The first jury member also explains the reason he picked Sai over Justin.
But what the heck happened on that last challenge?
Did he ever consider playing his Shot in the Dark?
Cedrek McFadden on ‘Survivor 48’.Credit:CBS
And what does he make of Sai coming after him after he saved her?
We asked Cedrek all that and more.
CEDREK McFADDEN:Actually, I’ve been to Luigi’s.
Cedrek McFadden on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
I went about a week ago.
Great food, great host.
Boston’s a great city.
Cedrek McFadden on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
And remember, we recorded this nine months ago and so much happens in life.
I hope you left a hell of a tip, my man.
Well, I think we both appreciate the opportunity to bond.
We didn’t really have a proper goodbye.
As you walked into this last Tribal Council, what did you think was going to happen?
Did you know it was you?
I wanted to believe otherwise.
I didn’t manifest completely that “Hey, I’m going home tonight.”
But it was really strong suspicion that I had that it would be me.
Cedrek McFadden on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
So I was not terribly surprised by it, even though I was wanting it not to be me.
Did you consider playing your Shot in the Dark?
If so, why didn’t you?
Justin Pioppi and Cedrek McFadden on ‘Survivor 48’.CBS
I don’t have a lot of regrets in this game.
That’s probably one that perhaps I should have played.
And I’m putting myself in the context of that moment.
Stephanie Berger, Sai Hughley, Justin Pioppi, Mary Zheng, Cedrek McFadden, and Kevin Leung on the Vulu tribe of ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
I was also incredibly spent.
I had a hard pre-merge since day one.
We’re out there, we’re fighting, we’re at Tribal Council nearly every night.
I still would’ve had an experience that not many people get to have.
And regardless, there has to be a deep appreciation for that experience that we’re getting to have.
I think two things can be true at the same time.
Maybe instead of 20 seconds I would’ve had 40 seconds.
I don’t shy away from that.
That challenge is harder than it looks, right?
There is a spring action on it.
I don’t have calluses on my hand.
I wash my hands a million times a day.
There’s no grip.
And I was ready for a challenge where you stand and hold the rope.
I was demonstrating that.
But that weight and my pregame body weight…
I mean, I lost about 17 pounds by the time I left the game.
And that’s a big difference.
What was more frustrating, this gripping challenge or the balance beam in the water?
Probably the balance beam.
I think the challenge was thebalancing with Kevinat the same time.
And so it wasn’t necessarily getting across the beam.
It was the getting across the beam with Kevin.
But that was the defeating point in that challenge, was just doing it together.
And that was what was tough.
You and Sai had a roller coaster of a relationship.
The edited version that we see shows the bumps in our relationship.
Everyone in relationships has bumps, and they showed our bumps.
Our relationship was still a bond.
Our relationship was complex.
There was a lot of that that unfortunately the viewer doesn’t have a chance to see.
I completely enjoy the editing team.
They do a phenomenal job.
In the sense, withthat Justin vote, I saw somebody’s heart.
What I saw was someone that was hurting.
I saw someone that was in pain, and I’ve told Sai this after the game.
We all were potentially going to leave the game.
That wasn’t up for questioning, but I was concerned about her.
And so that’s what I saw in that moment.
I actually said in that Tribal, I said, “Jeff, this is transcending the game.
This is not about Justin.”
And I came in here, I’m not writing your name down under no circumstance.
That’s what I believe.
But in that moment, I saw it was a human-to-human connection.
You’re having a moment.
She played it right.
She pointed out the holes in the alliance that I had with Justin.
In the moment, that was live in real time.
This game is fluid and we have to respond appropriately.
She pointed out some holes in that alliance, and so it shattered some of that.
So even if he had pushed harder, would it have made a difference?
Depends on what he had said, but it really wasn’t even about Justin at that point.
I was primarily concerned about her as a person.
The same way that you see Joe kind of hold Eva, I was in my moment with Sai.
and I think the quote they showed me saying to her and Mary, “That’s enough.”
I was telling Sai, “You’re enough.
You don’t have to do all this.
You are enough.”
Because I was concerned about her.
So it really wasn’t about Justin.
What was your initial assessment of the Vula tribe?
I was like, “Oh crap.”
On one level, you’re really happy to be in that space.
There’s something to say about the ability to fall down and get back up again.
And even when you fall down, it’s never that you’re out.
And even if you’re out, there’s something next.
Keep your head down, do what you’re able to.
And I knew what strengths I had.
Whats something that happened out there that didnt make it to TV but you wish we had seen?
I laughed a bunch.
She immediately comes to me, gives me information.
I’ve gotten a lot of people saying “Oh, he’s keeping her the game.
She’s dragging him out.”
You’re looking at somebody who thought I would’ve been out the first vote.
