“It was just so hard processing the personal disappointment I felt within myself.”
Her intractability eventually persuaded Kishan Patel and Teeny Chirichillo to flip the script and vote Aysha out instead.
Does Aysha regret not at least telling Kishan and Teeny what they wanted to hear?
‘Survivor 47’ contestant Aysha Welch.Robert Voets/CBS
And, most important of all, did Rome Cooney really spit fish guts onto her?
How hard was it to be the first person voted off your tribe?
AYSHA WELCH: Oh, it was incredibly tough.
Kishan Patel and Aysha Welch on ‘Survivor 47’.Robert Voets/CBS
Because you’re like, we haven’t had to test these dynamics.
We haven’t had to test the loyalties yet.
So then it was just like, dang.
The Lavo tribe on ‘Survivor 47’.Robert Voets/CBS
I was so hard on myself.
Was I not able to navigate the social element of this game?
The strategic element of this game?
Jeff Probst and the cast of ‘Survivor 47’.Robert Voets/CBS
So trying to plan against that, that made it tough for sure.
I was going to let them know the real me.
I don’t know what else I can do to assure you that I am with this four.
Aysha Welch on ‘Survivor 47’.Robert Voets/CBS
There’s not even a possibility that I could work with Genevieve or Rome.
That wasn’t even on the table.
And they knew that.
The ‘Survivor 47’ cast and Jeff Probst.Robert Voets/CBS
They were very aware of that.
So that’s what hurt the most, that I felt like I was all in on y’all.
I was not turning on y’all.
And so I’m just like, Let’s weigh our options.
Why does it have to be Sol?
So if I willingly get rid of Sol here, I’m on the bottom.
Also, Sol was a huge help for us in every challenge up to that point.
Have you seen the man?
He is so strong, he was so key to us winning when we did.
And so I was just like, Look, I hear you.
but let’s explore these options.
And they even told me they were down to vote Genevieve.
They told me they were down to split the votes 3 to 1.
I can’t give up my vote.
So if you’re playing with an extra vote, that’s seven votes you have to account for.
With a Steal a Vote, that’s just six.
You even hear Kishan say it on the episode that We’re saving your butt.
Just so I’m forever indebted to you?
That just didn’t feel like a good enough reason.
I might as well wrote down my own name at the next Tribal Council whenever Lavo goes again.
If you vote out Sol, it’s going to be us three against them two.
No, you’re obviously with those two if you’re willing to get rid of Sol.
Because what was missing in that conversation was their willingness to vote for Genevieve.
And then right before we went to Tribal, they said, Look, we’re down to vote.
You get rid of me, Rome has the power no matter what.
He doesn’t even need you to do anything.
Him, Genevieve, and whatever advantage he has, that’s all he needs.
That was directed towards Rome, because I wanted to ensure that Rome played his idol on himself.
I wanted Rome to be scared enough that he played the idol on himself.
If that’s truly y’all’s fear that he’s going to play the idol on Genevieve.
I want to double-check he plays it on himself.
That way we can get Genevieve out.
And so I even went up to Genevieve right before Tribal.
I was like, Hey, just so you know, me and Sol got a third vote.
I don’t want you to be left out of the vote.
But little did I know, they didn’t care.
Because Im sure it hasn’t been easy.
It’s not easy whatsoever.
I will say nothing prepares you for that.Survivorhas always been something that I thought was impossible.
I just thought it was so hard.
So then when I finally did apply last year, I was like, You know what?
I finally feel like I can do it.
I feel like I can at least go out there.
Okay, I am about to going to go play!
Okay, I can win!
So then now I’m at that mindset of, I can win!
Not, Oh, I want to make the merge!
Or Oh, I just want to survive the first vote.
Which is why I wasn’t willing to get rid of Sol.
And so from that moment on, Sol was just like my safety blanket.
He was the one I could escape to talk about our workouts back home.
I’m just like, Oh my gosh, did that just happen?
MySurvivorexperience is over at this point, and I just was heartbroken.
But it was just so hard processing the personal disappointment I felt within myself.
The goal was to go out there and show myself what I was capable of.
And, I did accomplish that goal.
I did meet that goal for myself.
So that’s what is definitely fulfilling is knowing, okay, there’s only one winner.
Once I got past the like, Dang, I didn’t win.
Hetold me last weekhe thinks missing that time definitely played a role in him going home.
What about in your case, do you regret doing that?
They still grouped me and Sol together.
I said, Okay, good.
And then Sol turned to me and grabbed my hand.
He said, Asians for Aysha.
I said, Okay, we’re good.
At least I’m good with two people before I’ve even arrived at camp.
Okay, heres a question: What is it like living with Rome?
They don’t care to get to know you.
That is Rome in a nutshell.
He’s bragging about this, he’s bragging about that.
And then he said, Okay, next question.
Like, Oh, okay.
Forget about the rest of us.
So it got to the point where our conversations were interviews.
I’m just asking him questions like, Oh, tell me about life back home.
Tell me about your pets.
I don’t know.
So that’s on him.
Did he ever attempt to fake his own death while out on the island?
[Laughs]
No, that didn’t happen?
Not that I’m aware of, but I know he is not above it.
So, did he spit fish guts on you?
He was sitting there chowing down on the fish.
I felt something hit my back.
And I know just knowing who Rome showed himself to be, I know he didn’t care.
Finally, whats something that didnt make it to air that you wish we had a chance to see?
Just the clear dynamics of there being three duos.
We were all well aware that Kishan and Teeny were in the middle.
We were aware that they had the choice to pick whatever side that they wanted to.
And so there was not a potential of us four joining forces for whatever reason.
So it wasn’t as much of a blindside for Kishan to write my name down.
I packed all my stuff.
And then Sol goes, and then I just didn’t understand: What was the game plan?
I didn’t think that I needed a loyalty test.
