“I Was Very Much Involved in Everything Going On” – Reality News Online’s Exclusive Interview with Survivor: Nicaragua’s “Purple” Kelly

With the double-quit, I had essentially the same amount of time as usual to interview both NaOnka and Kelly. When it came to Kelly, there wasn’t nearly as much to potentially talk about because we saw so little of her! But she still had some things to say, and NaOnka interjected a couple times as well. As I mentioned in my interview with NaOnka, both ladies were upbeat and laughing throughout, not defensive or negative. While some readers may want these two to feel bad about their actions, we’ll discuss that issue elsewhere. So read on!

Reality News Online: As I mentioned to NaOnka, I’m the first in what will almost certainly be a long line of people asking you these questions, some of which are going to be pretty blunt. Of course, if we went percentage-wise according to the amount of you we saw on the show, I’d only talk to you for 30 seconds!

Kelly and NaOnka: (Laughs.)

RNO: Did you really quit because of the conditions, or was the fact that you were figuratively out in the cold after the last Tribal Council play into your decision?

Kelly: You know, I tried to look back, and I’m not sure I was figuratively out in the cold. There were plenty of people who had told me Brenda was being voted out and NaOnka and Brenda and I had a conversation on the beach, but I didn’t understand it was that bad. Brenda and I were really close so I wasn’t going to write her name down. I knew no matter whose name I put down, it would cause an issue, but I wasn’t going to write her name down.

I don’t feel I was out in the cold. I think it had to do with the elements. You can take one look at me and say, as my mom said, “You look terrible – you look so sick.” It was just tearing down my body. It’s unfortunate and I look back and I was so close but one more day – I was just sick. I could not have done that.

RNO: When you arrived at Ponderosa, the doctor said you were physically capable of continuing. How do you respond to that?

Kelly: I haven’t even looked at those. She had also said my blood pressure was extremely low and there were things like that and in the game also. I would walk and black out and have to sit down. What one person may think is physically capable – they are not in my shoes. The medic is not even where we are and didn’t know what’s going on. I don’t really know what to say to that except I know what was going on. I remember her saying my blood pressure was dangerously low. I was treated for parasites also. That played into it also.

RNO: There is already a rumor spreading: Do you think the editors made you practically invisible during most of the game because you ended up quitting?

Kelly: I think about this all the time. For what I went through, I really just got nothing. That sucks. I don’t know what they were thinking. If they did have that in mind – I was a part of a lot of the decisions made throughout the show. In reality I was very much involved in everything going on and had tiffs with people here and there. I’d think that would definitely be shown on TV. I can’t help but think this was what they did have in mind.

RNO: Now that you’ve had some time to think about things, do you regret your decision?

Kelly: No. I look back and I always just think I wanted to be there but I think how I was feeling at that moment and I can’t regret it. I could not physically have gone one more day so I can’t regret the decision.

RNO: One thing Alina said after you quit (in the Ponderosa video) is that you didn’t see the magnitude of what you did in quitting. Do you see it now?

Kelly: I think I really saw it then. I knew what people would think and how they would react. But I did not care what anybody else was thinking. It was a decision of my own I needed to make about how I was feeling at the time.

Alina and I never really talked a whole bunch, we started talking on Ponderosa but I’m not sure she knew what kind of person I was. She was very upset about the decision. I’m not surprised for her to say something like that. I think she definitely underestimated me.

RNO: In his blog this morning, Jeff Probst said he feels there is something of an implied contract between the show and players. They give you an adventure of a lifetime and, “In exchange we expect only two things from you: Show up… and play. That’s it. When you fail to do one or both of those requirements you are not living up to your end of the bargain.” Do you feel you failed to live up to your end of the bargain?

Kelly: No, I definitely showed up and spent a good amount of time in Nicaragua (she and NaOnka both laugh). I showed up, I starved, I was freezing, I had no clothes. And I definitely played. I was not a leader but that was a strategic move. The leaders are people that have been voted off. I wasn’t into that role. I was the flying under the radar. I didn’t want to be involved in any huge dramatic events.

RNO: Oh, just like NaOnka?

Kelly: I wanted to play just like NaOnka and not cause trouble! (Laughs)

NaOnka: Oh $#it!

Kelly: We were playing two opposite games – she was going one direction… I don’t know where she was going.

NaOnka: You got scared of me!

Kelly: OK, you scared me!

Naturally, I get along with all these people so that’s how I played the game.

RNO: We’re unfortunately out of time. Do you have anything else you’d like to tell us about your time on Survivor?

Kelly: I want to say it was the time of my life whether good or bad. It was such an experience. I know nobody will ever know that because I was never seen.

Congratulations to everybody who was in Survivor: Nicaragua and to the final three – I am so excited for each of them. I am proud of myself (NaOnka interjects: “And you should be!”). Nobody would ever have expected how long I lasted in my little dress.

RNO: Thanks again, Kelly!

Note to readers: If you haven’t already, be sure to click over and read my interview with NaOnka!

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If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent Survivor: Nicaragua articles here on RealityNewsOnline: