Last Wednesday night Irshaad Ally got whacked out of Survivor when Angie and Amanda decided they'd had enough of him.
After constantly criticising him for various things including being too energetic - I couldn't understand how this could be a bad thing - it was impossible for him to save himself 'cos nothing he said or did would have changed Iban's 3 to 1 vote.
I caught up with him for us and had an excellent chuckle at a particular moment - wishing you were there right there as it was happening - you'll see what I mean. Here's what Irshaad had to outsay, outwit, outrow:
Tashi: You made some bad calls in the challenges and you interrupted people but I don’t understand what it is that made Amanda and Angie - Angie in particular - dislike you as much as they did.
Irshaad: Exactly - from what you say you understand it was a surprise for me as well, like “Why, why, why?”. I think it was a clash of personalities regarding myself and Angie and with Amanda coming to our tribe she then followed suit. It was just Angie not being used to not having food, sleeping on different surfaces, no shower - she was a bit stressed and that’s why I suppose, she acted the way she did.
Tashi: Do you think she needed a scapegoat to dump on?
Irshaad: I think yes, she needed to vent somehow and it was easy for her to get angry at anything - she's a very opionanated person, I think it was just her way of dealing with the situation so she got ratty with me.
Tashi: There were those challenges you sank but you seemed to handle other things well - the lack of food, all the arrangements and so on. You didn’t moan about anything.
Irshaad: It wasn’t that bad, it’s easy - I’m used to fasting so I’m used to not eating for the day and being outdoors, I loved it, I just made it home. It wasn’t as hard for me as it was for the rest of the people.
Tashi: So what would you do differently if you did again?
Irshaad: I would have tried to understand Angie more - I would definitely have tried harder to win that last immunity challenge. The fatal blow for me was when we shuffled. I went fishing because Angie and I hadn’t eaten for a while and Rijesh followed me - Angie then got hold of Dyke and Amanda right there and then and said “Let’s have an alliance,” and Amanda and Dyke really didn’t like Rijesh so from thereon out it was against them and when Rijesh left I had to fight to win every challenge.
Tashi: Would you say Rijesh was your downfall?
Irshaad: I wouldn’t say my downfall, I’d say the fact that the two of us left together that night, that was the blow.
Tashi: So do you still interrupt people?
Irshaad: Everybody interrupts people, I mean if you’re saying something and I want to know what you’re saying I’m going to stop you and ask you, “Hey, what’s going on? What are you saying?” It’s just a conversational thing. I think they blew it out of proportion.
Tashi: Do you think there was any truth to it?
Irhsaad: Yes, a little bit, maybe a little bit, but not that much. Yes I was a bit interruptive but not enough for them to be like that,
I think.
Tashi: After you got voted out you said you didn’t have any alliances but in the episode there was a moment where you said had a strategy, whe -
Irhsaad: My strategy was –
Tashi: You interrupted! (laughs a
lot)
Irshaad: Oh sorry,
Tashi: No worries, I do it too.
Irhsaad: You’re laughing but it’s become a thing with me, I keep listening and thinking: ”Am I interrupting? Am I interrupting?”
Tashi: So what was your strategy?
Irhsaad: It was to perform well in my team, do my best, work hard at camp, not too cause to much trouble. I think in the end I became a bit of a pushover and that added to my downfall. I think I should have rocked the boat a bit more. When it was just the four of us, myself, Dyke, Amanda and Angie - I should have said more.
Tashi: Why’d you enter the show?
Irshaad: An old neighbour that I haven’t seen for years, I saw her at a Sunday lunch and she hit me on the shoulder and said, “Why don’t you enter for Survivor?” - she saw it in the You magazine I think. The next day I went online and entered.
Tashi: Who would you like to see win?
Irshaad: I would say Lorette or Mandla - either/or. Those are two people I could relate to from an integrity point of view, I could trust them. They made me feel good on the island, they were my friends.
Tashi: Who do you think will win?
Irshaad: I think Grant, he’s got enough scheming ability.
Tashi: There are two contrasting sides to playing - the scheming abilities Grant has and the abilities to provide like Hein has. Often the jury don’t give the bucks to the schemers.
Irhsaad: If you fly under the radar enough - when it comes to individual immunity that’s coming up soon, if you don’t have immunity but you’ve rubbed people up the right the way and schemed enough around them you won’t be such a threat whereas Hein’s been the king all the time so he’s much more of a threat.
Tashi: I take it the last person in the world you want to win is Angie?
Irhsaad: Yes, I have to admit.
Tashi: What was your most classic moment?
Irshaad: When I lost that rowing - that was classic don’t you think?
Tashi: Yes! I can’t believe I forgot about that - no wonder they voted you out!
Irshaad: Exactly, I was on my way through the South China Sea to Japan.
Tashi: What happened?
Irshaad: I’m from Cape Town the city, I don’t know how to row. Every challenge - because I’ve got a bit of muscle and run fast or whatever - every challenge they push you out and say: “You go,” Angie or whoever would say: “Mandla and Irshaad you go.” Nobody else stepped up, like Grant, I was so disappointed that Grant wouldn’t step up when we were in the old Iban.
Tashi: That was obviously part of his strategy, so that he couldn’t be blamed if he failed?
Irshaad: Yes I think it was, which is a bit disappointing.
Tashi: What was your worst moment?
Irshaad: When I lost my temper with Angie and I embarrassed myself there. She said something about people and I jumped up and disagreed with her and she kept saying I don’t know what I’m talking about. I kept saying that it was how I felt about it and that she didn’t need to push me down.
Tashi: What’s your ultimate memory?
Irshaad: Catching that small fish - I think I caught the first in Iban, eight of us eating on it, that was my best moment.
Tashi: Do you think you gave up?
Irshaad: No, I think I gave it my all.
Tashi: What’s it like being on TV?
Irshaad: I love it, love it.
Tashi: Do people recognise you?
Irshaad: Ja all the time.
Tashi: Do they comment on your gameplay or do they just say: “Aaah you were on TV.”
Irshaad: I went to Aston Martin, the car place, at the Waterfront in Cape Town. I just walked in and the salesperson took my hand immediately. He showed me the cars and said, “You obviously won the million, it’s why you’re looking at the cars.” I’ve got some friends who said, “Ah man you should have stood up for yourself,” - but that’s the way I played the game.
Tashi: What are you up to now?
Irshaad: I’m back in Cape Town, my girlfriend from Germany’s here, we’re together, so I’m spending time with her and doing freelance graphic design work.
Tashi: If you like being on TV so much what show do you want to do next?
Irshaad: Noot Vir Noot - I want to host that show - I want to take Johan Stemmet’s job. That’s just a joke but I mean - why not?
Tashi: Do you genuinely know the answers to all those questions?
Irshaad: Not at all hey. My family does, the older ones, hulle almal kyk Noot Vir Noot (they all watch Noot Vir Noot) but no, not me, I’m not that good.
Tashi: Do you have enough graphic design work as a freelancer?
Irshaad: Ja I do - I also drive taxi’s at the weekend.
Tashi: Cool, what route do you do?
Irshaad: Bonteheuwel.
Ends