WILL SIMON RETURN TO AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR?

Hey guys, my name's Benjamin Norris and this is my first pop up episode of TV Reload. I've had a lot of requests to feature some of your favorite reality TV stars and actors on the podcast, and while I would love to have everyone from each show across the networks and streaming services, I'm just going to start featuring the occasional guests who are making the biggest waves on

Australian Survivor is definitely taking on a very different style to what we've seen in say, the US seasons.

What does it take to win the World's Toughest game?

Where are the cracks?

Like?

How did I not see this coming? Simon could fill the pressure and.

You know, I would have done it if there wasn't on TV and there wasn't half a million dollars on the line. I found myself as a leader and the alpha male within this tribe.

If that made me out as the villain at the end of the day, then so be.

You haven't first voted out of Australia. So I have a brain versus rawn Simon.

Yeah, so much is out of your control. You know, you've just got to You've just got to do what you can.

Hey, Simon, how are you?

Yeah?

Look, I didn't expect to be here this early, that's for sure.

I know. Well, I think it was a huge shock for most people watching this show. I think it's probably the biggest shock for the season.

Yeah, shocked is definitely a way way to put it. Like, yeah, massive blind side.

For the first time ever, Today's challenge is not about winning.

We want to lose today.

Throw the immunity challenge, blindside Simon, send him home with two idols in his back pocket.

I need to get rid of the app. Simon needs to go.

I mean, was that cool or was that cool? Like to watch that go down?

You know, just such an epic epic game, epic plan to see it all kind of come off. And it took my tribe, my own alliance half the other tribe to like bring me down like it was.

It's pretty cool. So I'm very very happy to be part of, you know, an.

Epic TV moment, just yet maybe not the side of history that I wanted to be on. Oh that is absolutely heartbreaking to be the first person industrowings of Ivory go home with not one but two idols in my pocket.

That one really hurt.

Well, my first question for you is something that's plagued me the entire competition. Who would win in an arm wrestle between you and Jonathan Lapallia?

Oh god, oh look jail Pete like man, yeah, he is ripped like there is no denying, like the best guns in the outback, and he said.

He couldn't find it. You know, he'd been in La and the gyms weren't opening stuff, but he was still looking in really good form. So I was very impressed there and I wouldn't count my chickens.

Last night must have been pretty intense for you to be able to watch this. A lot of Survivor castaways have described watching their final episode with the Nation as wild. Can you walk me through the experience last night?

Yeah, watching myself on TV has been really interesting.

We will probably have a bit of a waker saying this, but like, I'm watching this guy who I look up to and you know, I support, I share a lot of the same morals as him, and I just want him to succeed. And I'm really just just cheering on this person who I'm still invested in, and I just want him to do well and I don't want him to fail.

And that's been really exciting.

And I have enjoyed watching my failures and triumphs throughout the season.

And then last night was last night was actually really nice.

I didn't have the sweaty hands, I wasn't like, you know, sitting like this in front of the TV the whole time.

It was actually closure for me in a really nice way.

That edit was really kind to me and I think it really showed how I played a lot of my game this year and the way that I approached all kind of travels, And I think that, you know, a little bit to the edit probably didn't have me as pinners a little bit more confident, but you know, I was very aware of the reality of what was going on and the twists and turns that we're going to

What did I miss? Where are the cracks?

Like?

How did I not see this coming? And there were none?

It was so well executed across every single touch point days in advance that yeah, I mean, how do you combat that? Like that's that's huge, like in your own alliance turning on you, the whole tribe being in on a new information being passed on to the other tribe on that you know, that little crazy twist.

Me not thinking it was going to be, you know, be anything there it was. It was.

It was the perfect storm, the perfect blind And I have to give full credit to everyone in there, Danny for enabling it, Hailey just the mastermind behind that. To blindside the blindsider, and like Flick and Chelsea, like they're acting throughout that entire period was incredible, Like I really underestimated them, And yeah, it was poetry to watch back.

Have you been able to check out the reaction that you've received online from the fans from last night's episode.

Yeah, Look, I.

Didn't really sleep last night and I've been overwhelmed with the support that I've got. There's so much love out there and it's been really nice to see that everyone had, you know it, what's so supportive of me in my approach. And I think that the only thing is that I feel like Australia was collectively.

Like play a right or on point of the TV.

But everyone's been so nice and I'm so grateful for that.

And I went into the game with my morals.

To play hard, play fair, to enjoy it and have fun and just soak up the experience and to be a good human and I really feel like that came across last night.

Well, I saw a few people putting together a dream team for the next All Stars, and now most of these people have you on the list, so it would be remissive me not to ask you this question. Would you go back?

Hell yeah, if my fiance is watching this, like we need to discuss this at another time, not this year.

I mean, look at that. If they call me, yeah, sure, but like I need.

Time to recover because I mean, anyone who plays know the know what you go through, and you know the dreamal fatigue and the mental stress that goes along with playing a game like that.

It's crazy.

I am absolutely honored to have people and it's quite overwhelmed by the amount of people saying, you know, all stars too, or fans versus favorites or heroes versus villains.

It's been really nice to see. But you know, I don't like getting too ahead of myself.

I'm happy to just focus on the game that I played at the moment and really thankful for the opportun needed to play once and to have that experience because as a fanboy, I mean that was huge, Like it was just life changing and I'm just so grateful to have that there. But look, it would be a it would be beyond my wireless dreams to go again. And I think you know, you turn that up and it's a different game.

How many times did you apply for a survivor? Because I know a lot of diehard fans apply a lot of times before getting in.

Yeah, I look, I applied a couple of times. I really wanted it after I watched Lee go through and when he came second that time like that, that was really like, okay, I really.

Need to do this.

So that was the twenty seventeen he won twenty sixteen or twenty seventeen that I really wanted it on it And you know, it's always heartbreaking, you know, you just you never hear anything.

Auditioning for reality television is brutal. So how did it happen for you?

I got poached for this season, So it was, you know, just like a pretty incredible thing there where I had applied in previous years and it just so happened that they were looking for some one that you know, in terms of straight male, which was Bran.

It was so grateful and then they're like, oh, you're a you're a super fan. I'm like, oh my god, are you kidding me? Like, yeah, I haven't like many times, like let me at it, Like what do I need to do? Like I couldn't believe my luck there.

You can't have all super fans, but you do need to have some kind of base level of appreciation for the opportunity that you've been given. Because for anyone who loves the show or even casually watch the show and be like, I'd love to get that crack, like you'd like to think that they get a shot over someone who's like it would be good for my career, would be good for my public dissona like that. That grinds me a little bit.

What was the reality of the show like versus your expectation If.

You were to really sit down and think about what that would mean, it's probably pretty spot on. Like we get to play this game, and you know, I would have done it if there wasn't on TV and there wasn't half.

A million dollars on the line, But you.

Get to play this game at the expense of the you know, the producers a bit making a TV show, so there are things that need to be done, and then there was always the magic TV that it kind of happens, which always goes down like there's always going to be, you know, a reality of that.

So I feel like it if you were to sit down and think about it. It would make a lot of sense out doing what you really go through it.

And I think you have to go in with the right attitude to be like where you know, you do need to take any moments that you have to yourself to reflect about your game and what's your next move and what are you going to be doing. I always wanted to make sure that I was steps ahead of where I needed to be, so if I needed to have a relationship with someone, I already had some kind of foundations there.

So I wasn't going in blind.

And you know, I think that comes with just awareness and appreciation of the game and making most of it.

So yeah, it was. It was a really special thing to be part of and it was nice having a little peek behind the behind the scenes and.

See how it all comes together. But you talked about going in and did you initially have a game plan that you would take into the competition.

Yeah, I did.

I did, and I did everything that was I did the opposite of everything there, and I you know, I spoke about this with a couple of a couple of friends.

You know, I didn't want to be the alpha.

I didn't want to be the leader, and I wanted to keep the target off my back and just knew sure not be a small player.

But there are opportunities that arise that you need to play the cards that are in your hands, and you know you can only you.

Only find yourself in that situation when you're around there and you're like, Okay, these are the people I'm playing with.

This is what I've got to work with. And it doesn't matter how much you prepare for it.

You just have to be able to adapt and create and build and hope and pray to Macedonian Jesus and the survival gods, because yeah, so much is out of your control.

You know, you've just got to You've just got to do what you can.

Well.

At the launch of the show, you said to one of the magazines that you were okay with being the villain, being a TV villain. How how does that sit with you? Now?

You've got to love print because it always goes down and am you know they always take that clickbait and then put it down for me, I think the way I approach it, like, you know, I'm going to play the game with you know, my integrity and you know the morals to me, and that's what's important. Then I think that really shone through. But I didn't care how

So you know that made me out as the villain at the end of the day, then then so be it. And I mean, you know you can't. You can't please everyone, You never can.

But yeah, I think I think it was quite kind and I did like my story arc that was it was, it was. It was a nice journey. I do need to apologize to like anyone who was following from my point of view, like and my poor mother who still knew the outcome, but was just she was so emotional in the crime the whole way through, because this stress levels for anyone supporting me, we're huge, like people biding the now is going, oh my god, he's gone like, how is he? Why did he do this? And how

I have no fingernails left, by the way, because I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, mate.

And I put that on Twitter. I said, you know, don't miss tonight's episode, and you know, good luck with your fingernails. What would you say was your most proudest move in the competition versus your worst move in the competition?

Oh?

Look, worst move is an easy one, is obviously saying talking about the second idol, with the information that I had at the time, I would have done it again, which is which is always hard. But you know, I wouldn't have made any decisions differently based.

On what I had at the time.

Right, best move, I've got two talking away off the bottom from that Benny. You know that Benny split vote, like they missed an opportunity to send me home and Shannon made a massive mistake there, Like that was huge to be able to have enough social capital to keep myself alive and convince my enemies that I'm we're.

Hanging around to then return the favor, but putting.

The nail in Shannon's coffin and you know, setting that up and having some balls and some faith in working with new alliance members and then not playing my idol at that Like that kind of social read is such a huge, huge play and a huge confidence in yourself to follow through with that and then to you know, just speak up when the time was right and to nail Shannon's coffin shut in the heat of the moment

That was awesome.

What are your thoughts on having these two idols?

Now?

Come on, because like you got two idols, you're in that tribal cancel play one.

Look, it's a nice little memento.

It's it's definitely not half half a million dollars or more.

Importantly, the title of Soul Survivor.

To me, Hey, if you want to buy one, I'm selling two hundred and fifty grand or five.

Hundred k or two.

That's one way to get your money back.

Oh do you think you know?

There's a lot of conversation about this about whether or not the producers this year have made the access to the idols a little bit too easy. Do you think it was easier to find the idols this year compared to other years?

Probably a bit of a purist in this form of the form of the game. Australian Survivor is definitely taking on a very different style to what we've seen in say, the US seasons, whereas there are more twists and turns and being that longer game, especially you know, a couple of like non a limb episodes and everything that there are arguably things that happened that are unexpected, and we did see so many idols in play this season it was crazy.

Do I think they were easier to find?

Like? No, they're like that first one though, I found that was out there for forty eight hours apparently, and everyone had walked past it.

And had a chance to grab it.

But idols come to those who look for them at the end of the day, and it's always weird if.

You're on top and they're looking for a looking for an idol, right, Like that's weird.

The volume is definitely something that's been taken into consideration, or the number of idols, like there's been taken into consideration for how, you know, to bring a casual audience.

Along to keep it interesting. And it really.

Marks with people's games when there are so many twists and turns when you're just trying to count the numbers as best you can. But I think it's something that we're going to have to learn to love and live with. In Australian Survivor. Yeah, I mean I'm sitting at home on the couch being when Laura found it either like the next day and I've got two and I'm like, why is there another one?

Like this is too many? Like what's going on here?

From the trees?

But look, it does keep it interesting and it does keep you keep the game fun. And look, I like how they've I like the direction that the show is going in where you know it's not straightforward, But I mean it's fun. Like you look at the reaction after this, say, maybe Georgia and Rachel's vote, like you know, they were

Can you give us something? And I think the fans had come to expect.

It, and that's going to create a new breed of player where you have to be good enough to be able to adapt it andjust around these things and not be not.

End up as a casualty of you know, of the of the twists.

And here I am whose relationship with you changed the most throughout the competition.

Would you say, I think Shannon's like I really I really like her as as a human and we got along so well, like we were probably the on like the real tool on the Braun tribe who knew and appreciated and understood the game. And that came through and in some of our conversations that we had, and she knew that I deserved to be there and deserved to you know, deserve to.

Be around for longer than Benny. But we had this wild like rivalry. Bit.

I loved Shannon's energy and how much she brought the tribe together and you made everyone feel like welcoming and included and was just.

So nice and beautiful.

So yeah, I loved that relationship that we had, even though we were like, you're biting heads and going for it and the the leader of each alliance within our tribe, but then we were able to bond so well in those challenges, and you know, God, I missed that not having shut in there, but we were lifting people up, lifting Andrew off.

I'm like, G's like, couldn't you shut it? Like you're a little bit lighter and tall, like that was an.

Epic to have her around, and she was a she was a weapon in her own right. So it was like what a journey that was, and it was great.

You know, I think we all wanted to see how your relationship would have evolved with Emmett. How do you stayed in the competition? What did you foresee happening?

Yeah, there was only room room for one of us in the outback, and I think we both realized that pretty early on. We were really close out there, and you know, he had a great energy and I love beaming around him and conniving with him and just hanging

Yeah, it would have been pretty intense.

I'm going to give you some rapid fire questions just to try to interview off so short answers with these, if you can. I'm a former reality TV contestant, so I understand that a short answer for a Reality TV contestant is still a long one but we'll see how we go. And I've never done this before, so let's just see how I go with remembering this. So all right, let's go. What is your advice for anyone going into the competition?

Don't get far ahead of yourself, keep a levelhead and take a strong or a.

Tewel to lie on those Budgie smugglers. Have they sold out? Have you checked out online to say, okay, you've still got them one?

They haven't made off yet?

Anyway, Moving along, who have you remained in touch with the most after the show?

Big d? Yeah? Wow, Yeah, he's been amazing.

I just I love his energy and it's been so great to kind of catch up with him, FaceTime him after each episode?

Who played it up to the cameras the most?

Emitt like and I would love to see George, but I feel like that was just George and George being unapologetically George and I love that. But yeah, Emmat was a cool guy and and get a really good vibe around camp, but definitely turned it up to eleven.

Are you the alpha male in real life, within your friendship circles and at work and play? Is that really who you are?

I'm a leader I don't think like I don't think alpha male necessarily. I make sure I'm very self aware of the people around me, and you know, I'm not a dictator.

I don't like being an arrogant asshole.

And I think that you can easily be stereotyped as a bit of a winkar in being that alpha role. And I think, you know, your self awareness is a really important part that needs to go hand in hand with being a leader.

Would things be different if you had not sat that immunity challenge out?

Oh? Good question.

No, At end of the day, I think the result still would have happened. It would have happened in maybe a different order, but I think they would have They would have made it work.

That was an impossible challenge, Like it was incredible.

How do you feel now about the plan to evict Flick falling through?

Oh?

Yeah, look, that one hurts. Like Flick, I definitely underestimated her and she.

Was an amazing a liar and player, and she almost had me where I almost went back to her.

And I knew very early on even aughter she crossed me that I still need to try to repair that.

But god, she had the blinkers on for me as well, and I probably didn't realize how bad that was, but I brought Flick in first, and I thought it was closer. I spoke to Flick for, I spoke to Danny and Chelsea, and she went the first.

One that I had, really when you.

Thought I was bonding with and wanted to work with in this game, and so, yeah, that was really hard when you know she flipped on me. But I understand that, you know, people can make your own decisions and everything like that, and can make your own choice and where they want to go down, and she saw it as she didn't want to be on the bottom of myself and gap. So you know that's understandable there that she

You know, it seemed Danny was super confident that she would blindside you. Would you still have Danny over for dinner?

Yeah, I would.

I can't hold any gameplay against people out there, That's the nature of what you're about to do.

Yeah, we've definitely spoken since, and you know, I.

Had a really good connection with her out there and a lot of respect for her. You know, I don't necessarily respect her gameplay and how she really heard that, but you know, it's a pretty juicy carrot to like the potentially you want to take a swing out to eliminate the biggest threat in the game with two idols like that looks pretty good on someone's resume if you can pull that off. But fortunately it wasn't Danny's. It wasn't Danny's move, so it was enabled.

By her, but it wasn't her final move. So I think that I love her and we shared a really genuine connection out there overall.

At this stage, who are you more salty with Danny Flick or yourself? Oh?

Look, I don't hold I don't hold any any any grudges there, like to anyone all myself, Like I'm I'm I'm just grateful for.

The experience that I that I had to be able.

To when you play out there and meet some you know, some amazing, wonderful people, and you know when you have nothing, Look, you're out there with nothing, and you have a real appreciation for what little you have and you know those friendships in those moments and you're sharing stories about our life and our families like that.

Was that was really special and that have a really good bonding moment.

So you know, I'm people to be able to share those moments with everyone, regardless of where we sat in the tribe, because that was you know, to me, that was real and you know, I take a lot a lot away from those human connections.

I'll take that as your the most saltiest at yourself. Then my last rapid fire question for you is how many times did your fiance hit you in the arm while watching the show.

She was actually really good, so she wasn't too like you know, I didn't, I didn't make too much of a fool of myself.

I think the menopause question if you remember that.

But when I was speaking to Kara and I got that stupid music edit and that was pretty funny.

It's like, what are you doing there?

It was actually a much deeper conversation about in mitriosis, which I was, you know, for a straight mail and knew quite a lot about and was quite a big connecting conversation to Kara and I. But the edit was hilariously awkward, and that was like, you know, you don't ask that to women, and you know, in the situation, it was very relevant, but.

Yeah, it is what it is.

Well, I thought it was pretty amazing, So I'm going to take that as she hit you. Every episode well done on I think there's some really amazing episodes there. The last question I ask all my guests on TV reload is what is an amazing story from behind the scenes that where as an audience would appreciate that we might not have seen.

Yes, okay, so my my, it's not even my moment, it's this is way. What Way achieved out there and what she overcame was so incredible. She can't like she can't swim. I mean she can swim, but like, you know, but not for very long. And you know, you have to do a swimming test in a pool, but when you're out there with your shoes on, in clothes, trying to do it through an obstacle course in when it's winny and everything like, that's next level.

But what Way overcame for the tribe was so incredible to watch and be a part of.

And she just put her fears to the side and has just put herself truly out of a comfort zone and just committed with her whole heart. And that was just such an incredible human journey that she was going on out there.

It was so special to see and be a part of.

And I'm so proud of her for what she achieved and so grateful to get to know her. And you know, I think it was really nice to see some of those moments of celebration, you know, in terms.

Of the snippets of Way and I really getting to celebrate together. I really loved it. Like she's an amazing human.

I just thought it was hilarious. In one of the first two episodes, she needed to get across this netting and she literally in her mind needed to get across the netting, but her legs didn't understand where to go, and she just seemed to her energy pulled her across. However, you cut back to a scene later on and you could see that she had bruises all over her legs. I might not have been bruises, might have just been dirt, but it definitely looked like.

Oh mate, she was she poor.

Way, She's just covered in bruises and like battered and broken, and you know, just you wake up more than you covered in dirt, like it's hard to hide.

But you know, she was always.

Smiling and it was it was just beautiful, like a yeah, she is just an amazing player and an amazing human and how she kind of carried herself out there just so special to see.

Yeah, I hope she goes really far.

Well, mate, I just want to say you were fantastic on the show. I think those budget smugglers definitely going to sell out wait to see you come back for All Stars because I'm just going to already say that that's happening when it's not. And I know nothing, but you were fantastic on the show. So thanks for joining us today and being able to take us.

It's been a real pleasure.

And you know, I love these opportunities to talk about gameplay and the experiences and the strategy like that because I was a Survivor fan, like I mean, this is cool, like you know, having been able to connect with people who you want to get the inside scoop and work out what was really going on, and you know, I love I love people like fatiguing like what went on, especially in a game like this where it means so much to me, so yeah, thank you very much.

It's awesome to be a part of