We’re getting down to the wire on Australian Survivor, with merge now behind us and a jury beginning to build itself up.
While Blood V Water has had a number of memorable moments so far, it’s hard to imagine anything will top last night’s episode, which rocked the audience with a major blindside that kicked 21-year-old Jesse Hansen out of the competition.
While she wasn’t the one pulling every string, the final call came from none other than Sam Gash, a former season two castaway who had been playing alongside Jesse since the early days.
And to add insult to injury, she was holding onto an immunity idol he had found that very day, offering to hide it in her sarong for him as they wandered on back to camp.
As she wrote his name on the slip that would give him the majority vote, she held it up to the camera, and simply said “Thanks for the idol”.
The brutal play has seen mixed feelings from fans, but Jesse himself will hear none of it, and joined WHO over the phone with high spirits and a lot of laughter.
“There’s no bad blood there, for sure,” he confirms. “I have respect for the game, and for the move she made last night.”
Jesse even watched the episode back with Sam last night at a party that saw current players like Josh Millgate, Jesse’s brother Jordie Hansen, and Sam’s husband Mark, as well as former contenders like Aaron ‘AK’ Knight and Brooke Jowett.
“My brother helped organise a really big get together to help celebrate my game, and send me out with a bang, and a bang it was,” he laughs.
“It was a really good night, and we all understand it’s a game and thankfully still have really great relationships with everyone from the show.”
However, we have plenty of questions about that blindside.
What was it like to play Survivor? Were you a long-time fan of the show?
I’m so, so honoured to get to play the game … my brother and I are so thankful for the opportunity. We absolutely loved the show, and it was such an epic experience. I’m going to be grateful for it till the day I die.
What was it like playing with Jordie?
We played two different games and that had an impact on how things kind of went down,” he explains. I guess you kind of got to see a bit of that … and how we both really chose blood, and chose each other.
Based on your exit party last night, it looks like there’s no love lost! Are you still friends with the group?
Yeah, definitely. To be honest that was part of the reason we all wanted to share so much of last night … we knew that there were going to be people out there that would question things and potentially there may be some dissatisfaction towards certain players [laughs]. We understand it’s a game and understand that people have to make the moves they have to. So, if you can throw the punch, you’ve got to be able to take the punch, and we wanted to show people last night that it is a game and there’s no love lost.
How do you feel about Sam as a player versus Sam as your friend?
As a player… our dynamics are quite similar. I think what you saw in the game was that, unlike everyone else, she didn’t underestimate me. She didn’t treat me differently because I’m a 21-year-old. She understood I did have a strategic mind for this game… and that’s why we got on so well, and we were able to work together to do a lot of cool things in the game. She’s done a lot of really cool things with her life, and I really appreciate that. I hopefully will be able to do some of the things that she’s done with her life in my own life. And having her as a mentor and a friend, I guess, to travel through life with now, I’m so grateful for her.
After that episode, who did you think would win?
Well, obviously my brother [laughs]. But, apart from my brother, I think a lot of people out there don’t still don’t even understand how clever Sammy is. We got to understand each other, and what damage she can really bring to the game. I think her social ability and her strategic ability combined with her physical ability to go deep in some of those challenges – she is more of a dark horse than she’s been given credit for.
Would you ever play Survivor again?
In an absolute heartbeat. I’m very much hoping for that, sooner rather than later. I’d be on a plane in tomorrow if I could. Actually, I’d be on a plane in five minutes [laughs].
But would you play Survivor with Jordie again?
Um, look – I think it would be best for us both to potentially play our own games moving forward [laughs].
Australian Survivor: Blood V Water airs on Sunday and Monday evenings at 7:30 on 10.
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