Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Well, I have to start with where things finish, because, look, given the fact that over the past few episodes specifically, there was so much talk from so many of these players about if Joe gets to the end, he wins, he's dominating every part of this game.
00:15And I think at least a fair amount of people were surprised that, you know, all of that culminates in a jury vote for you.
00:23What was sort of your level of surprise after that final tribal council when the votes ended up coming in?
00:30So, OK, so obviously this has been extremely difficult in terms of you're kind of the last one to get the microphone, meaning the people that are at the very end.
00:38And you have to you hear all the other exit press, you hear everyone's perspective.
00:42But, you know, what was really difficult is you hear back as you're watching it.
00:48People are blaming you for being there or, you know, he had a part in whatever, right, wrong or indifferent.
00:55But that's their perspective. And you think, OK, so I've heard several people.
00:59People say this is why I'm here. But you get one vote.
01:03So, man, I really thought long and hard about how to handle this and say, you know, my man, because, you know, there's some things that are said in exit press.
01:13There's things that are done that you're like, man, that that's things that's.
01:16And I try to realize that in this, like, here's my whole perspective on it is I just got to start with me.
01:24Like at the end of the day, listen, I could sit here and blame and I have a lot to say about certain things.
01:29I could blame this person or that person or why did they do that?
01:32Here's my perspective. And you did this. You did that. At the end of the day, it's me.
01:36If I didn't do it, if I didn't get a vote, it's because I didn't do something or I did something that I didn't like or I didn't do something.
01:42And I just got to take ownership of that. It's all falls on me.
01:45And I wish, you know, that's maybe said a little more is that we all have a part in our own, you know, loss.
01:52And I must have done something that and maybe I'll get that feedback from them.
01:58But one day, but I must have done something or didn't do or did that they didn't like, you know?
02:03Yeah. I mean, what I'm intrigued by is that we see David in like this little jury interstitial.
02:07It's even been talked about a little bit of the exit press as well of like, you know, Joe preaches this.
02:12Loyalty and teamwork. And then he makes these betrayals.
02:15He's got to prove that lying was part of his game.
02:18We didn't see that really come up in the editor of the Final Tribal Council.
02:21Was that really brought up at all as a topic? And if so, how did you respond to it?
02:25You know, it's it gets blurry when you like play it back.
02:28But to that concept, you know, and that was implied there.
02:32Yes. It's difficult when I hear that because I couldn't disagree more.
02:37I couldn't have a harder, different perspective.
02:42And that's what I've been trying to do is in this whole process.
02:45I'm like, Joe, just try to be respectful of this.
02:47Like that's their perspective.
02:49A few. But when it comes to like this lying in the seat or whatever, it's like, you know, there's a couple.
02:55And maybe we'll get into it. But like with David specifically, it's like, listen, that's your perspective.
03:00And I feel what happened on the island and and how I was treated by that person and treated by a few others in the moment.
03:08That trust was broken before any of that happened and that, you know, the perception is this and I'm not trying to make it.
03:18Oh, I didn't. And I didn't play a perfect game and I absolutely made mistakes.
03:22But, you know, I will strongly disagree that that my game was deception or that I lied or I there was a lot other pieces to this that are.
03:32Hey, that's not how it went down from my point of view at all. But I want to respect if that's how he saw it or others, then I'll respect their opinion.
03:41But I couldn't disagree more.
03:45One of the big revelations of the many that we saw at that final tribal council was Kyle sort of dropping this bomb about not only his relationship with Camilla,
03:53but the fact that it seemed like from their perspective, you know, they had helped kind of coerce you and Eva into getting rid of Shaheen.
04:00And talk to me about what your reaction was there.
04:03And especially now watching the season back and seeing like the Thomas vote, the David vote.
04:07This seemed to be the connective tissue of these two kind of coming to you and trying to lead you to make certain decisions.
04:16So I don't want to disrespect their game because it would be unrealistic to say that any of us knew the depth of their relationship.
04:25Sure, you know, you might have we see people talking, but I'm going to flat off say like, no,
04:29I did not know that the depth of their relationship and good for them.
04:33Like, that's it, period, end of story.
04:36Like, sure, hindsight.
04:38Oh, I knew this.
04:38I knew that.
04:39No, I didn't.
04:40And I'm proud of that in a weird way because, listen, what makes this complicated that people can't really see is both Camilla and Kyle
04:49and I shared very intimate things that are just between us that are off camera, that I know is real and I know is deep and I want to believe that.
05:00And then what happens is, but then you're hit with lies and deception.
05:05And so what makes it complicated is if you think about it in your own life, if a friend told you something very personal and real,
05:11but then gameplay blindsides you with deception, that's why your head gets scrambled is you're like, man, I know this piece is real.
05:20So there's no way they're lying to me about this.
05:23And so, yeah, was I lied to?
05:25Yeah.
05:26Did it work?
05:27Yeah.
05:27And I think that with trust, you have to lean all into it.
05:31And that's why you get hurt is you can't be half in.
05:33And then when it comes to the Shaheen element of it, because, like, did they get us with Thomas?
05:38Absolutely.
05:39Period.
05:39I was not ready for that.
05:42With David, I'll say this.
05:47With Shaheen in particular, him and I had an argument, right, that in a much more intense emotional argument that was kind of like outside of just theory.
05:59We talked every day.
06:00We strategize every day.
06:01He's a great person and very intelligent, one of the best players out there.
06:05But we fought that day about just other things, coconuts in the beach and what's wrong with you?
06:11What's wrong with you?
06:11And we just we fought and they knew that.
06:14And we gave that away as a duo.
06:17We fought.
06:18And because we fought, and this might be hard for people to understand, if we don't fight, he doesn't go home.
06:24And I don't mean that like he fought, I sent him home.
06:27But it meant we didn't have a normal discussion.
06:31Why don't you just ask him this?
06:32Why didn't you ask him that?
06:33It's because we had fought like a couple.
06:36We just fought like a married couple.
06:38And we couldn't recover from it.
06:40And they were smart and bright enough players to see the crack that we created.
06:47And we just couldn't.
06:48And what I mean by that, like, it's like, you know, two days before they come up with this plan and we're hitting like we normally do.
06:55We have a normal conversation.
06:56We hug it out.
06:57It's over in two minutes.
06:58And I mean that.
06:59It's that we had had a really big emotional disagreement, like not about the game.
07:04And then it spilled into the conversation that you see.
07:07So that's kind of how my answer to it is.
07:10It's not to take away their game.
07:12But we fueled that last piece by our lack of ability to get over our disagreement.
07:19So, yeah.
07:21I mean, what is so incredibly intriguing about this season and your game in particular is that you said a few times, right?
07:26Like, I'm looking to not necessarily play the way that others have done recently.
07:31And, you know, to your credit, you were able to succeed in playing this game that was based in getting a group to the end.
07:36And based in loyalty.
07:39But looking back on it, do you think there is room in a modern day game of Survivor for that type of strategy?
07:48Man, you have great questions, as usual.
07:50I mean it.
07:52Here's what I say with that.
07:53What's hard to hear is, yes, I had a plan of getting a group to the end or this loyalty thing.
07:59But I didn't – it gets spun into – oh, I'm saying that this hierarchy or this like, oh, I'm better or worse because – that's really hard to hear because that's not the memo.
08:11I just – my idea was you can't make it to the end, in my opinion, alone.
08:17At some point, you have to trust someone.
08:21You have to – and the more that you can trust, I feel the farther you can go.
08:26And I just want Survivor fans to look at it like, just be okay with letting someone play the way their game is just lying.
08:36That's the difference.
08:37I'm okay with that.
08:38That's your game.
08:40And if I don't want to do that, it doesn't make me better or worse.
08:44It's just my path.
08:46And I think I want the game to stay that pure.
08:48Like don't – just because I don't play it your way, it's not that I'm better than you.
08:53I just – it's what I wanted to do because – because I have some things in the bank that I have to remind myself are there.
09:02You know what, buddy?
09:03I'm 21 years old with no kids and no wife.
09:05Like maybe I do play this differently.
09:07I don't know.
09:08But in my life, right now with what I've been through, it's just like, hey, I'm going to dive into this, try to be this person that is based up if we can trust each other.
09:19And that's not a perfect kind of algorithm, but it's the best that I'm going to do.
09:25And do I think there's room for that today?
09:27Absolutely.
09:28I just – I hate that it has to be one or the other.
09:31Right.
09:32I think that you also need to read the season.
09:35David comes to me early.
09:37Hey, I got five or six others that are down to do this.
09:42Whatever this is, I do the math.
09:45That's a lot of people.
09:46Sure.
09:47And if I'm on a season that, you know, I land and it's like nothing but cutthroat, well, guess what?
09:52I'm going to have to figure out how to move my way into that.
09:57So I also don't want it to have the perception of like there's only this way.
10:01You got to get there, read the crowd, and then go, all right, like this is what we're doing?
10:06All right, well, okay, I'm going to – and then I got to make a decision.
10:09So that's – yeah, I think there's room.
10:11When you went out there, you and I spoke about obviously the meaningfulness that came with just stepping foot on that beach, given everything that happened with your sister.
10:20And we got to see that moment of closure happen following you getting the letters.
10:27Talk to me about that.
10:28Because in the midst of such an emotionally intense game, that has to be, for lack of a better term, adding fuel to the fire of everything that was going through your head at that moment.
10:38Yeah.
10:39Again, that was – just for anybody that knows, like that was 100% real.
10:42That wasn't scripted.
10:43That wasn't, you know, any other thing.
10:48And I had kind of heard that, like, maybe that was too much for Cameron.
10:52Why then?
10:53And it really was that the letters from home, seeing my wife, both my kids, this ability – work my way through this.
11:03I apologize.
11:04No, please.
11:04Walk your way through it.
11:05Them giving me the clarity to say, you know, just be courageous enough to be vulnerable.
11:17And it's something – the weight of that with my sister I've been carrying on for so long, but also domestic violence and how many people's lives it just crushes and it destroys people's lives.
11:31And we don't talk about it enough, especially from a male perspective that was directly involved with it, meaning it was my sister.
11:38And listen, everything I do every day, every weight I lift, which I do a lot of, is in six for Joanna, right?
11:46The letters of her name, J-O-A-N-N-A.
11:48And we got down to six, and she was with me, and I felt that.
11:52And out there, it was just like, this is time.
11:55And I also wanted to do it for everyone that's suffering from domestic violence or in a horrible situation, just to see, like, man, this dude is just – I'm just going to let it fly.
12:06And it is something that I will never, ever be able to explain.
12:11I'm so grateful to Survivor, to production, to everybody that allowed me to do that and then allowed it to air.
12:20Like, that was just – you know, I'm grateful.
12:27The last thing I want to ask, because I'm sure we could do another entire 15-minute interview about the Eva of it all.
12:33Right.
12:34What was it like to leave the island with essentially a new family member?
12:38Oh.
12:39Someone that you never expected you would have left the island with once you stepped foot on it.
12:43But, you know, I – when it comes to Eva, like, this is the thing that I try to focus on is, imagine I'm on a different season.
12:52Imagine I'm on a different tribe.
12:55Imagine she doesn't even have an episode.
12:58She just works through all the challenges, and it never comes up.
13:01We have the private conversation, and it never comes up.
13:05It all had to align for this relationship to take off the way that it did.
13:10Sure, we'd be tight, and sure we'd have that, but what happened and what she was able to overcome, like, I'm just blessed I was along for the ride.
13:19And that she put me in a position to allow me to help her, you know, without her asking.
13:26She could have asked anybody.
13:27It doesn't happen the same way.
13:29And she will always be a part of my life and my family's life, and I love that girl.
13:38I always will.
13:39And that very much showed.
13:41I know you said in the after show that you were so grateful for the opportunity to show the world who you really were and to say that you did would be an understatement.
13:49So thank you so much, man.
13:51As always, I relish our conversations just because of how open and honest and not afraid to be emotional that you are.
13:59And it's something that I very much appreciate.
14:01It's something that so many people do as well.
14:03So thank you, as always, man, for the always fantastic chat.
14:07Oh, no.
14:08My man, you just, you have a huge following.
14:11You have become Survivor.
14:13You've earned it.
14:14And it's an honor to talk to you.
14:18Talk to me.
14:18You know you've made it when you're on the mic with you.
14:21So thank you.
14:21Oh, my God.
14:22Well, the pleasure was all mine.
14:23I wish you and your family nothing but the best.
14:26I cannot wait to talk to you again.
14:27And all the best, Joe.
14:29Thank you so much again.
14:31Thank you, my man.
14:32You have a good one.
14:32Bye.
14:33Okay.
14:33Bye-bye.