they're all appreciative that it was just going to make for a TV because a lot of us were out out there because of that.
So yeah, well I think a lot of people, yeah the good television. So Yesterda ask Kirby, who's got the order of the best resume? So the final three people? Can you just give me the names in order? Maybe not a rationale for it, but who in order has the best resume for you? Out of Caroline, Mark and Ferris.
Obviously, Ferris is number one as someone that watched the game and knows all about the relationships that every single person has out there, It'd be hard for me to say who I think has the best retire without giving too much awak going into the finale, are going into people like thinking, you're going off the perception of anyone can win. So if I'm standing here saying this person does not have a.
Chance, words of a game show host, I'll take that answer and move on to the next one. So I'm gonna have to miss that in the Game of Survivor question which everyone else has answered. So I'm sorry about that. But what is something from behind the scenes, something that we didn't get a chance to see, kind of a behind the scenes secret for your time in Australian Survivor Titans versus.
Rebels, Well number one, there was a lot more that you didn't see regarding Nathan's jacket that Carolina Valry were fighting over on Okay, that's rather fighting for a jacket for the whole game and it's funny.
Okay, take good Raymond. I'll chat to you another time.
It's a pleasure talking to you. I hopefully you like this series. Thank you very much.