The Ultimate Six of Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers walked again to camp, shocked. Seeing Ben Driebergen as the most important menace within the sport, everybody had piled their votes on him. However the Marine pulled out the primary of some “Ben Bombs,” taking part in an idol that despatched dwelling Lauren Rimmer with one vote. In secrecy, nevertheless, Chrissy Hofbeck was celebratory.
“I truly additionally needed Lauren out,” Chrissy, who might be returning to our screens within the upcoming Survivor 50, reveals in an unique interview with Parade. “However I acknowledge that if I voted for Lauren with Ben, then I’d be the enemy with Ben. So proper earlier than that vote, which we did not see, I mentioned to Ryan, ‘Ben has the idol. Let’s vote for Lauren. We’ll be with everyone.'”
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It was a clever transfer from the lady who would ultimately change into runner-up in one of the crucial (actually) hotly-contested endings in Survivor historical past. Certainly, the penultimate episode of Season 35 (which is reairing tonight as a part of CBS’s “Highway to 50” programming) has the monetary analyst comfortably within the majority, in full management of the sport. Sure, there’s one more Ben idol discover and play. However, as she tells us, that was merely a aspect dish to the primary course she was serving up. Throughout this three-day interval, Chrissy wins each reward and immunity. She locks in a Ultimate Three alliance with Ryan Ulrich and Devon Pinto. And he or she plans and executes a pitch-perfect blindside on Ashley Nolan, breaking apart the sport’s most strong duo simply earlier than the finale.
Learn beneath for Chrissy’s full interview with Parade, the place she breaks down the occasions of “The Survivor Satan,” and what she modified most about her method going into Survivor 50.
Associated: Meet the Full Forged of Survivor 50
Let’s begin with the place this episode kicks off. Ben dropped his first “Ben Bomb” at Tribal Council, utilizing his idol to nullify a unanimous vote towards him and single-handedly sending Lauren dwelling. What was your headspace as you arrived again at camp?
So I truly additionally needed Lauren out. However I acknowledge that if I voted for Lauren with Ben, then I’d be the enemy with Ben. So now that he has already waved round his idol and we knew that he was going to play it, it was truly a a lot smarter vote to vote with Devon, Ashley, Lauren and Mike and vote towards Ben, after which I may type of be again into the bulk alliance. So proper earlier than that vote, which we did not see, I mentioned to Ryan, “Ben has the idol. Let’s vote for Lauren. We’ll be with everyone.” And that is what ended up occurring. So, sure, Ben performs an idol and will get this historic six votes towards him or one thing. However I needed Lauren out anyway.
So was Ben your primary goal, it doesn’t matter what, as soon as that occurred? Or did the concept of eliminating Ashley germinate sooner than we noticed?
So I feel that all of us acknowledge that we have to get Ben out of the sport. However we’re now all the way down to a Ultimate Xix, and we additionally know that ultimately the idols run out, and all of us are towards Ben. So at this level, we’re like, “Yeah, worse involves worse, we are able to get him out of 5. We will get him out of 4. It would not actually matter. All of us need him out.”
So my greatest downside at that time was not Ben. My downside was Ashley and Deoin have been such a good pair, and so they have been very apparent about it. And I began taking part in the sport with Ashley. I approached her so many instances. We discuss it to at the present time. I am like, “I requested you so many instances to play the sport with me.” She did not need to. We have been superb associates on the island. We’re nonetheless superb associates to at the present time. However she did not need to play that sport with me. So I needed to break up the twosome differently. So going into it, I used to be considering, “We now have to get Ben out, however we do not have to get him out now. So how can I cut up up Devon and Ashley?”
That is clearly a giant problem episode for you. You and Devon kick it off by successful reward, and also you select to carry Ryan. That sparks fairly an emotional response from Ashley within the second. And at Tribal Council, she tells Devon, “I do know you were not making the choice.” How true is that?
Effectively, there was 0% likelihood that I used to be going to be the third wheel on an Ashley and Devon in a single day date. That was by no means going to occur. I believed Devon would push again extra. It actually occurred precisely such as you see it within the episode. I mentioned to Devon, “I feel we must always take Ryan,” and he goes, “Okay.” It was simpler than I believed. So then we introduced Ryan. We bought a king-size mattress. I am within the king-size mattress with Ashley and Devon? No.
Mike additionally speaks up again at camp, upset that Ryan has been introduced on so many rewards. Did you think about him in any respect?
No! That is humorous. Why did I not take into consideration bringing Mike? I do not know. At this level, my purpose was actually to separate these two up. And I simply figured I would carry Ryan, and he was my sidekick.
This reward is the place we see you lock in a Ultimate Three take care of Ryan and Devon, which you will take all the best way to the Ultimate 4. Was this one thing you had gone into the reward desirous to do, or did it occur spontaneously?
We have been type of speaking about it, however. Whenever you’re speaking about it at dinner, how a lot does that maintain? I do not know. It is type of like anytime somebody makes a Ultimate Three deal, you say sure.
What occurred, although, and this was not on digital camera, as a result of our digital camera particular person was sleeping. In the course of the night time, I truly awakened, and I believed, “Okay, I am simply going to go outdoors. I am going to take a look at the celebrities. I will suppose.” And I used to be on the market for a very good in all probability 10 minutes. Devon awakened. I am positive he panicked and puzzled,” The place the heck am I?” And he got here. I used to be simply standing proper there, and we began speaking concerning the sport. And I checked out him and mentioned, “Devon, I do know we sort of talked about it. However I actually suppose, you me and Ryan should be the Ultimate Three. That needs to be the Ultimate Three.” And he mentioned, “I do too.” And we hugged, and it was actual. It was an actual second the place we locked within the endgame, and that’s how the endgame was meant to play out.
What was your relationship like with Devon as much as that time? As a result of we actually did not see a lot with the 2 of you till this episode.
I imply, I am unable to communicate for Devon, as a result of I do not know precisely what he was considering at the moment. However my hunch can be that he acknowledges Lauren is now gone. Ben is public enemy primary, and Devon might be additionally making an attempt to get himself right into a majority alliance. And he is in all probability considering, “What’s one of the best ways to try this?” That is my guess. I do not know. And Devon may have been mendacity to me for all I do know. However I felt prefer it was an actual second. Wait, can I simply inform you, although, about that night time, which you completely did not see on digital camera?
Please!
So meals is tough to return by, proper? So we have now this enormous desk of meals. And in some unspecified time in the future, the meals goes away. And we mentioned, “Effectively, can we carry the meals into mattress?” They usually mentioned, “We’ll offer you plates, and as a lot as you possibly can carry with you, you possibly can take.” So we had these three plates, and we actually piled them with as a lot meals as you would probably think about.
So we get within the mattress, which is that this huge, king-size mattress. Devon and I have been on both aspect; Ryan was within the center. And we slept with our plates of meals. And we’d actually energy nap for 45 minutes, let meals digest, after which we might get up and simply eat as a lot as we probably may till we could not eat anymore. After which we might be like, “Okay, fall asleep once more!” After which we fall asleep for 45 extra minutes and get up and be like, “Okay, you guys. Get up. Get up. We now have to eat extra.” We had a lot enjoyable simply making an attempt to stuff as a lot as we probably may into our little our bodies.
Courtesy of CBS
Effectively, all that meals got here in useful instantly within the subsequent Immunity Problem! As Jeff factors out, you find yourself successful in the very same website as the place you puked and practically handed out within the premiere. What was it prefer to have that full-circle second?
I imply, realistically, for me to win any problem was like, “Oh my gosh, I am unable to consider I gained a problem.” And that was, I feel, the second that I gained. However after I noticed that problem, I did “sluggish and regular wins the race.” You see I am final one down the online, the final one operating. I sort of thought, “I am not going to tire myself out, as a result of I am fairly positive that I can in all probability get this earlier than everybody else.” I am a visible learner and really mathematical. And so when it was the gears puzzle, I simply sort of knew to go about it methodically. The toughest half about that puzzle, actually, is we weren’t allowed to place any of the gears on the bottom. They needed to be both on these two spindles, or in your puzzle. So we had to determine how one can make it with out spreading them out and them.
Let’s discuss how you bought that blindside in gear!What do you recall about having the ability to persuade Mike, Ryan and particularly Devon to vote out Ashley?
I do not bear in mind, however my hunch is that in all probability all of us assumed we may get Ben out at 5 or 4. Idols expire at 5. And if it was me, Devin, Mike and Ryan, I feel that in all probability Mike and Ryan acknowledged they needed to cut up up this pair. Devon and Ashley have been very tight. They might go into Tribal Council and discuss who was going to provide who the neck rub after they bought again. And I would be like, “What? How have you learnt one in every of you is not getting voted out tonight?” It was superb on them, however sadly, it did not work out nicely for Ashley. And realistically, had Ashley agreed to work with me, I’d have labored together with her to get Devon out.
Fascinating! So that you have been effective going to the tip with Ashleyif she needed to work with you?
I did not need to go to an endgame with a good pair, as a result of I believed there was an opportunity that I may not get taken to a Ultimate Three situation. Now, truly, that is backwards data, proper, is not it? Courtney Yates, wasn’t she the one who mentioned you by no means go to the Ultimate Three with a pair, as a result of then the opposite particular person all the time wins? See, I ought to have thought extra about her technique. I in all probability ought to have introduced Ashley and Devon. But it surely did not matter, as a result of guess what? Ben simply stored turning up with idols. And when there have been no extra idols to be, there was a fire-making problem. So, no matter.
Talking of these idols, we see an entire sequence of Ben discovering an idol clue, having to stay his hand beneath the center of the shelter to get one. Did you catch onto any of what he was doing, contemplating how public it was?
To me, it did not matter. That wasn’t one thing I used to be specializing in. As a result of at Ultimate Six, once more, I nonetheless know that we have now time to vote Ben out later. I did not suppose that I used to be the goal. So whether or not Ben had an idol or not did not actually matter to me. As a result of in the end, there was the purpose that we may get him out at Ultimate 4. And we stored saying to one another, “Okay, he is the one one who cannot win immunity.” And he did not, as a result of then I simply stored successful it!
Let’s get into Tribal Council. The edit presents it as if the vote may very well be both Ben or Ashley. However was one final result locked in stone earlier than you sat down?
I consider the plan was all the time Ashley.
And that was helped by the truth that Ben makes Survivor historical past right here. He pulls out his idol, and when Devon retains saying he isn’t gonna play it, he finally ends up doing so, the primary time that is occurred earlier than the vote. Did that throw you off in any respect?
It was simply extra of his shenanigans. Did it throw me off? I do not know. The entire sport is like getting thrown off at stuff, proper, Mike? I imply, each second is insane. Most likely it did. I feel I used to be laughing as a result of it was in all probability additionally enjoyable and loopy. I in all probability made all types of the facial expressions as a result of he is additionally completely obnoxious, which is hilarious. Ben is nice. Ben and I are nonetheless associates, by the best way.
To that time about your response, after he does it, you flat-out roll your eyes and say, “Okay, nicely that is just a little ridiculous.”
Yeah, it did not should be that loopy. However you already know what? That is what makes Survivor enjoyable. However all of us knew that we needed to get Ben out. So within the absence of having the ability to get Ben out, you cut up up the pair. Now, who wouldn’t it have been had he now performed the Ben bomb? I feel it nonetheless would have been Ashley.
We see Ashley take the blindside onerous, as she denies Devon a hug on the best way out. Did you’re feeling she was concerning you a sure manner in any respect?
No. As a result of, once more, she and I have been associates on the island, however she did not need to play the sport with me. She truly did not have any sport animosity in direction of me, as a result of she ended up voting for me to win the million {dollars}, proper? I feel that she knew that I did that as a result of she had declined me sufficient instances.
Fiinally, what’s one similarity and one distinction between the Chrissy we noticed on this episode of Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers and the Chrissy we’ll see in Survivor 50?
Okay, I’ve to provide you a slight backstory about that. So what do I do as an actuary? I consider all of the attainable mixtures that occur sooner or later, and we assign a chance to it, and we are saying, “What do I must do now to be prepared for that?” So after I was taking part in 35, each time we have been going to Tribal, I’d say, “Okay, what if we have now to vote out two folks? What if there is a second one?” Lastly, Ben got here to me and mentioned, “Chrissy, you might be being paranoid. You need to cease doing this, as a result of folks suppose you are being paranoid.” And I used to be like, “Alright, that is just a little loopy.” It was not loopy! [Laughs.] I ought to have considered each chance.
And so after I went into 50, I used to be like, “I will be paranoid all I would like, simply do not specific it to different folks.” However I undoubtedly then began considering, “What will be thrown at us now?” The theme of the season, “Within the Palms of the Followers,” is we do not know what the followers are voting. We do not know if the followers voted Ultimate 4 firemaking. We do not know if the followers voted idols into the sport or not. However that is one distinction. I went into the sport saying, “Belief your self and take into consideration all the probabilities.”
A similarity is that we noticed it in 35 that I actually clawed my option to the tip of the sport. And I went into 50 feeling very related. It is by no means over until it is over. So there is no such thing as a likelihood that I used to be ever going to roll over and die, or simply say, “Oh nicely, it is me.” So I actually went into that considering, “There’s all the time an opportunity.” Till that torch will get snuffed, or, you already know, you are referred to as the winner, there’s all the time an opportunity.
Associated: Chrissy Hofbeck Returns for ‘Survivor 50’ After a Most cancers Scare — And She’s Trusting Her Intestine Like By no means Earlier than (Unique)
