During Sunday night’s episode of Survivor, Vanessa Marawa’s inevitable whacking happened when all the Survivors got more boring than they’ve ever been and refused to give us any new action.
On Monday morning I was determined to find out who was to blame for the state of affairs and caught up with Vanessa to find out why she didn’t
do more to save herself.
Tashi: What was your first thought when you heard you were going to Dead Man’s Island?
Vanessa: Um, “Oh no.” I could use the real words that I used at the time but it wouldn’t be acceptable. I really didn’t want to go. I was very … for nine days I’d known I was basically gonna be kicked out of the show.
When we merged it was clear that the former Aguila members were gonna go so for nine days I was holding on waiting for the day they were going to vote me, which was torture. There was nothing else we could do to get ourselves back in the game.
My mind was at home, wanting to eat, wanting to get a nice bed and stay warm so when I got the lifeline, which might sound great to other people, I just thought “No, I can’t actually do another island. I can’t do any more.”
Tashi: But you weren’t given a choice.
Vanessa: No, no choice.
Tashi: How does it all work? As soon as you walked out of Tribal Council did they tell you you were leaving straight away?
Vanessa: Ja, just after I ordered my hamburger and glass of coke they were like: “Sorry, it’s not happening today.” I really thought they were joking for a while but it was clear they weren’t when I spent the night sleeping on the beach that's at Tribal Council. They put you far away from the rest of them so they don’t know, you sleep by yourself and in the morning you go by boat to Dead Man’s Island.
Tashi: When you got to the island it was obviously made better with Mzi and Brigitte being there?
Vanessa: A little bit but at the time I would have rather been re-united with them over cocktails at the hotel. Thank goodness they were there though and I came last. I can imagine how Brigitte suffered by herself.
Tashi: And she didn’t even try to make a fire or catch a fish or do anything.
Vanessa: But she’d hurt her fingers at the Challenge just before she left so she really couldn’t do anything.
Tashi: In the build-up to your leaving, why didn’t you try
more to get Gareth in particular on your side? Especially when you had him right there with you during your reward.
Vanessa: I did try. It wasn’t shown in the episode but I think that especially after seeing them vote Mzi off when they really did need him on the tribe, it was obvious to me that there was nothing I could say or do or offer him in exchange for Gareth turning his back on his tribemates.
The only thing I could do was to say that the girls would probably vote him and Zayn off and it would be smart for them to get me on his side. He did think about it but he decided to stick with his tribe mates. He was in a safe position so I didn’t think he wanted to rock the boat. It would have cost him further down the road with the jury.
Tashi: I kept wanting you to really work on his paranoia about the two girls and just tell him that he would be so ridiculous not to make a radical change right
now.
Vanessa: I did say all of that to him and he seemed to consider it but him and Jacinda had an alliance within that alliance so he really didn’t need me.
Tashi: Mzi’s been going on about Gareth not having a backbone. What exactly does he mean?
Vanessa: Gareth’s pretty much let the girls run the tribe. He hasn’t stood up and given his own opinion. It was obvious the day Mzi got voted out that Lezel managed to sway everyone.
They’d all decided they were going to vote me out and she managed to persuade them and Gareth and Zayn never said a word and just went along with what the girls said. They never once showed any kind of chutzpah. I agree with Mzi completely.
Tashi: If you were in Gareth’s position would you play the same way he has?
Vanessa: In terms of trying to keep face maybe but I think I would have tried to make the game more my own. He really doesn’t seem to put any effort into anything. Not the challenges obviously, he’s won those, but in terms of tribe relations, he just let it fall into the girls hands. I think I would have stood up and been more of a man about it than he’s been.
Tashi: One of the things that was really highlighted during this weeks Immunity Challenge was that no-one besides Gareth and Mzi tried to fish the entire time you were there. Why didn’t you at least just try to give it bash?
Vanessa: I dunno, the challenge looked so much easier when you’re catching the fish off the boat because there are plenty of fish but for me, by the time Mzi left I thought I was going to be eating in a day or two.
After I won the reward I got a meal so the next day I didn’t really care what happened to Rana members. It was two days without Mzi and one day I ate - I didn’t really need to go fishing.
Tashi: But before that. Especially in terms of the chicks and how they’ve all basically handed their power over to the men throughout the show by letting them be the providers. Wasn’t there any point at which you thought: “Flip, as a chick I better get this done so that I’m not dependent on them.”
Vanessa: I really didn’t think I could fish. When they said we were catching fish at the Immunity Challenge I thought: “Oh my goodness, I’m not gonna catch a single thing.” I just didn’t think I could. It wasn’t something that crossed my mind for some reason.
Tashi: Besides Mzi, who did you get along with best?
Vanessa: Brigitte.
Tashi: Really?Vanessa: At first we were like oil and water. We’re quite different and we really didn’t get along at the beginning but once Sam was gone and Jude was gone, us being the only two girls on the island we formed a bond and we became friends, as far as you can in this kind of situation.
Tashi: Regards the money - nobody (except Lezel this week) has mentioned it once and there doesn’t seem to be any feeling that people need that money. Do you agree with that?
Vanessa: I would agree. I think a lot of people entered for various reasons and the money was secondary. I think for everybody, it’s only when we all reached these final stages that we realized we weren’t just playing a game but that there’s a reward at the end of it.
Tashi: This is different from what happens in the US one where people look forward to that money from the start. Why is it different here?
Vanessa: I think the group of people chosen were there more out of wanting an adventure and something different to do and many of us are fans of Survivor. The money was something that was never discussed. I don’t recall anyone saying: “If I won, I would do this with it.”
Tashi: Do you think the people they cast don’t need the money?
Vanessa: No, gosh, I think everybody needs the million rand, I just don’t think anyone wanted to jinx it by thinking about it too soon.
Tashi: If you win what will you do with the cash?
Vanessa: It would be the usual things, you’d try and invest some, go shopping a bit, see if you can open a business or whatever the case may be. I honestly haven’t thought about it in great detail. I think it’s something you decide if and when you get it.
Tashi: You say you’re a Survivor fan?
Vanessa: Yes, I’ve watched every season that’s ever been on.
Tashi: Who’s your fave Survivor of all time?
Vanessa: Boston Rob.
Tashi: Mine too! I just lurve him.
Vanessa: He’s awesome. He makes good TV and he’s very smart.
Tashi: Who’s your absolute worst?
Vanessa: Jonny Fairplay.
Tashi: Yes, yes, he’s appalling. I did an
interview with him and he’s exactly like he was on the show in real life.
Vanessa: He’s so creepy.
Tashi: There’s been a lot of criticism about the show that you guys have had it easier than the Amercian contestants. What would you say to that?
Vanessa: I strongly disagree with it. I think maybe people think we haven’t lost a lot of weight or whatever. If anyone went back and watched the first episode they’d see how much weight we actually have lost.
Secondly the American Survivor was longer so if we carried on for longer we’d end up the some way. We didn’t have anything easy, there was nothing given to us except for water. It being easy, I don’t think so.
Tashi: So everyone’s lost weight except for Zayn.
Vanessa: No Zayn actually lost a lot of weight. I think it was more difficult to see because he had a bit of weight but I think he lost about 10 kilo’s.
Tashi: Was there anyone that surprised you?
Vanessa: No I think I had everyone pretty much sussed.
Tashi: Who have you been watching the show with?
Vanessa: I have a couple of friends in Durban who I watch with. I don’t watch with my parents.
Tashi: Was that a specific choice?
Vanessa: Ja, I think my friends know more about what Survivors about. I think this is the first time my parents are watching and I think it’s more fun watching with friends - we can give our opinions and shout at the TV.
Ends