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

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.

RNO: Well, you certainly weren’t the first contestant who didn’t seem to be getting enough blood pumped to their head, but they usually get voted out. Moving on, since you were pulled out of Tocantins due to health reasons, why do you think the producers let you compete this season?

Betsy: Look how cute his face is!

Mike: They liked my personality. The game was about to start when they pulled me. It’s like I took a Viagra and was waiting for the hookers to come over and they didn’t show (Betsy laughing almost uncontrollably in the background). I flew back and got jaw surgery and cured my sleep apnea and started working out and lost weight and called them back and they said, “Yeah, come on back.”

RNO: Did you have a particular strategy coming into the game?

Mike: I wanted to kind of be the avuncular laid-back kind of older guy, and kind of take over the cooking responsibility and keep the fire going and have them kind of rely on me for those things and slide under the radar for the first few episodes at least and then start playing Russell’s game. But it was a little too late. Everybody was kind of strategizing Day 1. I was kind of oblivious to everything the first day – I was keeping the fire going and looking around going, “Where is everybody?”

RNO: If you had stayed in the game, other than trying hard at the challenge, how did you intend to deal with the apparent plan to oust you?

Mike: I think I would have talked and danced my way out of it. I think if I had stayed in after the rugby game, people would have seen that I wasn’t the weakest and I would have been an asset down the line with any of the strength challenges. I think they would have looked at me differently. Of course I was making everybody laugh most of the time too. I think I would have changed their minds. I think Liz was the one who kept calling me and Betsy the elders. That’s the first thought the younger people have – let’s get rid of the older people because they’re the weakest.

RNO: So you would have thrown Betsy under the bus?

Mike: No! Betsy and I had a thing going.

Betsy: Yep. Within the first hour?

Mike: Yeah, we kind of bonded immediately and were laughing and having a good time. And I wouldn’t have voted for her no matter what.

Betsy: Do you want to tell him what our alliance consisted of?

Mike: Yeah, we’re both AA people and that came up and we had that common thing. It was kind of cool to have a sister within the tribe.

Betsy: Yeah.

Mike: I wouldn’t have voted against Betsy no matter what. And I would have fought for her if I was still in and everybody was gunning for her.

Betsy: That goes same for me – I would never have voted Mike out.

Mike: If I had caught Russell dumping the water, I would have killed him right there and buried him with his head sticking out of the sand. But in all honesty, he was playing the game to win and he fooled us all.

RNO: Besides Russell dumping the water, what was the most eye-opening thing you saw on TV that you didn’t know about while you were there?

Mike: Him dumping the water and then finding the idol. I think Betsy and I and Mick and Ashley were looking for papayas that day, so we didn’t know. And I thought Jaison was smarter than that.

Betsy: Maybe he’s just playing Russell. We don’t know.

Mike: I don’t know how it works out, but Betsy had him pegged. I was oblivious to things in the beginning, but then I started going, “What’s going on here?” Actually, Betsy said to me, “I don’t think he’s a fireman.” I started thinking – Betsy’s a cop so if she doesn’t think he is a fireman…

Betsy: I knew he wasn’t. Firemen have heart.

RNO: We’re out of time, so do you have anything else you’d like to tell us about your time on Survivor?

Mike: Just that when you watch it on TV, it looks like fun and unlike Betsy, who loves everything and is such a great person and is happy all the time, it is so hard! It is like a million times harder than it looks on TV and you’re way out of your comfort zone and you really do have to survive. But it was a great experience and it was a great story and I got a tattoo with the Survivor logo. Hopefully, ten years down the line, somebody will say, “Did you ever see that show?” and I’ll show them the tattoo and say, “Hey, baby, Season 19!”

Betsy: Is it on your bony little butt?

Mike: No it’s on my shoulder. I want people to see it.

RNO: Thanks again, Mike!

Readers – be sure to click over to my interview with Besty if you haven’t already, which also featured additional comments and thoughts from Mike!

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