The ousted player also reveals a threat from Rachel that led to his demise.
Andy Ruedawanted nothing more than to convince people he was playing a strongSurvivorgame.
But once he finally did, it got him kicked to the jury.
Andy Rueda on ‘Survivor 47’.Robert Voets/CBS
What does Andy have to say now about his startling transformation over 23 days?
Does he regret pitching Rachel so hard when she was still in the game?
We asked him all that and more.
Andy Rueda and Rachel LaMont on ‘Survivor 47’.Robert Voets/CBS
(Also verify to check out ourexit interview with Genevieve Mushaluk.)
ANDY RUEDA:I don’t know.
I’ve always been lucky.
Sam Phalen, Rachel LaMont and Andy Rueda on ‘Survivor 47’.CBS
I just put it in the saltwater and it just stayed how it was.
I didn’t have a mirror, but I had a feeling I had the good island look going.
Okay, tell me your reaction when you saw Rachel pull out that immunity idol at Tribal Council?
Andy Rueda on ‘Survivor 47’.CBS
And we made the read that she didn’t have the idol.
And I just had to laugh.
I mean, it was very surprising.
Andy Rueda on ‘Survivor 47’.CBS
And I knew just in that moment, it all just went up in the air.
What was your reaction to hearing that?
Because a lot of it was under the shadows.
Andy Rueda on ‘Survivor 47’.Robert Voets/CBS
So I totally get why you did it.
And so I felt like I needed to do anything I could just to make up some ground.
I didn’t know I was that convincing.
I will say that that was obviously a very big part of why they voted me out.
Another factor is thatSueunderstandably was just very upset with me.
She wanted my head on a spike.
And so it was surprising how it worked out, but that’s just how it fell.
Its a great question.
I was still in the game and I’m like, Okay, I am still in this game.
How do I go forward after this?
My perception is in the mud.
And so that gave me safety in the early part of the merge and a good spot.
I’m a big fan ofAustralian Survivor.The Kristie Bennett final Tribal Council was in my head.
I was like, Maybe that’s a path.
Yeah, but you haven’t answered the question.
[Laughs]
Okay, you’re right.
Its all about the branding, Andy.
So it was my idea to come up with the name, because it just felt so cool.
I knew it was sitting there.
This is like a heist.
I’m aBig Brotherfan, so I like naming things and the idea of naming alliances.
Naming a move was definitely in my head.
A lot of things were thrown out.
I will say this: The Italian Job was a name that was thought of.
We considered it, it just was not meant to be.
And in the end, we came up with Operation: Italy, and I’m happy with it.
I’m really glad we did that.
That was one of the better decisions, and one of the better parts of Operation: Italy.
Its maybe the most remarkable turnaround weve ever seen on the show.
That is a great question.
But I was experiencing a ton of lows.
And it wasn’t just at the challenge.
It was very difficult.
The only time that it got so low as to be like,Why am I out here?
How is this my life?
This is a waking nightmare that I am manifesting right now.
Let me not think about if this is the worst performance inSurvivorhistory.
Let me just gather as much as I can.
Just play the game.
And during the scramble of that vote, I will say that I was back to sort of myself.
This is my dream.
Let me just give it my best shot and try my best."
So the boat capsizing was the moment.
That was the moment.
Only for a five second period, I’m like, I shouldn’t have gone out here.
But then I’m like, No, let me give it my best shot.
Whats something that happened out there that didnt make it to TV that you wish we had seen?
Let’s circle back to my vote-out.
And that is a tactic that is risky.
I can’t afford to take that risk.
But that threat really worked on me.
