“They Made Me Out to Be My Only Strategy Was Flirting” – RealityNewsOnline’s Exclusive Interview with Survivor: Tocantins’ Sydney

RealityNewsOnline: Hello, Sydney, and thanks for taking the time to talk to RealityNewsOnline!

Sydney: Of course!

RNO: Starting at the beginning, what was your strategy coming into the game?

Sydney: Well, I kind of went into it not really having a strategy except trying to get into an alliance with the alpha males, which I did with Spencer and Joe. Also to play low-key and not get on anybody’s nerves too early and just kind of ride coattails and get to the end.

RNO: What did you do in terms of strategy that we didn’t get to see?

Sydney: Unfortunately, they didn’t play the card of me and Spencer and Joe’s alliance. We established that alliance on Day 2, I think it was. Unfortunately, Joe and I went against our word and voted Spencer off. I thought that would have been an amazing story line – how we backstabbed him a bit. I wish they had shown that. They made me out to be my only strategy was flirting and that really sucks. I’m sure I did – I wouldn’t say it was flirting, being overly friendly maybe.

RNO: When I talked to Spencer a few weeks ago, he told me that you, Joe, and he had made an alliance early on, but then Stephen told you Spencer was untrustworthy because he was a superfan and had been making side deals, which helped convince you to turn on him. From your viewpoint, was that the way it happened?

Sydney: Yeah, Spencer was kind of a guy to keep us in the game. When we would think about food or friends and family, he would bring us back to earth and remind us to keep our eye on the game. It was really nice but it could get annoying for some people. I think he played a really hard game, but he knew too much about the game for some people. Stephen and I would have our talks and he wasn’t sure about Spencer and he knew about our alliance – I think everybody found out about it because we would hang out so much. Stephen didn’t trust him, J.T. didn’t trust him. It was easier for me to vote him off even though we had an alliance – it was majority rules and I had to go with the tribe.

RNO: On the show, we saw Joe talking about possibly giving you his idol, which he thought was real. Did he ever mention it to you?

Sydney: No, he never mentioned it to me. That’s a good question! No, I never even had the idea that it was out there. I mean, I knew it was out there, obviously. But not that it would be in Joe’s hand or Taj’s hand. I thought Brendan already had it, honestly.

RNO: Did Joe even mention that you might be in danger?

Sydney: I always had paranoia when I was out there. I think it just runs high. Every time there was Tribal Council, I was sure it was me. This time, I knew a little bit more. Joe never really gave me the heads-up it could be me. I pulled J.T. aside after I saw him talking to Taj and Stephen and asked him straight-up what’s going on because he told me this morning we were voting Taj off, and he told me straight-up, “You’re probably going,” because Taj has more pull with the other tribe and we need that going into the merge.

RNO: If he thought he had an idol and you two appeared close, why do you think he didn’t give it to you?

Sydney: I think he might have been selfish. And who wouldn’t be – I don’t blame him. In this game, it’s about you. He had every right to hold it for himself. I think he knew I was next to go but I think he was really excited to have it and selfish in that respect.

RNO: Did you realize during your time on the show how much Joe had a crush on you?

Sydney: I think for me it was a little bit of a naïve thing. Joe just… he was more of my buddy. I think they more played it like he was my Survivor boyfriend but he was more like my Survivor big brother. He and I just got along, laughed, as I did with everybody else. He was more my protector and security, like you saw on the show last night. He was very loyal to me, but he was not necessarily my boyfriend material, more like my big brother.

RNO: Speaking of boyfriend material, you mentioned how you want to marry your boyfriend – any progress on that front?

Sydney: (laughs) No progress yet. It’s been in the works and we’ve definitely been talking about it more and more. There’s so much more life to live and it’s just not the opportunity for us yet, but eventually, at least we’ve found each other.

RNO: Well, it’s not like there was any pressure with you saying it on national TV in front of millions of people.

Sydney: He was really worried about the show and how I’d be portrayed and what they’d show. He knew about when we cuddled for body heat and was worried about his friends seeing it. But once he saw [me say] that, his fears went away.

RNO: Do you think there is anything you could have done differently to make it past this vote?

Sydney: You know, I probably could have gone to Taj myself and maybe had J.T. or Joe voted off first, which was hard because Joe was so loyal to me and he would have been the last person I would have voted for, but I think Taj would have gone in with me against J.T. and I should have played that card a bit more.

RNO: What was the most eye-opening thing you saw on TV that you didn’t know about while you were there?

Sydney: Taj’s four-way alliance. Totally unexpected but incredibly strategically the right thing to do for her. Very brilliant.

RNO: Do you have anything else you’d like to tell us about your time on Survivor?

Sydney: Just that it was an amazing experience and I really feel blessed to have been a part of it and I’m excited to meet the other Survivor family and really excited to see everybody at the finale… mostly.

RNO: Mostly? Who not?

Sydney: Oh I’d say… maybe Coach. I think Coach is obviously the bad guy this season, but I’m really interested to meet Tyson and see what he’s like because he is hilarious and so sarcastically funny.

RNO: Thanks again, Sydney!

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