42-year-old Media Salesman Shane Hattingh found multiple idols during his stint on Survivor SA 5 - which had zero impact for him when he got voted out while he still had them both. Amanda Hoosen chats to him and unleashes his inner Russell Hantz:
Amanda: Shane!! Congratulations on playing a fantastic game…….until the end. I’m sure you’ve answered this question a million times already but inquiring minds obviously want to know. Why did you feel so safe that you ended up being voted off with two hidden immunity idols? Shane: I never felt truly safe. I made sure that one idol was left behind, just in case. I knew Sivu would find it as he was an A level student at the school of dark arts that we ran. I almost played it 1000 times that night and really wanted to only use it at the next Tribal Council.
Amanda: Do you think that having an immunity idol is more of a curse than a blessing in the game of Survivor? Shane: Being indecisive can cost you your life at any stage in the game but I don’t believe it's a curse. Stupidity is though and look how many people survive every day with it (no names mentioned).
Amanda:
Personally, I don’t think you were a villain this season. I thought you played a clever game, not an evil game (I think there is a huge difference between the two!). I know there isn’t a winner yet but besides yourself, who would you say has played the best game so far & why?Shane: I believe that Sivu has played a great game by managing to stay off the radar and in-between our own alliance and the Solly/Buhle/Vel alliance. He started playing on day one, unlike some of the other children.
I played a clever game and people hate that - if I am perceived as evil or bad news - then I welcome that. I prefer it, actually. Wait until the next time to see how many more people I can upset!
Amanda: Many people don’t realize that after you play the game, watching it on television almost feels like you weren’t there because there is so much that you don’t get to see (i.e. what the other tribe was going through, the individual interviews etc….). What has surprised you the most so far this season that you only discovered once the show started airing?
Shane: I guess realizing what an idiot David was. He came across to our team humiliated by his own team we then showed him real loyalty and respect. In his warped little mind, he decided that rejoining his painfully obvious team was the right way forward. He should have been hung, drawn and quartered at the Utara flag post!
Amanda: Did you lose much weight?Shane: I lost 15kg in twenty days, so any of the idiot brigade out there, including ex players, that think it was fake and we where being fed etc etc. I would gladly do it again with no food, to just to watch you cry for the breastfeeding you clearly had until very late in life.
Amanda: Have you followed the Survivor SA version religiously? If so, who has been your favorite player from previous seasons? And why? Shane: I always give previous seasons a watch, but after the first episode once I have seen the contestants, I stop watching. I can’t stand the politically correct nice-nice *bleep!*. Ashley Hayden deserves big respect and I would love to play against her.
Amanda: How did you truly feel about having an ex-professional athlete as a coach on the show?
Shane: I feel that whilst it may have garnered ratings, it totally detracted from the game. I’m a Survivor purist and I say let the contestants cut each other’s throats from the get go.
Amanda: Once you are voted off and join the jury, some behind the scenes discussions do take place. Did your discussions with other jury members - once you were voted off - influence who you voted for in the end? Shane: Sure there was some discussion and NO! my opinion was unwavering. I cannot give my vote to children who wake up halfway through, to start playing.
Amanda: My standard question: Being hungry helped me easily decide that by far, pizza is my favorite food (even though I try not to eat it that much). After playing this game, have you confirmed what you absolute favorite food is? Shane: My favourite food, based on my daydreams on the island, was for meat - raw, bloody meat. I could almost smell the blood some days.