Previous contestant from Survivor "AMA!"

Here are the answers from the request about a Survivor contestant. My Answers: 1. What kind of shit went on before the game started? Did you get to talk and hang out with the other contestants and shit or were you blindfolded and separated from all human contact? ---Everyone is at the same location called “ponderosa” you are not allowed to talk or have any type of interaction with the other contestants; the first time you talk to them is when the cameras are rolling. At Ponderosa they have handlers there so you are allowed to talk to them. It’s a lot of reading and relaxing before the game starts. 2. Do cameramen talk to you guys? If you are mean to them, do they try and make you look bad on tv? ---The cameramen did not talk to us, even if we tried to talk to them they were not allowed to respond. There was no reason to be mean to them. The cameramen are not the people that edit the show. The people that edit the show are the ones that could potentially make you look bad. 3. You would obviously need to be a fan of the show to play, did any part of your experience diminish your outlook on the game? If so what? ---Not at all, I am a HUGE fan of the show. I think that by me playing the game I feel I have a whole new respect for the game and the people who have ever played the game. I enjoy watching the show now more since I was able to actually play. 4. At any point did you feel your life was in danger? How far away were medical? Close? Could ever hear them at night? ---The only time I felt like I was in danger was when it was raining for many days straight. I was so cold and shaking for days. We had no water at that point and were not about to drink the rain water because it was runoff from the trees. I was scared my body was going to shut down with no water and food. A few days later Russell collapsed due to dehydration. In Samoa if you were at camp medical was about 40 minutes away from us. If it was an emergency they could get to us within 15 minutes. At challenges medical was right there in case something happened. The only people that were with us at night were the camera crew. They were very respectful of us trying to sleep. 5. It seems to me like old players become friends with new ones (like on twitter and what not). Do you still regularly hang out with people from your season and from others? What does the show do to foster these relationships? Survivor parties etc.? ---There are several charity events where we get to see and meet one another. This is how I stay in contact with people from my season as well as others. I don’t live close to people but the people that live in LA and NY are all very close. We have a shared experience that only we can understand so we are all a big “family.” 7. Oh, also. All you guys seem to loose your shit when you see your family. Like 20 days in... What does the show do to make this experience so emotional? Do they actually separate you from your family long before the game even starts? ---You are going through a really difficult time while you are on the island and VERY vulnerable. You haven’t seen or heard from your family at that point for over a month. I still cry when I watch the family episodes because it brings back memories of seeing my family when I got home. Even when you are voted off you are not allowed to call or contact your family so it’s a long time to have no contact with them.

Edited for readability :)

Here are the answers from the request about a Survivor contestant. My Answers:

1. What kind of shit went on before the game started? Did you get to talk and hang out with the other contestants and shit or were you blindfolded and separated from all human contact?

Everyone is at the same location called “ponderosa” you are not allowed to talk or have any type of interaction with the other contestants; the first time you talk to them is when the cameras are rolling. At Ponderosa they have handlers there so you are allowed to talk to them. It’s a lot of reading and relaxing before the game starts.

1. Do cameramen talk to you guys? If you are mean to them, do they try and make you look bad on tv?

The cameramen did not talk to us, even if we tried to talk to them they were not allowed to respond. There was no reason to be mean to them. The cameramen are not the people that edit the show. The people that edit the show are the ones that could potentially make you look bad.

1. You would obviously need to be a fan of the show to play, did any part of your experience diminish your outlook on the game? If so what?

Not at all, I am a HUGE fan of the show. I think that by me playing the game I feel I have a whole new respect for the game and the people who have ever played the game. I enjoy watching the show now more since I was able to actually play.

1. At any point did you feel your life was in danger? How far away were medical? Close? Could ever hear them at night?

The only time I felt like I was in danger was when it was raining for many days straight. I was so cold and shaking for days. We had no water at that point and were not about to drink the rain water because it was runoff from the trees. I was scared my body was going to shut down with no water and food. A few days later Russell collapsed due to dehydration. In Samoa if you were at camp medical was about 40 minutes away from us. If it was an emergency they could get to us within 15 minutes. At challenges medical was right there in case something happened. The only people that were with us at night were the camera crew. They were very respectful of us trying to sleep.

1. It seems to me like old players become friends with new ones (like on twitter and what not). Do you still regularly hang out with people from your season and from others? What does the show do to foster these relationships? Survivor parties etc.?

There are several charity events where we get to see and meet one another. This is how I stay in contact with people from my season as well as others. I don’t live close to people but the people that live in LA and NY are all very close. We have a shared experience that only we can understand so we are all a big “family.”

1. All you guys seem to loose your shit when you see your family. Like 20 days in ... what does the show do to make this experience so emotional? Do they actually separate you from your family long before the game even starts?

You are going through a really difficult time while you are on the island and VERY vulnerable. You haven’t seen or heard from your family at that point for over a month. I still cry when I watch the family episodes because it brings back memories of seeing my family when I got home. Even when you are voted off you are not allowed to call or contact your family so it’s a long time to have no contact with them.

Thank you! I didnt know how to do that :)

Thanks for the chat everyone! I am signing off now but I will answer more tomorrow. I am Ashley Trainer! Sorry if I am not who you were hoping for.

Where do you shit? Is there some communal shit-hole for everyone?

That's the #1 thing I've always wondered about Survivor.

We picked a spot and made sure everyone knew where it was. The last thing you want is to be interviewing with production and sitting in someone elses shit...

Are there, uh, cleaning materials there? TP, soap, etc?

Nope, the "ladies" get purell for their "time of the month" to make sure that they were clean.

What about pads or tampons? Or do all the women wear menstrual cups? Sorry if too intimate, but inquiring minds gotta know.

We get to bring our own products for that time of the month.

purell? what is the purpose of that when one's on their period?

to make sure our hands are clean. We were only allowed to use it when we were on our period too.

For anyone that cares I did a little detective work to narrow down who I think this is. So to start out he/she said they were there to see Russel S. get evacuated, so that eliminates Marisa, Mike, Betsy, Ben, Yasmin and Ashley immediatly. Also I dont think they would refer to themselves as Russel H., Russel S., and Shambo in third person, so that eliminates them. He/she also said that they don't live in New York, NY or LA, so that eliminates Liz, Kelly, John, Dave, Brett, Mick. The last thing I have is that he/she is using a lot of smily faces, which I could be wrong but usually is linked to a girl. So who it narrows down to is Laura, Monica and Natalie (unlikely because obviously she won). and for the guys Erik, and Jaison.

Nice work! I could know things and got voted out early...

How does it work when contestants wear contacts? Are they given contact lens solution and clean water to wash their hands with when they put them on every morning?

Do contestants bathe together? Is it common to see each other naked?

Does everyone have really bad breath?

We are allowed to wear contacts. We are not given water to wash our hands though.. We would bathe together, it was very common to see each other naked because everyone wanted to get "clean" without wearing their clothes or swim suit.

no we do not brush our teeth, we are not allowed to have anything out there.

I read/heard somewhere that each person is allowed to bring one personal item (toiletry or memorabilia, etc). Is this fact or fiction?

fiction, this never happened on our season. It might have in the past but we got nothing.

If you were at the immunity challenge where Russel Swan had to be med-evac'd, what was your initial reaction?

to be honest everyone thought his heart stopped and we were scared he wasnt going to make it... it was extremely scary, his eyes glazed over. Even Mike's evac episode 2 was really scary.

Do they give you guys sunscreen? Any sort of toiletries at all?

we get a combination of bug and sunscreen. Its mixed together so I wouldnt say its the best thing.. but its something!

Maybe Chochran just didn't wear enough this season? haha

haha yeah maybe? :) he is so funny

Does the casting agency pre-screen the clothes your going to where on the show? I know your probably not allowed to where anything with a logo or brand on it, but do they give you guidelines to kind of go on the "survivor" type outline? because some people dress unsuitable for the wilderness! ex. someone where's jeans and a button down shirt

That is correct, they check all the clothes before you wear it out there. We do have an outline we have to follow for the clothes to ensure we are not wearing logos and we all look good together.

Would you play again given the opportunity to do so?

I would in a heart beat... I would love to

How was it living with Russell for so long?

I liked him while I was out there. He wasnt terrible to live with.

Did Russel receive any help that you're aware of from the producers/survivor crew when it came to finding idols?

Not that I am aware of, I have asked him several times and he claims they didnt help him.

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lol No, you loose your sexual desire. You are too focused on food and the game.

what happens at the end of the game after 39 days are finished and jeff says "i'll read the votes during the live finale"? from a tv perspective, you guys are just sitting around kinda awkwardly and then it cuts to the live show. what is the exit-from-the-game/post-mortem process of survivor like?

We all go back to Ponderosa and leave on a plane back to the US a few days later. Everyone that gets voted off gets to talk to a therapist about the experience to make sure everyone adjusts back to normal life.

So, do the final three also go to Ponderosa? If so, is that awkward knowing that everyone just voted for one of them as the winner? Do the jury talk about who they voted for?

Yes the final 3 go to ponderosa as well. It depends but most times the jury does talk about who they are going to be voting for.

ben browning: huge racist or hugest racist?

huge ...

right, i forgot about colton. fair enough; carry on.

haha yes

How much time on challenge days was spent traveling and waiting for the challenge to begin/end?

Thanks!

we spent at least half a day traveling/ participating in the challenges. Most of them last a long time. They tend to take a while. On our season we had challenges last over an hour. (at least thats what we thought, but we dont have a watch so you just have to go with your gut)

Wow, half a day is nuts. Did you spend most of it waiting or traveling?

Thanks again!

I would say it was a combo of everything, travel, challenges and waiting.

Cool.

One last question if you don't mind... You're pretty awesome for doing this!

You get to select 7 players for a tribe on an All-Star season. Who are your picks?

Parv, Ozzy, Andrea, Cochran, Rupert, Troyzan, Holly

Hey there! Just a few questions.. Is it true that contestants are not allowed to speak if the cameras are off/ are the cameras ever off? Do you keep up with other cast members since the taping? How many people made up the crew and how different was their lifestyle compared to that of the contestants, really?

Hi! Yes thats true, the times the camera's are "off" are when we are preparing for Tribal or for challenges so the crew have to set up their cameras to tape us walking out of camp. I do keep in touch with other cast members. We get asked to attend charity events and there I see people from my season as well as other seasons. I have made really good friends with people that were not on my season. At the start of the show there are about 10 cameramen that follow you around and 2 producers. The producers are the ones that talk to us and ask us questions. They were in a hotel somewhere on the island. We never got to see where they stayed. We had pretty crappy conditions so their lifestyle was WAY better than ours. They had shelter and a shower.

How was it like coming back from the show? What happens to you when you're voted out? Did your eating habits change? What was it like? Best and worst thing about it?

It was really weird when I came back from the show. I had no contact with anyone for 2 months so I felt like I had been on another planet. So much happens in two months its kind of crazy. I got back into the swing of things in a few weeks. I was pretty sick when I got home so I had to watch what I ate. Once you are voted out if you are pre-jury you go travel to a different place with the other pre-jury until the show is over. If you make jury you hang out at Ponderosa (a resort) so you can go back and forth to tribal. The best thing by far has been whats happened since I got home. I have made friends for life and been able to meet amazing people from different shows and seasons at the different charity events I attend. The worst thing is people are mean, especially when hiding behind a computer. I have been called every name in the book, its hard to not let that get you down. They write pretty bad things about you on websites.

That's cool, and I would have to disagree about the bad things the people call you. It's nice of you to do an AMA ^-. What are the pre-jury and the jury place, Ponderosa, like?

Its very different when you play the game, it gets really emotional. I didnt think my emotions would play such a huge role but they did. Ponderosa is the same place where we all started. Our place was ok, it wasnt the nicest place I have seen but we had a movie room, work out room, food, a nice beach. We were not allowed to leave Ponderosa unless the handlers took us out somewhere. The people who are pre-jury travel around. They went to Fiji and went to several different resorts.

Hey, I'm a huge fan of Survivor! Anyway, do you have any favorite or least favorite contestants or seasons?

Least Fav- Brandon Hantz Fav- Ozzy and Parv

kinda gross so sorry but what do the women do when they get their periods? I've always wondered this..

We get to bring our own products.

First off, thank you for clearing with the mods and agreeing to this! You have no idea the level of respect I have for you and anyone who has played the game! Secondly, thank you for answering my questions. I have many more but you have already done more than enough. Thirdly, can I be your real life friend?

You are very welcome. We can be twitter friends :)

What's your Twitter handle?

@Ashley_Trainer

Thanks for taking time to answer to all these questions. This was great! Btw, have you checked out r/survivor? That's the place where we talk about everything under the Survivor sun :)

I have looked at it! Its a really cool area of this site.

Did you get any offers from Playboy?

I did not get any offers.

[deleted]

You are welcome. I was asked to stay anonymous by the people who requested someone. This way if there are any questions that I wouldnt normally feel comfortable answering I can. I am pretty open though :) I think my favorite part was the total experience, it was such an amazing experience to actually play the game. I am a Huge fan of the show so being able to play was pretty incredible. I would also say that everything that happens after. I have attended charity events throughout the US and met some great friends and been able to make a difference. There is a lot of paranoia, even if you are in a "strong" alliance you can never really feel "safe." Its not something that you want to show though because then you may put a target on your back. I think that the only time you can relax is right after you win a challenge, you know you are not going to tribal for a few days if not more so you can get a few days. After merge you get no real time to relax since you go to tribal every few days. Casting takes a long time, 1st you have to submit your app once you get a phone call you may go to LA once in LA you are there for at least a week to get interviewed and do all the testing thats needed. Throughout the week people leave. At the end of the week I saw medical and got sent home. I didnt hear anything for a few months but then I got the call and knew I was selected. Each reward is different, everything lasts a lot longer than they show. At least a few hours :)

What is there to do around camp? I imagine after setting up camp and getting food and what not, it would just be pretty boring. Am i right? What is it that you do all day, waiting for challenges?

It can get really boring around camp especially days there are no challenges. We were pretty busy getting food, water and fire wood, so we didnt do much sitting around. It was nice every once in a while to relax though and just connect with the other people on my tribe. We talked about food A LOT.

[deleted]

I am not sure... any food was amazing.. its hard to tell :)I never felt like people did anything "crazy" out of boredom. I think that it really depends on what they are looking for. I think you need to catch their attention in the first 30 seconds of your video. I think they choose me because I was what they were looking for character wise.

Ok I have a real question:

I recently decided I want to tryout to be on survivor.

What did you put in your video? What came after the initial submission and how did you handle the rest of the steps in the process?

I was in my parents house and explained why I would be good on the show. I edited in photos of me doing "fun" things that I thought they wanted to see in the video. The next step was that I got a call from casting and I got brought to LA. From there I stayed for a week and did multiple interviews and tests then left. I got a call a few months later saying that I was on the show. Good Luck!! I wish you the best.

Does your social etiquette change? I mean like, at first I bet you guys didn't fart in front of each other, but by the end, do you guys feel comfortable enough to cut the cheese?

haha I never saw anything like that happen.

I'm sure being around the same people 24/7 (including people you don't like or irritate you) can get annoying. How much time do people spend just going off by themselves, and if they do that too much does everyone start to talk badly about them or think they're antisocial?

I ask this because I'm the type of person that needs a lot of space and I could envision myself sitting on the beach alone meditating or thinking a lot, and I wonder if my tribe mates would be ok with that.

I think a little time alone is normal but too much would def separate you and give others time to strategize to get you out. You are playing a game and you want to make sure you know what's going on at all times.

The Russells have been the only ones from Survivor Samoa to appear on the show again.

Why is this? Is the small number because the conditions were tough and no one wanted to come back? Or maybe Russell Hantz was too outspoken and took attention away from others? It seemed like a good season of contestants and I'm surprised that so many good castaways haven't been back.

I believe it was because it was "The Russell Show" which took away the fans getting to know the other characters. I surprised as well. I felt like we had some great characters on my season and no one else has returned. Hopefully someone will at some point! I know many of us would go back again for a second season but havent been asked.

Can you talk a little bit about what hygiene/personal care is like out there?

Its bad, you cant brush your teeth and you are going to the BR in the woods. You are pretty stinky but everyone is so you kind of start to get used to it and ignore it.

How intense/grueling were the immunity challenges? And if ever, did you think about giving up an immunity challenge for another contestant's sake?

They are really hard, think about how tired you may get if you miss breakfast. We have zero energy are exhausted and dehydrated. I never thought about giving up a challenge with how our season was. If I were to go back and play and there was someone on our tribe we HAD to get rid of I might consider it but for the most part I would say I would never give up..

What was it like to sleep in the jungle?

It was Terrible, we slept on bamboo which was really painful and it got cold at night, we all had to cuddle to stay warm or at least try. When it started to rain in pretty terrible.

Because bodily function issues are really what we're all here for, are female contestants provided with feminine hygiene products?

Yes they are, that would be really bad if they were not!

I really want to go on survivor, but I have a huge acne problem if I can't put on medicine. We're you allowed to bring any medicine required? Like cholesterol medicine or something? I feel like after a month there without acne medicine and showering, my face would be a total wreck especially with hd cameras following me around haha

If its prescribed by a doc you could probably bring it with you. Its amazing what living out there would do for your skin! My face freaked out right away but then cleared up.

Did y'all have to wear microphones?

during tribal and challenges yes but other than that no not around camp.

What's something interesting you know that we the public don't know regarding this show?

Depending on location the cast gets picked up and dropped off at the different challenges in vans. I am not sure if this is every season but it was the case in Samoa.

do you ever have the desire to be on another Reality Show? or was it one and down for you? always wondered what made people go back for me. is the money or fame that worth it ya know?

I would love to go on another show just for the experience. I would be selective though only Big Bro or Amazing Race. I would go back for the experience and the money.

I imagine you learn quite a bit about yourself and human nature in such a setting. Amazing Race would be awesome. THX for the reply!

Yes I learned So much about myself it was crazy. I def came back a better person and I appreciate a lot more then I ever did.

What is your own personal view of the "game" Survivor? From the outside, I have always viewed Survivor as a game and it always intrigues me at tribal council when people are so emotionally hurt by betrayals and blindsides. Were you able to put into context that it was game and base decisions on what would get me farther in the game, even if I had to betray someone? Some people become very bitter about being betrayed by their Survivor friends, did you feel this way? Or were you able to justify their betrayal by them wanting to win the game of Survivor?

I felt betrayed by Russell just because of the cruel things he said about me and the person I am. He was very different to my face and I trusted him. He was the only person... It does get very emotional though.

Did you hate Shambo?

I LOVED Shambo, she is a really great person and I still talk to her a lot.

Shambo, don't give yourself away.

haha Shambo would never do something like this. She hasnt been to any charity events or anything. Last time I saw her was at our finale.

What were you allowed to bring on the show?

Just the clothes on your back... then we got a swimsuit when there was a water challenge.

If you were on the jury, who would you have voted for?

I would have voted for Natalie as well... based on what I knew before watching the show and especially after watching the show I would have voted for her. At Ponderosa I heard a lot of the things Russell had said about me and I wouldnt have given him money.

If you were going to give someone who will soon go on the show any tips, what would they be?

I would say to prep before as much as possible, workout and push yourself to your max. Re-watch a season and watch a specific player to see how they made it through the game. Practice shooting and throwing things. I hope that helps!

Can a vegetarian go on Survivor? I always wondered this because at camp a lot of the times you catch and eat fish and food rewards usually consist of meat. Thanks for answering!

Thats up to the person... I would say it would be a lot more difficult being a vegetarian since there is a huge lack of food. I do not think there are any particular rules around this though.

Let's say it's day one of creative brainstorming for the next two seasons. Name three season theme concepts and/or changes to the show you would push for.

Survivor 2nd Chances... (people voted out pre-jury) No more idols after they have been used so people are really thoughtful. Thats all I can think of.

Is there anything you think you could have done differently, and how would it have impacted the game?

Oh yes I think about that everyday. I think there would have been a lot of things I could have done differently. Making different alliances would be a huge part. Not voting Marisa out first... so many things!

How do you know when tribal and challenges are?

The producers let us know that we have a challenge as well as tribal.

Is there pretty much a camera guy following each of you 24/7 or do you sometimes have important conversations that aren't caught by the cameras?

There is typically a camera person or a producer following you at all times, if you are with somone. We are allowed to go off on our own though. A few conversations happen off camera but they make us know how important it is to have the convos on camera because they are making a show.

1. What happened if someone got too skinny/starved? Would production step in or?

2. I'm not a cook or anything, so how could you tell the food you were eating wasn't too raw and was okay to like consume?

3. Why did you audition?

4. Did you watch the season back once it aired and find out anything you didn't know?

You were really good, I actually loved your season. It was one of the last ones I watched(:

1. I am not sure what would happen. I dont think they would do anything... If you watch the seasons and see at the end the women are REALLY skinny.
2. We have to use our best judgement with food and knowing if we should eat it or not
3. I wanted the experience and I am a huge fan of the show
4. There is a lot that happens that we were not aware of. I saw a lot when I watched the season air on TV. People say a lot behind your back and there are a lot of alliances that happen that we are not aware of.

What is your opinion of Jeff after being on Survivor?

I really like him. He is REALLY good at his job.

How many hours did you spend working on the shelter?

We spent the first day working on it then we would add things and work on it randomly when we felt it needed it.

Thanks for doing this...How long is the N.D.A. that you have to sign before starting the game, and what sort of ramifications would occur if the results were "leaked" and tracked back to you?..I find it kind of amazing that the " the winner" have never leaked in this social media age....figuring the consequences are severe...thanks *for spelling

We are under contract for about a year and a half. If we were to "leak" anything its said that we would get sued for 5 million. However, Russell was proven to leak our season and nothing happened to him.

thanks for the reply, I guess 5 mill would make most people think twice...one more question..did you watch Mark Burnett's "Bible" mini series, and did you ever feel like religion was part of Survivor, either by editing, or "plot lines?..ya know kind of subliminal.....

5 Mill def makes you think... I didnt watch it but I heard great things about it. I think that we all were more "spiritual" because you are going through a really difficult time and its good to have something to connect with the others. I think that it depends on the people on the show and how religious they are.

[deleted]

I felt that the way that I was portrayed was pretty accurate with the person I am. The only regret is that I wish I wouldnt have got voted off when I did. I think thats with everyone though unless of course you are final 3. The only people I question are the people like Brandon who was obviously mentally unstable. I enjoy watching like a normal fan :) he was really good entertainment!

Besides you, who do you think played the best game in Samoa?

I think Russell played a good game but he didnt play to win.

Thanks for doing this AMA! Wish we could know who you are! :)

Some questions... Would you ever go back and play again? What is Jeff like with the survivors? How long does it actually take between explaining the rules of a challenge and actually starting? What are your thoughts on this season?

I would go back in a heart beat.. Jeff is very nice to us. We only see him at challenges and tribal but it was always very positive. The explination takes a while to make sure everyone understands whats happening and how to do them. Time was hard to keep track of because we didnt have a watch. I LOVE this season. The last few episodes have been so good.

Why do you think people tell Jeff so much at tribal council, often to their detriment?

Is there a general plan/steps that Jeff goes through with the questions at tribal? I've heard he asks everyone certain questions, going through one by one.

We've seen many alliances and plans break down at the last second, or come to light in the last seconds, and it's phenomenal viewing. I understand tribal council can go for up to 2 hours, but surely you could keep secrets/plans from him.

A lot happens at tribal, its a long time usually over an hour so a lot is said. If Jeff asks a question we typically answer :) Everyone gets at least one question. I never knew what to expect going into tribal. Jeff is so good I could see him just going in with ideas and going for it.

Did you experience anything that felt like producers trying to affect the outcome of the game?

I felt like sometimes in the interviews there would be questions asked to make me think differently about voting.

How long in between Jeff going to tally the votes and him reading out the votes?

How far away were most challenges (I'm guessing they are at different locations) and tribal council in your season?

I would say that takes about 5-10 minutes for him to tally and read the votes. It took about 30/45 minutes. I am just guessing because we didnt have a watch. Its just what it felt like.

Were there any challenges where you just thought, "This looks fucking insane!"?

I've also decided that I would like to be on the show; any tips for how to apply??

How long is the time period between production and when the show airs? How much are you allowed to say about the show, if at all?

Were there any really weird rules that you had to follow while being on the show??

Schmurganball I felt that way just because I felt like someone could get really hurt.. I would say to catch their attention within the first 30 seconds of your video. I left on June and the show aired in Sept.. We are not allowed to say anything about us even being on the show until our names are released. We were not allowed to talk about things that happened that were not aired on TV.

If you've been watching this current season, what is your opinion on last nights episode, specifically tribal and the minutes leading up?

Thanks so much for doing an AMA, I'm a huge fan of the show!

OH MY I Loved last nights tribal. I loved the way they played it. I think that it would have been fun to see them play it without the favs knowing what was happening. I love the way everyone is playing. I think its been an amazing season so far. I am excited for next week.

What goes into one's decision to vote a player out? How much is based on emotion vs strategy? Were there any votes in your season that you would have changed after watching it on TV?

Its a lot of strategy but if you are with someone who is terrible around camp it may be more emotional to keep you sane. Yes I would change the first vote of our season and I would have def voted Russell out A LOT sooner. He went after strong people who were actually playing the game.

Was the reunion show a lot of fun? Did you correctly guess the winner?

It was amazing! I had the best time, I did know who was going to win. I was happy with her winning too.

what did you do about your job in the real world? I'm sure leaving for 40+ days wouldn't make you necessarily still have that job..unless they're fans of the show and supportive?

We were not allowed to tell anyone where we were actually going without them signing a confidentiality form. I lied to them and actually quit my job to go out there. It all worked out though.

Thanks for doing this AMA!

My question is: Now that you've seen your season, what do you think you would've done to win?

I should have alligned differently in different ways. I also should have been harder on Russell... maybe he would have kept me longer

Harder, meaning....?

I think I should have really made sure we were in an alliance and been tougher on him to make sure he knew I was a key player. I do think he got scared of the people that were actually playing because he knew we would figure him out.

Is there any amount, even slight amount, of rigging involved in the show?

I dont think so, I never felt that way at least. You could ask someone else and they could say something different than I am. Everyone has a different experience out there.

Does Jeff watch "daily's" to have an idea of what went on that day or does he just really know how to throw questions at people really well at tribal?

I think he get a little knowledge going into tribal from the producers but I am not sure..

Thank you for doing this! I think your done answering for the night so hopefully you might get to this tomorrow! Thank you in advance!

Do you think everyone enters the game believing they will win or do some people doubt themselves? Did you think you could win?

Also!... Did you plan to use a certain strategy or did you end up playing different than you expected?

I think that people probably have doubts, its a hard game and you never know what hand you are going to be dealt with and the players you are going to be thrown out there with. I did believe I could win because I am such a big fan. I had a strategy but I played differently given the people I was with.

Thanks for doing this AMA! Sorry if any of these have already been asked.

1. Is it true that production members aren't allowed to drink water when you guys are around? For example, no one is allowed to drink water in front of you guys when you're performing a challenge.

2. Outside of the camera crew and Jeff, how much of the production team do you see?

1. I never saw them drink water when we were around them. I am not sure they are not allowed to or if it was just because I never saw them do it.
2. We had about 10 cameramen on our beach and 2 producers. At challenges there were a Ton of people there.

1. how often do you have interviews during the day and how long do they typically last?

2. what are some things that the public doesn't know about that you were surprised to find out when playing survivor?

3. how far away from civilization are you really? you can sometimes see roads next to the challenges which would suggest that you get relatively close... at least when going to challenges. also do you sometimes return to the same locations to do challenges?

4. is there any sort of editing trickery that takes place that distorts what actually goes on out there (like taking what someone says out of context etc.)?

Typically a few times a day, can last from 10 minutes to an hour. I was shocked at how hard it actually is, when you are watching the show you dont get to see how starving we are and how miserable we can get with the weather conditions. There are a lot of camera;s around but you tend to forget all about them. I am not sure how far away we were from civilization, when we go to challenges we have no idea where we are. Yes we would return to the same location for challenges because it was a good place for water challenges. I do think some things were taken out of context but that was to make sure the right story was being told.

who are you?

I was asked to remain anonymous so I could answer all questions truthfully. I may let you all know if I answer all the questions and feel comfortable with them :)

What is your opinion on Natalie's win? She is for sure one of the most downplayed winners in Survivor history IMO, and in a poll taken (i believe in this subreddit?) she ranked the lowest on most deserving winners.

You know I am happy she won because I really like her as a person. I wouldnt have given it to Russell or Mick though...

What are the accommodations like for when you get voted off the island? Do you have contact with family or friends? Do you get paid? If so how much?

They were nice, but lets get serious anything is nicer than sleeping on the beach in the jungle. :) We are not allowed to have any contact with friends and family once you are voted off. We dont have anyway to get in touch with them. We dont get to talk to them until we are back in the US. They keep your cellphone. Yes we get paid, it depends when you get voted off.. minimum is about 12,500

So in a way, you don't really loose at all

exactly, you get an amazing experience and amazing friends.

What was your impression of Jeff, what's he like? Do you figure out pretty quickly who his favorites are and how the show might be edited because of this?

I really like Jeff, it was really fun to be around him and he was never rude. I did get a little nervous because you never know whats going to come out of his mouth and if he was going to call me out. I knew who his favorites and least favorites were based on what he said at challenges and tribal.

Does the impression of being one of "Jeff's favorites" affect the game? Would that ever be used as a reason to vote someone out?

No I dont think so... Jeff doesnt have any "say" in the game so it doesnt have anything to do with the cote.

Where do you think you stood with him?

He knew what a big fan I am of the show. I think he liked me. I could be wrong but thats the feeling I got.

Thanks for doing this, big fan! Did you have a feeling you were being voted out when you finally were, or was it a "blindside"? Also, after your torch is snuffed, do you go right to the testimonial area, and how much editing did they do to your goodbye speech?

Edit: If you feel this might tip your position in the game to maintain anonymity, can you answer how much time you personally spent looking for hidden immunity idols?

I had a feeling but I was trusting my alliance... then they voted me off. I wouldnt say it was a "blindside" but I was def shocked. I went right to give my end speech then I was greeted by a handler that gave me food. I was very excited for my food. I didnt spend a whole lot of time searching for the idols.

Thanks for answering!

You are very welcome :)

Do you have advice for someone who wants to be apart of survivor?

It really depends on the character they are looking for. I always say to be yourself. If you are pretending to be someone you are not they will see right through that and not select you. Good Luck!

Hi AMartini2! Thanks for taking the request to do this AMA! I didn't watch your season, but one of the things I wonder about reality show contestants is what you are most proud of doing during the show (regardless of whether it actually made the cut to tv) and what you would have done differently knowing what you know now?

I am just proud that I did it.. its a REALLY hard show and I think I carried myself really well and didnt do anything that I am ashamed of. I would have made more alliances to make sure I was tight with more people.

Who are you rooting for in the current season of Survivor?

Andrea and Cochran... those two are my favs!

I just recently got back into Survivor last season so I did not watch any of the middle season (Samoa included) and just checked out your profile on Survivor Wiki. My question to you:

Which weaher sucks worse, the rain in Samoa or the snow in April here in Minnesota?

lol I would say the rain in Samoa.... it rained for many days straight and we didnt have a tarp so we just got rained on constantly. At least I get shelter here in MN. It still sucks having terrible snow stroms in April.

Being that this is anonymous what is the one thing you would like to get off your chest knowing it can't haunt you?

There isnt anything really... I am pretty open about it :)

Ughhh there goes all our "Survivor" conspiracy theories, haha.

haha sorry!

I asked you earlier "If your Kelly S. will you marry me?". I wanna change that to if your Ashley Trainer from the Foa Foa tribe will you marry me?

haha I am Ashley and I am actually married, I got married in January.