Surviving the Early Show: Todd and Courtney Interviews

While The Early Show has not been covering Survivor all season, they still have the winner on to receive his million-dollar check. And I’m also surprised to see Courtney, who placed second, is there as well. Let’s see if the host actually watched the show this season or if his questions make it obvious that he didn’t.

Todd and Courtney are in the New York studio, after having taken a redeye flight last night from L.A. and apparently encountering quite a bit of NYC traffic as well. The host congratulates them and asks how they’re feeling. Todd says he’s overwhelmed – they really haven’t had time to think about it. They literally ran across the street from their car and just got there.

Todd says they were yanked off the stage and put onto a plane without their luggage. They just got here and were stuck in traffic. I’m doing some math in my head and that doesn’t quite work out. The reunion ended at 11 pm ET. The Early Show airs at 9 am ET. No way a flight took that long. I suspect they had a little bit of time before they were put on their flight. But anyway, that’s not really the point of this interview.

The host continues in this silly vein by asking which was more harrowing, Survivor: China or Survivor: Manhattan. Todd quickly answers, “Manhattan,” while Courtney just as quickly says, “China.”

Even though Todd hasn’t had much time to think about it, he did have time for it to sink in on the plane. What does he think? Todd says it’s all so surreal to him. It’s what he’s dreamt about since he was 15 years old. So to be sitting there, about to get a million-dollar check, he’s freaking out!

The host suggests that Richard Hatch was Todd’s role model, and Todd somewhat corrects him. He says he wouldn’t call him a “role model,” but rather somebody to be better than. “Because he’s kind of a dirt bag if you know what I mean.” Oh yeah, we know what you mean, given that he’s both in the Reality TV Hall of Fame and the Reality TV Hall of Shame!

Todd says being compared to him is kind of an honor because he was the first champion ever, but at the same time, it’s kind of like… he blows raspberries.

When did Todd realize he could win this thing? Todd says when Day 2 came around, he figured he kind of had his tribe going and he felt he could go all the way if he could sway the jury.

The host moves to Courtney, asking how disappointed she is to have come in second. Courtney says she’s “the opposite of disappointed.” She thought she was getting 16th place – she figured she’d have to deal with the elements for three days and then get a cool vacation in China. Then it just kept going and she wondered, “What madness has taken over?!”

Why does she think she didn’t win? Courtney says she never thought of herself as being in contention for first place. She thought it was crazy to get in the finals, and for her that was already winning. She never expected anything like this – it was Todd’s dream, but she wasn’t really a fan of the show, it just fell into her lap. For her to even get through the first nine days was the hardest thing she ever did in her life. So she doesn’t think of it as not winning – second place behind Todd is good, because “he’s the master!”

The host revisits the topic of Courtney’s weight (I say “revisits” because Jeff Probst tackled the subject at the reunion, so I don’t really see a point in discussing it again). They go over how much weight she lost and he brings up the whole thing again that people were concerned she’s anorexic. She reiterates that she’s not – she was on Survivor and they don’t give them any food!

She says hearing that doesn’t bother her because she’s heard it her entire life. Some people just hit the genetic lottery and she’s always dealt with it. It was more difficult for her family and friends.

Getting back to the schemer, the host asks Todd if he was surprised people were following him so willingly. Todd says he was a bit shocked they kept asking him what the next move would be. But after three or four days, he figured these people were his to play with and he just had fun with it. It just worked to his advantage.

As he was watching himself on TV, what was going through his head? He says every week he would sit at home and say to himself, “Oh, Todd, did you really just say that?” But it was fun and something to laugh about. “What an amazing experience.”

To show that the host really has no clue, he says “they tell me” a million dollars is coming Todd’s way. They tell you? It’s only been a million-dollar prize for the last fifteen seasons! Sheesh.

Anyway, what is Todd going to do with the money? He says he’s going to travel, to give his family a merry Christmas, and to enjoy life. Speaking of the check, the host hands over a giant check to Todd, who says he’s definitely going to pay taxes on it.

What is Courtney going to do with her $100,000? She says basically the same thing on a smaller scale – travel a little and pay off some debt.

And that’s it. Not exactly an eye-opening interview, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from The Early Show. That’s okay, I’ll be talking to Todd and Courtney (and Amanda and Denise) later, so I’ll be sure to ask the questions we really want to know about!

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

David Bloomberg is the Editor of RealityNewsOnline and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com.

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