“I’ve Never Heard a Bully Talk About Teamwork” – RealityNewsOnline’s Exclusive Interview with Survivor Hero James

RealityNewsOnline: Hello, James, and thanks for taking the time to talk to us once again here at RealityNewsOnline. First things first – how is your leg?

James: Alright. My leg had to get surgery at the end. It’s alright, strong, feels fine, I can walk on it.

RNO: It needed surgery? What was the diagnosis?

James: I tore my ACL and my meniscus.

RNO: How bad was it for a strong guy like yourself to have to leave the game a second time due to an injury?

James: (laughs) It’s kind of like what happens on Survivor. I’ve never been hurt in my life. Then every time I to on Survivor, I get hurt in some wild random stuff. It’s out of my hands. It’s one of those weird things that happens when you’re competing and doing challenges.

RNO: I presume you knew before Tribal Council that you were being voted out?

James: Yeah, pretty much. I mean, I dunno. It’s kind of like after the race, I figured I was the weakest link. Rupert and J.T. were going back and forth about whether to vote me out because they promised they wouldn’t. I was just like, I can’t run and can’t perform like I should, so I told them to go with Colby or stay with me, whichever one works, it doesn’t even matter. They made their decision and stuck with Colby.

RNO: Do you have any insight as to why the Heroes voted out Tom instead of you last time, but then suddenly decided to keep Colby instead of you this time, even after you outperformed Colby at the most recent challenge?

James: I didn’t really know how bad my knee was. Tom at the time was not really performing at camp or at challenges or during the whole actual game part. I was always committed to the whole thing – I would make sure the fire was done and do camp life and did pretty good in challenges. Tom would be off by himself and always seemed to be the monkey wrench in the spokes. Why keep him around? He’s not really helping us.

It was just crazy because Tom was such a great guy [in his original season]. But when we got around him, he was hustling to much, playing the game in more of an old school manner – he was too aggressive and not calming himself down. He was trying to coach people too aggressively , which doesn’t work anymore.

If I’m telling you, that’s kind of bad. And if I can outtalk you in any situation, you need to take a class. They expected us to kneel down to them. I told them we’ve all been on Survivor so for us to kneel down and be at your beck and call, it’s kind of odd that you’d think that. You’re the great Tom and the great Colby, but it’s kind of odd that you’d take that position.

RNO: When you talked about why you were voting out the supposedly weaker tribe members, it came across as just being excuses and rationalizing. Why didn’t you just come out and admit that it was purely strategic and you were sticking to your alliance?

James: Yeah, it was part of my alliance. It was weird because honestly, you really can’t think about that. I really just wanted to win, I wanted the team to be strong and do good. The guys they did get rid of before me really weren’t trying to help the team. It seemed to be just the same two or three people [causing problems] in every challenge.

They made me seem like such a bully because I was talking about teamwork. They tried to make me look like I was being mean. Yeah, it was beneficial to my alliance to get rid of them, but those people really weren’t performing at camp or in challenges.

What’s wrong with you, man? You’re supposed to be the great Colby. Dude, Tom, c’mon man. I’d much rather win the challenge and kept one of them around. If they’d have performed, we’d have won stuff and had fun and we could have figured everything out at the merge. Everybody was trying to be a chief and nobody was playing as a unit. Sometimes you can’t make a difference and just have to be a role player.

RNO: A number of viewers and fans have commented that they used to really like you but have been disappointed in the way you behaved this season. How do you respond to them?

James: It’s editing. It’s cute, I like it, it makes me laugh. Every time I run into somebody who says that, I say, “You think teamwork is bad?” It’s kind of crazy. I don’t mind, personally. I think it’s awesome the way they made me look like a bully.

It’s crazy. I’ve never heard a bully talk about teamwork and let’s do that together. Never once was there any time that I said, “I won it for myself,” or, “You have to do this because I said so.” One voice! Let’s focus on this challenge. Let’s listen to the leader for this challenge.

It’s just great the way they edit stuff – Survivor giveth and Survivor taketh away. I love it! My mom didn’t really appreciate it, but as far as for me, I’ve never heard of anybody talking about teamwork and having fun and let’s work together as being an @$$#ole. That’s why I like the show.

RNO: Have you apologized to Stephenie and Tom for your behavior towards them, or do you feel you need to do so?

James: No! No, sir, I have not apologized. It’s funny how people will say don’t talk to a girl or an older guy in a certain manner. If we have a disagreement, I have the chance to respond back to what you’re saying. I wasn’t trying to be mean to Stephenie or Tom. They came to me in a certain manner so I responded in a certain manner.

Please, look, honestly, stop arguing with people during challenges and during camp life. Let’s work together just a little bit. We have to play as a team and work together. We were so far ahead in challenges and then everything would go awry because people wouldn’t work together.

I shouldn’t apologize for anything. I’m big nice super-James and I’m supposed to shuck and jive. I didn’t think I was being that aggressive or so angry towards them. You can’t win a challenge if everybody is doing what they want and freelancing. At the beginning, you have to play as a team somewhat. Stephenie was on the team that lost everybody except for her. It’s obvious that her methods don’t work for her in Survivor-land. Before this, I didn’t lose challenges.

For them to go against that and say I was being mean towards them, don’t talk to me that way. You’re not talking to a child. I’m sure they’re great people in life. But that don’t mean they’re going to talk to me in any kind of way. If they would have come to me in the correct manner, I’d have responded in a correct manner.