Mike and Betsy Exit Interviews – Survivor Samoa (S19E02)

[cwalton]

http://samoa.survivor.com/wp-content/uploads/S19E02.mp3

We just got off the phone with Mike and Betsy, talking about their experiences in Samoa. They are both really nice people and it was fun to talk to them. The interview is pretty funny, so take the time to listen to it.

Mike’s physical issue was dehydration and nothing more. He was fine two hours after they took him away. They confirmed, with blood tests, that there was no heart attack or any other health problems.

Betsy said that she “actually likes Ben, because there’s hope for Ben, but there’s no hope for Russell”. About Russell’s relationship with Jaison, Mike said that Jaison was “too smart for this own good, too cerebral. Jaison is playing chess, while Russell is playing checkers.” Betsy didn’t want to say it, but she did admit that she should have “gone along with Russell and kept her mouth shut, but I just couldn’t have done that. He’s such a snake.”

Listen to Mike tell why he won’t be going to India soon and how he could have died on Survivor Tocantins. It’s not how you think.

30 minutes long. 10.7MB. Download it here.

[Diane]

I can't get this to work. I am also confused that it says Survivor Tocantins.
Will come back later

[pawpaw]

Reality News Online - Survivor - Besty's Interview

“They Couldn’t Have Been That Dumb” – RealityNewsOnline’s Exclusive Interview with Survivor: Samoa’s Betsy

Betsy was targeted as the old person, though Russell’s main goal was to get her out because she was too smart for him. Did she realize how much control he had over the tribe? Just what did she think of Russell? What was her strategy to play the game she loved? Read on to find out all this and more!

I spoke to both Mike and Betsy at the same time, since they were both eliminated in the same episode. So while I was directing questions at each of them individually, the other was always free to speak up as well – as Mike did here. I interviewed Mike after Betsy, and you can read that interview here. Read on to find out what Betsy had to say!

RealityNewsOnline: Hello, Betsy, and thanks for taking the time to talk to us here at RealityNewsOnline!

Betsy: Sure.

RNO: After trying to get on to Survivor for so long, did you have a particular strategy coming into the game?

Betsy: To tell you the truth, it was a tough – it’s such a fun game and that’s why I think it’s such a success, because there are so many twists and turns. It was hard for me to come up with just one strategy. I was hoping to play strong and work hard around the camp – gosh, I didn’t know 48 was going to look so old around camp! I just wanted to be a strong physical player. It started out because I needed a vacation when the kids were younger, and I thought it would be a vacation on Survivor. Once I got accepted on the show, [my strategy] was just to be a strong worker around camp.

Mike: That’s where we differ. My idea of a vacation – Survivor was waaaay down on the list.

Betsy: But with no laundry. That’s heaven.

RNO: You obviously picked up on Russell’s shadiness. But why come out and tell him directly after you saw Marisa pay the ultimate Survivor price for doing the same thing?

Betsy: Russell just makes your skin crawl. You just can’t even stand looking at him. (Mike laughs in the background.) Mike didn’t have as hard of a time. I just spoke my mind and told him I didn’t trust him. It was hard to keep in because he’s such a snake and I didn’t want to deal with him and get sucked in to his shenanigans. He really is a nasty kid.

RNO: Did you have any inking into just how nasty he truly was?


To Read More

[pawpaw]

Reality News Online - Survivor - Mike's Interview

“I Put It All on the Line” – RealityNewsOnline’s Exclusive Interview with Survivor: Samoa’s Mike

Mike had the unfortunate situation arise where he was pulled from the game due to medical reasons. How is he doing now? What actually happened and how long did it take him to recover? What would he have done if he had stayed in the game, and how did he and Betsy come to be such close allies? Mike discusses all of this and much more, plus additional commentary from Betsy.

I spoke to both Mike and Betsy at the same time, since they were both eliminated in the same episode. So while I was directing questions at each of them individually, the other was always free to speak up as well – as Betsy definitely did here. I interviewed Betsy first, and you can read that interview here. Read on to find out what Mike had to say!

RealityNewsOnline: Hello, Mike, and thanks for taking the time to talk to us here at RealityNewsOnline!

Mike: No problem.

RNO: First and foremost, how are you doing now?

Mike: I kind of came across on the show like I was dying and having a heart attack. An hour later I was fine – in the clinic eating ice cream and joking with everybody. I kept saying, “Can I get back in?” I just blew the engine like I did on my Isuzu. I ran out of water and oil.

Betsy: Do you drive an Isuzu? (Laughing.)

Mike: Yeah. But it was dehydration, lack of food, lack of sleep. I really did give 150% out there – I put it all on the line because I wanted to make an impression, and I paid the price. But I’m fine now, I was fine an hour later.

RNO: What actually happened out there? Was it your heart or the way you got slammed during the challenge?

Mike: This was the hardest thing I ever did in my life and I did a lot of crazy things. That game went on for 45 or 50 minutes. It was grueling and we were hitting each other. It got out of control. At one point, we weren’t even going for the balls, we were just hitting each other. It was like 100 degrees. The last round, I was on beyond empty. I knew everybody else was too and it was just a question of will in the last round. Then there was a little luck involved – we were only one point behind and they scored the basket and won. After the game, when Probst was talking to us, the sunlight was so bright, I thought I was dying and going into the light – I was looking for dead relatives. I wasn’t getting enough blood pumped to my head. That’s when I knew I had to see medical, but I just needed a little time to recuperate. But they didn’t want to take the chance.

To Read More

[cwalton]

Originally Posted by Diane

I can't get this to work. I am also confused that it says Survivor Tocantins.
Will come back later

Well, that's because I'm an idiot who doesn't check what I do! I put up an outdated link.

It's been fixed, so please try it again. Thank you for telling me!

http://samoa.survivor.com/wp-content/uploads/S19E02.mp3

[Diane]

Good interviews. Thanks for fixing the link.

[cwalton]

Thanks for listening to it.

I think it was one of the better interviews I've done. They are pretty funny, I think, both of them.

I'm waiting for the Russell exit interview. Wow. That'll be a good one.

[pawpaw]

Exclusive Interview with Betsy Bolan with 'Survivor: Samoa'

Betsy Bolan, who struggled with substance abuse before becoming a police officer at the age of 47, was a very relatable contestant. Though she never seemed to find her strategic footing, she brought a nurturing spirit and a well earned wisdom to the show that added warmth to an otherwise gritty cast. But last night Ben accused Betsy of being a bad cop and blew her away with an imaginary pistol. The others joined him in voting her off as a liability even though she never appeared to struggle in the challenges.

When I talked with Betsy earlier today she told me whether her wild youth impacted her decision to become a police officer, whether she was especially disappointed in the women for siding with Ben, how successful Mick and Liz were in hiding their professional success and how hard she found it to keep her frustrating island experience from her family.

I was really touched by your story. You've been open about the fact that you went through a wild youth before becoming a cop at age 47. Was it your goal to prevent others from making the same choices you did? And has it made you a better cop?
It sounds shallow, but no, it wasn't a goal of mine to prevent people from making bad choices. I am sure I don't have that much power. Maybe [I could be] an inspiration to some. That would be wonderful because I will never forget (or want to) how down and out I felt in those crazy days. And to be so blessed now... It took me just as many tries to get sober as it did to get on Survivor. I just didn't give up. It helps in working with the community since I do have experience and I have more empathy.

I know you're a fan. Of anyone who's ever played the game, who would have been your two ideal allies?
I would think I could trust Mick and Jaison.

Did the fact that you got voted off in the second episode make it most frustrating to keep your experience secret from excited loved ones?
Absolutely! My brothers and sisters will not tell me things, they know better. I would try to tell my husband little things but he wouldn't let me.

To Read More

[pawpaw]

Exclusive Interview with Mike Borassi from 'Survivor: Samoa'

Last night on Survivor: Samoa, Mike Borassi, the 62-year-old personal chef from Marina del Ray, California, was evacuated from the game. After trying hard to prove himself in the Schmergenbrawl challenge he collapsed twice from the exhaustion and dehydration. Mike had originally been chosen to compete on Survivor: Tocantins but had been removed hours before the game for medical reasons. Mike has since reported that he was fine an hour later, but not until after he had been removed from the game.

When I talked with Mike earlier today he told me about his culinary training, how his football training prepared him for the Schmergenbrawl, what inspired him to grow a pointy beard, why he really voted off Marisa and whether he would have preferred to compete in Tocantins.

I know you were originally supposed to be on Tocantins before getting pulled just prior to the game. In hindsight, which season would you have rather been on and why?
Tocantins. I don`t think the challenges were as hard as ours were. They had food and h2o right off the bat. We had to struggle from the get go and really survive.

You talked in one of the deleted scenes about training under "mean, heroin addicted, violent French chefs." Have you seen reality shows like Hell's Kitchen and The Chopping Block? How do they compare to your experience?
Compared to my apprenticeship with these nuts, those shows would have been a cake walk. I worked only 12- 14 hours a day. [The French chefs] knew how to party hard but they were mean drunks on top of it. So I laugh at these reality cooking shows. I learned the hard way like everything else in my life.

You were a football coach at Boston University, and you certainly took some people down in the challenge. Did you remember much from those days that was helpful?
Football was a big part of my life from 12 years old on. I loved the game and loved to hit, a crucial requirement to play good. So when this game came up I felt like I was 20 again and I showed those young guys I still had it. If you have heart it never goes away. Between rounds , Russell S. looked at me and said "you`re tough for an old guy." Eric also said he was honored to play head to head with me, which I appreciated. We gave it our all.

You lost 40 pounds before coming on the show. That's amazing for a 62 year old guy! How did you do it?
To Read More

[Diane]

These interviews are also very good. Both of them are admirable, intelligent, interesting people. I wish Mike had caught Russell pouring out the water. I would have loved to see him with his head sticking out the sand. And I wouldn't have to see the rest of him.