There may be loads to argue about amongst followers of Survivor‘s “new period,” from season rankings to favourite strikes. One fairly-consensus opinion, nonetheless: Dee Valladares is essentially the most dominant winner amongst them.
Certainly, at a time when the hit CBS actuality sequence was making main modifications to the sport beneath the gudiance of making “harmful enjoyable,” on paper, it ought to be close to inconceivable to keep up management. However Dee did so for almost all of the sport, as a part of a foursome established within the early days of her beginning tribe. Finally, like all good alliances, issues hit a breaking level, as Drew Basile and Austin Li Coon selected to focus on their fellow Reba, Julie Alley. And so Dee determined she’d reasonably go toe-to-toe with one among her quantity ones, secretly alerting to play her idol. The consequence: A stunning blindside and the elimination of Emily Flippen (who Dee will probably be taking part in with as soon as extra on the upcoming Survivor 50).
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However Dee was adamant to not take her foot off the pedal. As Drew and Austin continued to focus on Julie, she was serving to the bulk put Drew’s destiny in jeopardy. The one factor complicating issues: Her emotions for Austin. Feeling self-admittedly “smitten” within the second, Dee confronted a basic “head vs. coronary heart” conundrum. Tip Austin off about Drew’s blindside, the way in which he did in regards to the Julie vote? Or make that favor unrequited, and go away him at midnight. In the end, she selected the latter, a pivotal transfer placing her in pole place to take residence the win.
And it nearly did not occur.
“I will be trustworthy. There was a second the place I thought of telling Austin, due to the feelings in me,” the 28-year-old tells Parade solely. “He simply advised me about Emily the vote earlier than, and the way can I not do the identical factor to him and screw him over?”
With CBS airing the Drew blindside as a part of its “Street to 50” sequence, learn on for our full interview with Dee, the place she will get into how she did certainly screw Austin over, and why she’s bringing a “extra fiery” model of herself into Survivor 50.
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Earlier than we get into this episode, I wish to get into the large transfer you pull off final episode. On the eleventh hour, you tipped Julie off to play her idol to ship Emily out with a single vote. How did you find yourself pulling that off, particularly with out anybody linking you to it?
The vibe at camp was awkward. one thing’s occurring when folks aren’t speaking to you. And I used to be given the information of Julie proper earlier than Tribal Council, so we have been getting babysat, clearly. And I believe on Survivor, I’ll say this to any future participant. You may’t management the sport. However there will probably be alternatives that rise that you simply completely must freaking seize and never take into consideration the results afterwards, as a result of if you concentrate on the results afterwards, you are finished.
So within the second after I was advised that it was Julie, I believed to myself, “Oh my God.” It simply did not sit proper with me. And likewise, I had a lot data that that is my second to cement myself shifting ahead. As a result of the Reba 4, we have been taking part in such a dominant recreation, and we have all been taking part in such the same recreation. So it isn’t simply how can I cement myself shifting ahead, but in addition how can I shield an ally? And I believe in that second, it actually served me.
I re-watched the episodes this morning, and I believe it actually helped that I cared for Julie as a person, as a human standpoint, apart from the sport. I needed to see her succeed, her and Austin, it did not matter who. Even when I did not win, I needed one among them to win. And I believe it is very uncommon to search out that on Survivor. So in that second, I used to be simply praying. I am like, “Oh my God, I want Julie alone.” And as quickly as, I believe it was Austin that was babysitting us, he walked away. And this was proper earlier than Tribal, when the producers say, “On ice, you possibly can’t discuss.” I am like, “This can not occur to me proper now. I want to inform Julie.”
And somebody walked away from us. Whether or not it was Emily or Austin, I do not bear in mind. And Julie and I have been alone, and that is whenever you see us sitting down at camp. And I mentioned, “Hey, it is you tonight. And in that second, my coronary heart was in a spot the place it should not be. As a result of I am like, “Is that this going to work? Is she going to be okay with it? What’s she going to do?” As a result of now I am giving her the complete energy. “Is she going to be okay with this? Is she going to make it work?” I am placing all my eggs on Julie. So it is a very scary second. And you’ll really feel the strain with not simply the tribe, however even the producers working round making an attempt to seize every little thing proper earlier than Tribal. You are feeling the strain within the air with manufacturing. As a result of they can not name “on ice” proper now; some recreation strikes are occurring! But it surely’s scary. It is like one of many scariest moments ever.
This episode, we see you set in your greatest performing face to not give away that you simply advised Julie to play her idol. Had been there any particular factors the place you thought you’ll be discovered?
100%. You may by no means be too certain on Survivor, and also you simply gotta go along with it. There was part of me that was pondering to myself, “Oh my God, I am not that good of a liar. So for certain, folks need to catch onto this. However both approach, I’ll take this to my grave as a result of I am taking part in a recreation.” So the chance of it working was approach higher than the chance of it not working. So I would reasonably attempt to look silly than to not have tried in any respect. And that was the second that I used to be like, “I simply gotta go along with it. And if I mess up, I mess up.”
As a result of you possibly can even see, within the episode, Drew was like, “You did not inform her?” And I used to be similar to, “No! Julie’s so good, she clearly caught on.” And it was enjoyable to look at, as a result of you possibly can inform that we’re all simply making an attempt to get by each day, all simply making an attempt to play the sport. And despite the fact that we’re on the Remaining Six, we’re nonetheless studying the sport. There are nonetheless so many issues that we’re studying. And as newbies, first-time gamers, you are not essentially serious about the skin world. You are actually indulged within the mould. I believe that is particular as first-time gamers.
We see Julie, Jake and Katurah all resolve on gunning for Drew individually. Did you additionally come into the Remaining Six desirous to do away with Drew? Or was this one thing you extra so rolled with as soon as it was dropped at you?
I, with out speaking to anybody, needed Drew to go. As a result of I knew within the Reba 4, Drew was closest to Austin, and he additionally had a relationship with Julie. And he is a terrific speaker. I did not actually know that the jury wasn’t too keen on him. So I did need him to go. However I will probably be trustworthy, it got here very straightforward after I heard different folks needed him gone! [Laughs.] And that is whenever you see Katurah and I doing the, “3, 2, 1, Drew!” I believe everybody in that second needed to additionally make a giant transfer. And it was good for me, as a result of I made my massive transfer the vote earlier than, with voting Emily off. And it simply labored out, as a result of after I heard that, oh yeah, after all, I am going to vote with you! So it simply type of deliberate out the way in which that I needed it.
You had a straightforward time saying Drew’s identify, however Austin actually didn’t when he gained reward. Had been you shocked you and Katurah received picked to go on the picnic?
To begin with, I do not bear in mind if we knew we have been occurring a helicopter. However as quickly as I heard “helicopter,” I even forgot in regards to the recreation. [Laughs.] I used to be like, “Holy crap. We’re in a helicopter in Fiji!. We’re truly not even taking part in the sport anymore.” After which when he selected Katurah, I used to be like, “Hell yeah!” As a result of that leaves Julie behind. She’s my different primary ally. No matter occurs at camp, she’ll let me know.
So it was nice as a result of I might actually benefit from the second of being on the helicopter and the reward understanding that camp is settled. It doesn’t matter what occurs, Julie will give me the heads up. After which if one thing occurs on my finish, I am going to give her the heads up too. But it surely was superior as a result of whereas we have been on the helicopter trip, we have been being given a real tour. I am certain it prices some huge cash should you needed to try this. We noticed the islands the place it was like, “Oh, that is the place this individual performed. That is this problem.” And also you simply could not consider it. And we landed on a personal island. How a lot folks pay to try this?! That is insane. It felt actually particular wanting again on it. After which 3 times we flew over camp. I believed that was humorous. That was the funniest second ever. [Laughs.] It was savage.
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Properly, it might need been helped by the truth that you have been there with some very welcome firm. Your relationship with Austin had been talked about previously couple of episodes. However we see the 2 of you holding arms within the helicopter. And there is a complete sequence of the 2 of you speaking about each other, the place you admit you are just a little “smitten” with him. Speak to me about your emotions in the direction of him at that time, and did they alter in any respect primarily based on that afternoon?
I would not say that my emotions modified after he selected me, as a result of they have been already there prior. So even when he hadn’t chosen me, I’d have understood that it was a recreation transfer. As a result of we have been already linked, we knew that we received one another’s again. Nevertheless, after he selected me for the reward, there have been emotions of guilt. As a result of I knew that Drew’s identify was type of brewing. And after we get again to camp, oh my God, we simply went by such a particular expertise. And now I am gonna screw you over.
So that is why I really like confessionals, since you discuss issues by, and it is type of like a remedy session. And there was a second that I thought of telling him, I will be trustworthy. There was a second the place I thought of telling Austin, due to the feelings in me. He simply advised me about Emily the vote earlier than, and the way can I not do the identical factor to him and screw him over? Till I really sat with myself, and in a confessional, I used to be similar to, “Why am I right here? I am right here due to my household. And, as a lot as I am linked to Austin, as a lot as I am linked to Julie, Drew, I simply met them 20 days in the past.” And as a lot as I really do love them, I really like my household extra. And I am even right here due to my household and all of the sacrifices they made, leaving a communist nation to go away every little thing behind. How can I mess that up simply due to my emotions of guilt or my feelings for a person?
So it was very onerous. I cried at night time. However on the identical time, I knew that somebody like Austin would perceive the gameplay. So that basically made me really feel higher. And he’s simply so emotionally clever. Even when, as an instance he would not have advised me about Julie, I additionally would have understood. So I believe there have been, sure, emotions of guilt. But additionally numerous acceptance and understanding that, hey, we’re taking part in a recreation, and I do know you are not doing this to screw me over personally. You are simply doing it to ahead your self within the recreation. It is not an “F.U.,” but it surely’s like, “I gotta do what’s greatest for me,” you already know?
The edit creates climacticism going into Tribal Council about whether or not or not Austin would play his amulet idol on Drew. When he stood up, did you assume he was going to apply it to himself?
I wasn’t shocked he performed the amulet, as a result of that was the final time he might play the amulet. However after all, you possibly can by no means be too sure. And there was part of me that was like, “He will need to have caught my bluff, and he might play it for Drew.” However even then, in that second, I am like, “Alright, as an instance he performs it for Drew. At the least I knew I used to be protected.” Julie, would go residence however I knew I used to be protected. However yeah, I used to be s—ting my pants for certain when he stood up, I am like, “Oh my God, he caught my bluff. That is loopy. Julie’s gonna go residence.”
When Drew stands as much as go, the jury factors out how mad he’s. What have been you in a position to gauge from his response contemplating, arguably, of the 4 individuals who voted for him, you betrayed him essentially the most?
As quickly as he noticed the primary vote, I believe he knew. I believe there was a second the place he instantly grabbed his luggage earlier than the remainder of the votes have been learn. However sure, I undoubtedly betrayed him. However I believe that the factor with Drew too, he had extra of a killer intuition than Julie and Austin did, and I felt that. I felt if Drew was going to betray somebody, sure, he was going to for Julie. However at any second, he might additionally betray me. I knew for a reality he would not betray Austin, however I did not know that he would not betray me. And despite the fact that there’s that little 5% of uncertainty, that 5%, I gotta go along with my intestine. So it is type of like “I gotta get you earlier than you get me.” And sure, I betrayed him, but it surely needed to be finished.
Lastly, what’s one similarity and one distinction between the Dee we noticed on this episode of Survivor 45 and the Dee we will see in Survivor 50?
I believe the Dee going into 50 is extra sure of herself and extra fiery. I’d say that I believe she is aware of, for the primary time, you are on a TV present. And other people ask me on a regular basis, “Ought to I am going on Survivor?” And I at all times inform them, “Are you assured in your self? Have you learnt who you might be? For those who assume you might be who you might be, then okay, go on the present.” However it is going to destroy you, if you do not know who you might be, due to the fandom coming for you. They’re going to love you in the future; they’re going to hate you the following. So it is a Dee that doesn’t care about what folks assume.
The identical Dee that likes to have enjoyable is again it doesn’t matter what. And I do know that that is nonetheless season 50. However even whereas I used to be getting interviewed, I used to be similar to, “I promise you, I am gonna have enjoyable. I’ll do no matter it takes to verify followers have enjoyable.” Followers come first. So it is only a Dee that likes to have enjoyable and may be very unserious.
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