Andy Rueda is reflecting on his exceptional “Survivor” journey.
After being voted out by Rachel LaMont’s stunning idol play, the 31-year-old AI analysis assistant completely spoke to The Submit about how he went from struggling a public breakdown on day three to masterminding his “Operation: Italy” scheme that almost gained him the sport.
“I’ve done a lot of work trying to proces exactly how that happened, why that happened, like what was going on there,” Rueda mentioned.
He additionally known as the incident “unprecedented” and “uncharacteristic.”
Learn Rueda’s full interview beneath.
New York Submit: Do you are feeling that your ultimate dialog with Rachel was the nail in your coffin and impressed her to vote you out?
Andy Rueda: I do really feel that it actually contributed to that concentrate on shifting from Sam to me. I’ll say that within the aftermath of Operation: Italy and getting out Caroline, Sue was not pleased with me. She wished my head on a spike. So the 2 of them have been collaborating as to who to get out. Sue’s choice was for me to depart. That being mentioned, you recognize, if push got here to shove, I believe it’s undoubtedly possible that Rachel might get Sue to vote for Sam if that’s what they wished to do. However when it comes to that dialog, I believe that it form of sealed the deal in a approach.
Had been you ever significantly contemplating siding with Rachel and Sue to vote out Sam?
My plan had Genevieve not need immunity was to genuinely swing over to them and work with them and use the block vote to get out Genevieve. I assumed that was going to be form of the very best case state of affairs, however she gained immunity. And so going again, I used to be taking part in my choices as a result of we might do the identical factor with Sam, however I don’t assume it was going to be as enticing of a transfer. After which Rachel, when she first pitched that the three of us ought to do away with Sam, she mentioned one thing to me. She checked out me and mentioned, ‘By the way Andy, if you lie to me one more time and you vote me out, Sue and I will never vote for you on the jury.’ And that was like a risk that in Survivor historical past is sort of like a dangerous play. But it surely simply completely labored on me as a result of I simply checked out that, I’m like, ‘I can’t afford for that to occur’. In order that led to all this form of determination making when it comes to not siding together with her and in addition having that particular dialog wherein I’m telling her that I’m voting for her.
Was your plan to do away with Genevieve and Sam subsequent and go to the ultimate 3 with Teeny and Sue?
I really feel prefer it was fairly clear to us that Genevieve was going to be the runaway risk when it comes to jury vote. So I believe there would have been undoubtedly sufficient momentum on all counts to verify she will get knocked out of the ultimate 5 if she doesn’t win immunity. So I undoubtedly wasn’t snug sitting subsequent to Genevieve. Sitting subsequent to Rachel would have been an especially uphill battle, in my view. However I felt like if I had performed all my playing cards proper and all of my bets paid off and I did every part I wished to do ultimately recreation that I might sit subsequent to Teeny, Sue, and even give myself a shot in opposition to Sam.
How irritating was it to be advised continuously that the jury didn’t respect your recreation?
It was its personal curler coaster as a result of the best way I tailored within the recreation after waking up on day 4 was to play into my low notion and to actually capitalize on that. So to a big extent, it was a function, not a bug of my recreation that carried me by means of an extended methods. However on a strategic stage, I knew that I wanted to alter that notion in some unspecified time in the future, and that narrative wanted to begin to flip for certain.
On an emotional stage, it’s simply powerful to be like, ‘These people think I suck.’ It’s sort of a disgrace. So on all accounts, it was such a tightrope and form of a troublesome path to play the sport. However I really feel like I did so much proper when it comes to managing my risk stage and attempting to time a very fascinating however slim path to a possible victory, which might in fact embrace having a possibility at ultimate tribal council to verify everybody knew I used to be conscious of those perceptions and to subvert them.
What was the response from the jury whenever you obtained there?
I stroll in. I’m apprehensive that I’m going to a chilly reception. I obtained a really heat reception, which is basically good. I sat there. I talked about my recreation. It wasn’t as epic and emphatic as it might have been in ultimate tribal council. However I simply sort of laid it out and I did have a gratifying second with the jury. Their jaws sort of dropped a little bit bit and so they’re like, ‘Andy, whoa, whoa.’ It’s a pleasant comfort prize as a result of it’s over at Ponderosa. However I had this second the place I believe they noticed the deserves of the sport I used to be taking part in.
How do you look again on the breakdown that you simply had in entrance of everybody on day three through the premiere episode?
I’ve executed loads of work attempting to return again dwelling and course of precisely how that occurred, why that occurred, like what was happening there. I’ve lived 31 years of my life. I take a look at it as a really unprecedented and like extremely, in my view, uncharacteristic form of second for me. However Survivor is simply so troublesome in ways in which individuals don’t see from the sofa and also you by no means know the way you will reply being in that second. The beginning of the sport was notably powerful for me, particularly beginning on day two. There was anxiousness developing that… in the true world I’ve anxiousness and I’ve coping mechanisms to take care of that. And in Survivor, not solely have been they not there, however my makes an attempt to seek out these backfired closely.
After which that every one culminated in that very bodily problem the place I had warmth exhaustion. It was a second and I’ve to actually course of that and be like, that was one thing that I did. And that occurred to me. However in fact, there’s a approach ahead. Within the recreation I recovered and grew and discovered day by day. After which I come again dwelling and the season is sort of the second act of that the place it’s like coping with the wild highs and lows of individuals reacting to you as a TV character.
However this complete 12 months has been such a 12 months of development. I discovered so much from each single day on the market, together with day three. And I can simply take that with me and go ahead. And I do know that every one the individuals in my life who matter couldn’t be prouder of me.
The “Survivor 47” finale airs subsequent Wednesday at 8 p.m ET.
