It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week. Nebne Hey, guys, welcome back to TV Reload. I want to thank you for clicking and downloading. On today's episode with Valeria, the fourteenth eliminated contestant from this year's a Strand Survivor, which is now on Network ten, I will be talking to Valeria about her time in Samoa and of course what she thinks now that the smoke has well and truly been
snuffed out on her 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. Valerius started the game bonding tightly with fellow Titan Viola, and the pair linked up with Mark to form a
formidable trio. However, when Viola was blindsided at the tribe switch, Valeria swore revenge against the middle aged mafia that had orchestrated that blind side until she was afforded the opportunity to do so. She aligned with Kirby on the new Titans tribe and took control over the Power Struck despite being threatened by an unusual tribal council at the final sixteen. After reaching the merge, Valeria reconnected with Mark and set
about completing her revenge tour. Unfortunately for Valeria, through a series of tumultuous changes of power, Valeria found herself in the crosshairs of Raymond, whose play with the ultimate vote at that final nine sealed Valeria's blindside. Valeria will talk about Raymond's ability to blindside her and how he managed to pull off that impossible advantage. We will unpack Valeria's gameplay and find out why she chose that big fluffy
jacket to wear in Samoa. Valeria will talk about why the others are not going after Kirby and Ferris and what the aftermath of that tribal council will mean for some of the remaining players. Plus, we will find out which previous castaways had inspired her time on a Strand Survivor, one of them being George, which actually really surprised me. There is actually so much to unpack with Valeria today.
She was so gorgeous to I have to say, so, sit back and relax as we dive just that a little bit deeper into the world of Valeria's Australian Survivor. Valeria looks so beautiful? What's going on? I feel like I need to go and like change or something like, you're.
What do you think I look beautiful? What about the season? Was I not looking beautiful?
You know? It's so interesting because you don't. You didn't strike me as the sort of person that would be on this show, and kind of the way they packaged you up with a pink jacket and sort of this hot models vibe. I don't know. I'm coming back in my next life as you.
It's too nice. Thank you.
I feel like you were an unlikely castaway? Did you did you think that? I mean, what made you decide to apply for this show? You? How did you end up as a castaway on Australian Survivor.
Well, I definitely never planned to be on any TV reality shows. I haven't even watched TV for many years, and you know, going going in this one, I was like, if I would ever have a chance to pick I think Surviva was definitely on the prody list. And I saw the advertisement or advertisement like a little post from the girl was connected before and she was like, hey, guys, I'm casting for Survivor And I didn't even tell my partner. I applied, like I just I just I messaged her back.
I was like, do you think like should I do? I think I'm good? Or She's like, you would be perfect, Let's go for it. And I did my interview and even like when I did the proper interview face to face, I still didn't tell anything to my button. I was like, why people even would bother have someone like me playing in the game, Like I just didn't have any association
that I would be good for the show. And I watched two and a half seasons before I flew to someone that was like two weeks before and I was like, okay, what are we doing? Tell me now, what's the plan? How did we split the rus? And kind of figured it all out on the way and align myself with some people who watch the game so to make sure I can brain some some ideas.
When you're boning up on Australian Survivor and you're watching previous series and you're learning, could you remember which players, which castaways that had been in the show before that you borrowed the most amount from.
I definitely laugh Mark Blood and Water season. I feel like his legacy or you know, of staying loyal and playing the game and be kind of all around up really kind of had a reflection of how I would like to play the game. I don't think I'm the person. I don't think I'm that ruthless enough to go on top of everyone's heads and just be sneaky with my players. I feel like, you know, if you make a pack with me, I'm gonna go with you until the end.
I'm not going to screw you over. And I was worried that in the game I will have to somehow, you know, get sneaky with people. I was like, I don't think I have guts to do so. So I love Mark's play with King George. The reason I have all this one liners and all the little things I was trying to say at that it was inspired by King George. I was like this by like, I don't even remember anything as much as I remember when he was saying and how he was saying and how entertaining
he was. I was like, I want to be this guy. You know, maybe the brain's not there, maybe a strategy is not there, but he was good. So I was like, you know, I'll have to figure out so go into the tribal council. I was like, what are we doing, who are we taking today? What are we saying? And I was trying to come up with something to kind of approach people and shake them up a little bit and see how they respond back and kind of having that back and forth game.
I love that George is still inspiring people. I mean, the man, the man is mad like and yet he's a god amongst this game.
Oh he's so good man. He said, you don't remember anyone else when he's on the screen.
I really enjoyed that fashion jacket that you were wearing in there. I don't know how much it was appropriate for the conditions of Samoa. Did you pick that yourself or was that kind of like a character piece that the producers made you wear.
It was my decision. It was not forse They didn't, you know, shut my mouth and put the jacket and say you wear this. It was definitely my decision. I was in, like I'm mentally healthy, just to let you know it was my own decision. But you know what, the reason why I did it not because I just wanted to look cute. That was obviously one good thing. And I was like, how do you do something to just stay out of the crowd, because you know all this mats I was watching the mats. I was like, man,
what they have to do. But at the same time, I have a back of neck injury and I cannot sleep on a very like good space. So I was like, if we're going to sleep on the sand or something, I need to have something soft. So I bought it for the specific purpose or for my neck, so I can have a bit of layers of a kind of a pillow to make for my neck and back as if I wake up and I'm stiff, can't compete, can't do any games and challenges. I was like, it was
you know, it was planned. It wasn't just for the fashion. I did have the purpose behind it. It did get destroyed and I didn't wear it after because it looked so ugly. It was just horrible. It looked like just the pinch Chicken. It was just horrible.
So I was like, you know what drowned muppet? Yeah?
Literally, but it was great as a layer underneath when I was going to bed, So it did work the purpose. Would I do this again?
Probably still yes, maybe one that's a little bit more durable.
Yess, absolutely absolutely. I definitely made a few wrong choices with the wardrop, but we're learning.
You know, Manubing, come back for another season, You'll be fine. What a blindside though, I mean, I still can't believe that Raymond pulled off the impossible. That advantage almost seemed like a curse. Now that you've had a chance to watch it back, what do you think of Raymond being able to pull this off?
He've done a top job. I mean, this guy stopped eating, this guy didn't drink enough water. This guy was slipping with his face in the sand, he was miserable. That was very good act and playing this game. And we just because we just had Scotty living crying and half of the camp crying. I was like, probably Scotty open up a door for people to feel vulnerable, and that
Raymond kind of fell into it as well. So I was like, you know, it's kind of a chain and this guy just just realized it's okay to feel like this. And what I was trying to imagine that if it would be someone like Ferris or Kirby struggling with this. I think they had they have the power to overcome us, come back and kind of come back and fight again until the very end. Where with Raymond he was a much quite much wider player than everyone else. You don't
hear from him much. He doesn't really speak to a lot of people. He make a few remarks, a few jokes, but usually he's pretty like to himself. So I was like, man, this guy is for real dying, like he's not eating. Something is wrong, like he did it say, well, like I still like going into the Tropic Console, I felt something. My whole body was shaky. I was anxious for very uncertain reason. Now I know why, but that gut feeling was killing me. I was like, man, what's going on?
But then you know, everyone's like, you could be very brutal to do this to people. He is very brutal. He cannot do this to people. So I was like battling the morality of it and wanting to play the game because I'm such a competitive person. It was killing it from the inside. Even with Scotty, you know, leaving, he was like that was valen Mark wanted to vote it out. I was like, oh no, what can I do now? And then Raymond I was like, then I have no chance.
You took your exit really well. You were so humble, and I feel like everyone should take a page out of your book. Is it tempting to throw a tantrum when you've been eliminated? Like, is there any chance that there was a part of you that you know, wanted to push those Kentiquy torches over and you know, run away.
Yeah. I feel like in my case, it used to be a competitive runner. I've done over forty pageants. I'm using to lose, Like I'm used to that feeling. And I feel like, because I lost so many times before before I get to my win point, I kind of I just used to the feeling. I don't feel it's bad. I feel like, you know you and the game, you made it so far, and you just learned from your experience. I mean, a winner is a loser who tried to do it again. So for me, it was a blessing.
So I felt good, I know. I even actually when I was doing my interviews the people behind the scenes, I was like, well, you're not said at all. I was like, you know, like I don't know pretend to like more sad. I was like, I don't think I can. I think I said it was honestly the way I felt, and I didn't feel like crying at any point of time,
even after you know, you realize you sit down. I was like, well, that was a big move, But when I come back to the same situation, I don't think I would do it the other way, because at the end of the day, it was a welfare of someone else that I didn't know well enough. Grew that and like, see if I can do a big move out of it. I was just a little bit anxious and obviously talking to Mark saying like, well, this is brutally you just cannot do this to people. I was like, man, I
think he's right. I think like I'm just trying to play the game too much, Like I have to get my competitive mode down and think about others and see where it got me.
I mean, that's performance from Raymond, though, Like I think you ever mentioned this before. It was kind of oscar worthy, you know, it's very convincing. Did everyone believe him though? Did you think everyone was as shocked as you were to find out that it was all a lie?
Absolutely? Everyone fell for it. He's been like people coming up to him all the time, checking on him, trying to fit him, trying to see how he's going, trying to get him outside of it. Like he was doing a top job. Like he couldn't you couldn't fault it. There was no one point of time, like even watch him at the challenges. He was literally like this. I was like, I was looking at him. I was like, man, this is sickening.
This is dangerous though, because I mean, you could just be like a home and Away Neighbors actor and not be very convincing and your cover gets blown. But he managed to play it perfectly, which would be really hard to do.
That was the best move that I had witnessed from day one to thirty to day thirty seven. When he did this, I was like, man, that was something that people will remember for the rest of the life. And Raymond is a big fan of the game, so I feel like it was a very special moment to be remembered, regardless of what will be the outcome, just that one day it was already worth the whole game for him.
I think it's going to be quite iconic. You were the only one to really challenge him, though on a unanimous vote, we did see you starting to trust your guy and maybe raise a few questions. What was going on? Did you really think that you were going to try and vote for someone else and go against everyone else's decision.
Yes, I feel like at that point of time, I said, we just saw Scotty and that destroyed my game, and I was just hoping to recover from that experience in trying to build up something else. And then when that happens, I was like me, you know, just like it's again happening to me. I have to do something about it. And I was thinking that someone else also thinking the
same way. I really thought that someone else was doing some plan because every time, like from day one in our season, you're going in and there's always a blind side. There was never an easy vote, there was always something going on. So I was like, I wasn't just going there thinking they're it's going to go smooth, because it's
never smooth there. So I did have a plan in my head, I said, I was just battling with my own instincts and the morality of what's happening, and even like with Mark raising the point that the juribulare going to hate us. He's got the point there for sure. If you do something and the guy was actually struggling, that would backfire. And it was all one personal support you.
So it was a such a tricky one. But I said, it was my body and my instincts battling with the brain and it did not go very well together.
I watched your face the whole way through that tribal council because I was like, if anyone's going to change this vote, it's Hilaria. So what her face is doing during this is going to give away what or who you had voted for. Who would you have actually written down? Though, Like, if you were confident enough to think that Raymond was lying and you wanted to upset this tribal council with a different vote, who would you have gone with?
It would be one hundred percent be Rhiannon or Kirby, And I obviously seeing Kirby putting the necklace on Rhiannon and I would definitely put Kirby down.
That would have been interesting. Isn't it so strange that no one seems to be going after Ferris and Kirby, Like, is that because they're really lovely and you need them on the beach of Samoa or are they too big a move to try and go for it this time?
Then you speak in my mind. Actually, if you would remember the episode before that where Mark proposed to vote against Jayden, I said, let's go against Ferris and let's make it roll. And Mark said to me, but he's got an idol. I was like, so it doesn't matter. He was like, no, no, no, like we need to play safe. And I remember the die I was so, I was like, guy, it's this perfect moment, Ferris feeling like he is at
the top of the mountain. I didn't. I just wasn't scared about this idol because I feel like people usually would use it until the very end, when you know, just like Top six, when you've got the last chance to use it. So I was so keen on getting the big targets out, proposing farres, but people are just too worried. I feel like you need to risk the game, and I feel like a lot of people scared to risk it. And for example, the way that Mark plays, of the way Mark plays, he's a very safe player.
He likes to feel comfortable and he likes to find the softer's way backgrounds makes sense. He's a diplomat. He trying to soften things up, where for me, let me risk everything. I want to just try it and try if it goes, because Fairest and Kerby are risking it and that's what I'm getting them through. And that risk I respect, Like it's ballsy, it's dangerous if my backfire is so hot, but how good it is if it works. So I was kin on Feris the night before and
I was keen on Rhannon or Kirby as well. But you need a bit of support. You need at least you know, one person saying yay, good idea, let's do it. You know, just need someone to tell me I'm the right Because being a newbie as well, I was like, am I just imagining in my head what I wanted to do? And it's just how do you do it? It's it's such a tricky game, like you watch the other place and I was like, I think I know my plan and know what I'm.
Going to do. Can recover from this though, I mean even Fairest to a certain extent, can pulling off a big lie that is making people believe that your mental health isn't strong enough to be on a show. Is that going to affect their gameplay moving forward? Like maybe people will be upset about.
This dred percent. I feel like it's fifty to fifty. Obviously, the people that he shared with it was all good, so he's got some side to himself. Same time, some people say, mate, you made scotty situation kind of a mockery of it all? Is that really good? Like so I feel like that's how I thought, you know, getting out of it. I was like interested, I'm curious to see how people would react because you're playing on these bad emotions and bad mental you know, struggles that Scotty
was just so open about. Say next time, imagine someone's going for real, you know, getting sick. And then people say, ah, we've seen that before. That was Raymond's story. No, no, no, We're going to drag you down, like what the Larry couldn't do. We're going to drag you all the way down, and this guy collapse completely. So it is very shaky. Raymond definitely risk it because he didn't know if people just turn around and say, listen, mate, that was not good.
You're going to be going home because you kind of you know, led us to it.
Who's going to go after Raymond first? Though? Like, who do you reckon is going to be the most angry about this situation? Who's going to try and take a swing?
You know, we've got all the nice people left in the camp. Now you know I'm gone. I feel like for Raymond to be a target on Raymond's back, this one move is not enough if he pulls out something else, if you really make another move that, I feel like the person will go after them would be someone like Caroline Katy not even Caroline, I feel like probably Kitty Alex Mark. So the players that done some moves but didn't do a lot because Raymond then will be on
the same kind of pace. Raymond wasn't doing much, but then he'd done this huge move and then he puught something else, and then they would feel like, yes, if they go against each other top two, it's going to be hard to pick. So I feel like those people would definitely see Raymond as a threat and will try
to put them out. Where with Ferris and Kirby, I feel like they still feel pretty comfortable because with Raymond, Ferris was directly involved in this, so he could also claim partially a part of this plan, something that you know it wouldn't happen if he wouldn't put his foot in it and influence others.
I don't know if you were the right person for them to I mean, the fact that they pulled it off was crazy, But I don't know when they were saying that they were going to take you out of the competition, I don't know if that was who they should have gone for. I mean, wouldn't it have been amazing if Raymond got rid of Ferris at that point? Like, I think he could have used that advantage in a much more powerful way. I think if you're gonna pull something like that off, I feel like then you need
to swing really hard at someone unusual. I don't know. I just didn't think you were the right person for Raymond to put.
Down you speak in my mind, honestly, we're thinking with that type of advantage, man, go with the bank, go hard and go like it really was, like, especially like with Faris. It's hard because obviously Raymond is loyal Kirby. She knew about the plan, so imagine screw someone actually knew the planet was a part of it. Getting Ferris out would be ideal for having that wow factor because this guy is helping him to play this act and then being out being involved in this would be traumatic experience.
And I didn't see myself as that, you know, the biggest strategy could take out that. I feel like there was That was Kirby, that was Fairest, that was Mark, Like there's other players that I found more dangerous than him when it comes to strategies and actually pulling off this moves. Like even with you all, I couldn't achieve
what I could. I don't have much to claim. They like target someone else who've got the moves to claim, so you can take them over, destroy all the moves they did in the history and say well whatever they did doesn't count because now I got the biggest move of the game. So that would be very juicy. But I feel like you also put my name down because he wanted to come back in his bag, back to his crew. You know, yes, I say Valeria and I send Jaden home next day. Guys, don't worry, I'm coming
back to you. I'm taking Valeria out just in my terms. Okay, something like this.
Oh it's kind of like a make good Okay, yes, for the fact that he probably did vote. Yeah, you're actually making you make a lot of sense.
Today, just today, right, just today, just what.
About your revenge of Viola? Like, you know, can revenge work in a game like this? Can you get a bit distracted by, you know, getting to the end if you're trying to avenge a friend.
It's one hundred percent going onto the revenge mode can definitely destroy you. The issue with this game, my same interviews were used this all the time, so it looks like all I'm talking about and I'm obsessed over the revenge. I was pretty chilled when when I got to that feast with Caroline Kitty. I was acting like it's not a bother who cares? I would to wote al Viola too, You don't worry a girl, It's all good. They actually,
you know, believed me. And then even like when I got this bad Kitty and Caroline kissing me and I was like, oh, you know, so wonderful, beautiful moment. So they definitely bought my energy because I was, you know what, was not raging in front of them. I was pretty chilled. I was like, you know, but I knew I had to do it straight away because it was like it was very fresh. I think like you had more influence
when it's so fresh to push something forward. It definitely, you know, it didn't work the way I wanted it to be, and I believe it's still good a strategy unless you're getting too emotional about it. I honestly don't think I got too emotional. I just you know, plan just didn't work the way it was. It was some information was leaked and it just didn't work. But I think it's not the bad strategy. It's good. You just have to keep have to have your head cold in
that moment and not showing too much to people. I feel like with Caroline Kitty, it was just like a long story. It was just dragging al I was like, and after that happened and didn't work, I was like, now I just have to get rid of them anyway, because you know, it's just it's been been very sour between.
Us for a while, so it was very soud. But then you guys sorted it out with that barbecue that Mark invited you to when he won the y A Zuzu car It must have been some very quick or cunning conversations with Caroline for you and her to be able to make amends so easily.
Yes, it was definitely something I didn't. I didn't I didn't plan to go to barbecue with them the next day, you know, like with the enemies on one at one night. And I remember coming back from that tribal Caroline was like ten minutes away. Every time, like I tour, she goes away, and she was really like avoiding me badly. And I was like, oh no, because you know, at the end of the day, you think you come back in the camp, you're like, you know, let's make up.
It's fine, it's a game, let's move on. But she was like, I'm not talking. And then when Mark said, oh Caroline, come in, I was like, oh no or no.
I was like it looked like the worst. You know when you get invited to a lunch and you ask who's going and you go, oh, no, not those people.
You don't stript this, this is ridiculous. When I when I was sitting down, I was like, man, just like, out of all people, that's that's what I do. And you know, but I was very open with power. What I said, obviously you do in tribal council. And I explained why I said so, I explained myself very clearly. I did have other issues that I wanted to kind of reach out to Caroline and explain to why I feel this way. It wasn't just be all up and I just just, you know, I just let all my
thoughts out. She understood me, and she explained that it was the worst you know, that it was the hush thing, that the worst thing she ever heard in her entire life. And if I only knew it could hit someone that deep, I wouldn't go there for the sake of messing up
with their emotions. I'm not that person. I'm not a bully, but I do like to spark a bit of a confrontation during the tribal counts because I like seeing people react, and I feel like if I go and do this to Faris, he'll fight back and say something funny and they'll just we resolve that. But with Caroline, it didn't
go the way I thought it would go. And I apologize for this because I honestly don't think someone does not deserve to be in the game, because they're already in and it's huge milestone just to be a part of it was most of the refer into how I felt about the game, because I knew something from before that I just was not sitting right with me, and I just I wasted it. I said my piece. I said, you know, we're gunning for each other. Let's just sort it out now, because it doesn't work. We were just
backfiring each other, We're killing each other. There's so many other people out there we could work out. Let's leave this conflict play in the game. Let's fightight later, but let's you know, focus on other people. And you know, Caroline is a bigger person. I apologized. It was just a mature way of handling things. You know. I didn't think when you're young you could sort it out that fast. But I feel like we already went through so many stages in life that you know now. I was like, Okay,
it's just getting a bit too much. Let's just sort it out and let's play this game.
It too bad. Everyone I've been talking to so far, I've been asking them to complete this sentence. So if you could say in the game of Survivor, the.
Biggest lesson I learned in Survivor is definitely to not burn the breeches until the end. Like you always have to understand it could be some moment in the game when you're going to be left alone and you were just going to be forced working with someone you said you will never work with. Don't burn it all the way until the end. Keep the base there and with
that base you can work. And what I did with some people with things, I was saying, I was burning them all the way, and I don't think that's the best way. I feel like in my life, I just cut things. I just cut people out. If I don't want to be a part of it, I wouldn't even see that person. You know, in the life, you have that luxury of separating it, where in Survivor game you don't know where you're going to end up tomorrow. You can be at the bottom, you can be the pot
in the top, you might be in the middle. You need to consider all the options. You have to be open, not open minded, but open a little bit to see if there is any other potential to benefit your game in that way.
Amazing, amazing, good advice, Hilaria, So good. Everyone who joins the podcast. I asked them, what is something from behind the scenes, something that we as an audience probably didn't get a chance to see kind of like a behind the scenes secret from your time in Samoa.
I wouldn't say it's a secret. I feel like we're all thinking that that's happening. But we're singing a lot of songs. You know, it's not commercially used about for the reason, But.
What songs are you singing? I'm assuming you could be pulling off some serious Carli Minogue numbers.
But I can dance. I'm a great backup dancer for people, and that's what I did on the island. We had people singing, We had Kelen my go. There was one sing where Kelly was singing in the military, very set song because she didn't know lyrics to any other songs. It was very song someone is Dying, and I was doing at Burke and moves and hip hop and it was just going off and it was like, what's going on this line? But it feel good. We were just singing.
Everything were literally around the fire and we just come up with everything that we remember and we're all like, I wish I would learn more more lyrics so we could do a bit of a better show. But we had full on concerts there because that's what will drag you out of that, you know, feeling off constantly tired.
Yeah, sing a song.
I was like, it was even like I remember the Dance of Acceptance where me and Winter in the middle of all this mass people screaming, we just started to dance and we're just dancing back and forth, and it was like, you know, it was like Valvedre doing I was like, this is a dance of acceptance of the potic mess.
You're definitely an interesting player, and I think you did a great job on the show. I've thoroughly enjoyed watching you throughout the series and have loved chatting with you today. You know, it's so amazing. I wonder whether you'll go back and do it all over again.
Thank you so much, man, it was absolute pleasure talking to you. You're an incredible person to speak to and get interviewed by.