Toni Tebbutt: Save Survivor SA discussion

0:00 Welcome back to the nullified Tech channel here on YouTube where we've got the TNT takes for you on Survivor save Africa I'm joined by a good friend of the podcast someone that I have not been able to talk to for quite a minute Tony a two-time Survivor South African player an All-Star player that came back to play in Return of the outcasts and made the merge twice which is not an easy feat at all when it comes to Survivor Tony welcome back to the channel thank you thank you very much for having me nice to chat again it's great to chat to you I just wish it was under better circumstances because we're having a chat you know I dm'd you as soon as I heard about the news and it was official that Survivor South Africa has been dropped by the channel mnet and I deemed you and I said hey would you want to come on and have a bit of a chat I know you're someone that is always very passionate in the fandom you're very you know you've got like an online org of Survivor that you do with Rue and I mean that just kind of shows you how into the fandom you are so I knew you'd be a great person to talk to what's the feeling like from your perspective as a previous player hearing this very sad news and someone that's so tapped into the community on that side you know all the fans so well you know because I mean the reason why I joined hosting an online game was because I just wanted to give people who might not have the opportunity to play Survivor an opportunity to play some version

1:20 Of the game you know even now I've started up my own little company on the site called tribe mates where I do team building where people can get to play Survivor because I really do believe in the power of playing this game you know so the online the online thing was really just to give people an opportunity but I was still hoping that even those people who come and play the online game still have the opportunity to play the real thing because it is a life-changing experience so hearing that it had been canceled or well dropped from imminent I wasn't completely depressed or upset about it because I have full faith that Afrikaans is going to figure this out and they're going to figure out how to get people to play this game on a different Channel however it is still a little bit scary because you don't know what the options are and when those options are going to Avail themselves so you know we all know that LaRue likes to say when not if and so I'm just hoping the win comes sooner than later because I just yeah it's it does it does for me with a little bit of concern that if it goes dormant for too long mind you it went Norman for quite a while and then season six okay five years or something between season five and season six I think it was it's exactly so about four or five years and when it came back it came back with a bang but you almost just want to

2:40 Keep it going now because it was going pretty good and I think it was really gaining traction so yeah I'm just really hoping that traction can be gained quicker yeah and I think that's one of the things that you know hearing LaRue talk about it on other podcasts that you know you want to keep the momentum because it takes time to build this fandom especially locally within South Africa and I think that is such an important fandom because we know globally and this is a shout out for those that are in South Africa that are listening to this I've had more response from Australians signing the petition to get Survivor South Africa back on air then South Africans like we're South Africans have got to do better this is our show let's take control of it let's get behind the show and let's get it back on the air all the Australians who did that and you know even like I've never really had the opportunity to do it before the Australian love is just phenomenal even when I was on last year like there may the amount of people from Australia who were messaging me directly Etc was pretty cool so thank you Australia keep signing please in terms of South Africa Chris can I be honest with you I think the lack of awareness of Survivor South Africa is maybe because of the channel it was being played on and I think I spoke to that I don't know if you saw this we did a podcast about the

4:01 News with myself and Richard who you're good friends with and Mucky who is my brother from another mother over in New Zealand he's a great co-host as well and we spoke about this a little bit and I said I feel like mned being on a paywall where so many people were cut out from seeing it where if you look at the Australian Survivor show it is on channel 10 which is available to everybody to watch it's the same if you look at CBS over in the US that's available for everyone to watch it's not behind a paywall and we're talking about a country where there's more important issues going on than trying to pay for a subscription for mnet to watch Survivor so that's something that I think they're going to have to deal with and I don't know how they deal with it moving forward Tony because you know a lot has been said about getting it again onto a channel maybe a streaming platform but that will still be behind some sort of a paywall if it doesn't matter the paywall is a two five dollar paywall it's actually better I mean listen I've got image purely for the facts of that I want to watch wow I wanted to what let my parents watch sports and I wanted to watch myself on Survivor so I got it from my parents so they could watch Survivor and it's you have to have the premium one in a way to get the best of the best and it's a lot of money it's a lot of money so I think that if and then if you look at what you're paying for like but then I got this but I still got my Netflix and I got all the other things so

5:21 If it was on something that maybe people are already paying for like a Netflix or Amazon you know that's where that's the ideal I think it's idealist for it to land on like a they've got experience with prime because obviously Prime has with Amazon has aided over in the UK so Survivor South Africa was in the UK on Prime so if they've done it for one region maybe they can do it on other regions and then the other really big thing that I've mentioned a few times is that Paramount plus does not have a presence in Africa yet so if Paramount plus wants to break into the African Market what better show than getting a Survivor yeah promoted with Survivor for Pyramid plus if you're out there if you're listening to this I think a lot of people would watch it and please make it globally available it was in the US for a couple of weeks before they took it off right Tony I feel like it was because Jeff felt the pressure good listen I am I mean I've been quite vocal about the fact that if I could if I was a guy I probably wouldn't have entered Survivor I would have entered drupal's drag race no I'm joking but I just love RuPaul's Drag Race that's my other favorite reality show ever and RuPaul is very smart because he's she's got her own well they started up their own channel called Wow TV presents and it's all drag related shows that is it and I pay my 70 Rand a month to access

6:41 This channel imagine there was a Survivor Channel purely and then you could enter any type of Survivor and you're paying your five dollars you know they would make a lot of money hmm maybe we should look into making a little business model for this because like I feel like there's an option there's something here where people would get into it but I also know that you and I obviously we know a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes but we don't know the inner workings of the licensing issues the realities I think that's of obviously it's owned by the bigger wigs and they get they get the final say so I think it's just but I think look end of the day this show this morning I just thought let me just randomly check you know how long shows have been running for and I mean those of Our Lives there's like 57 Seasons you know in terms of reality shows I remember watching that yeah like as a kid growing up yeah that's when you were forced to watch with whatever your mom watched on TV you had to watch as well you couldn't change the channel yeah and then there was labbing on open time and we all logged into that too and yeah but now I was actually quite interested to see that the challenge has been going on longer than Survivor yeah and listen this is the thing I was just going to get into the challenge now I don't know if you listen to any of what I said but I know I converted Richard into a challenge fan like he's

8:01 Watching it now yeah he's watching it now who's also a very long-running show like come on there is a reason why there is 45 seasons of the show going out and there is a reason why even after 45 Seasons millions are tuning in and trying to find the illegal downloads and whatever else to watch it's because it is a show that has 100 longevity there is something in the show that keeps people coming back and that's why I really do believe in the brand and and making sure that South Africa sees the same longevity that the US version has seen it should and again it comes down to humanity at its core like as long as there are no new people being born tomorrow like when we've literally got people that are playing the game in the US now that were born after the show premiered and yeah they're entertaining to watch their they're I mean who did we have Carson like in the last season how old was he was like 21 or something he would have been a baby when the first season came out and as long as there are new people being born there's going to be interesting Dynamics with new people being on the show because it comes down to what would you do for a million dollars or for a million Rand or whatever the currency is that you're playing for and I'm such a Believer but I want to come back to the challenge because I'm a massive fan of the challenge now I only got into the challenge about four or five years ago but they do I feel like so many things right

9:22 Where Survivor is failing so Survivor is very much seen as an individual show where South Africa is on its own Island Australia's on its own Island and then the US is on its own Island and I do think a lot of this comes down to the us being that they are the main show that are sort of carrying the franchise they're almost trying to protect their Turf and that's why we didn't get to see Australians of Africa and Paramount Plus for very long the challenge is the exact opposite they're now building Global Brands they're building the Australian version they're building the UK version the Argentinian version please do South Africa next challenge you know they're building these franchises and they're working collaboratively together and getting the best of the best to compete against each other I feel like there should be a future there Tony where we could get to see you play against people on the other side get Dino to play against it like Luke Toki tweeted out about this campaign to save Survivor he wants to play against some of the Survivor South African players like the fans want to see it Tony there's yeah why can it not happen let's face it if we can have rugby games against different countries why can you not have Survivor it is a game ultimately like lots of viewers like that if any a game are you being so emotional if it's only if it is only a game why can we not see it on an international platform 100 if Sportsman can do it we should actually be viewing this as almost like watching a sport

10:42 It is yeah same thing it's the same concept there's a there's a one of these prices these you know these challenges so yeah I think but how do we push that narrative how do we get I mean there's millions of viewers singing this tune but who do we sing it to get it heard properly I think by continuing to have the conversation with players like yourself I've had Luke on the channel before also talk about wanting to play an international version and continue to have the players themselves speak up and say hey I'm Keen to jump on a season like that I would love to go up against the best that there is in the US the best that there is in Australia we can continue to promote this but for me the more important thing is that if we start introducing these different characters two different like different regions like for instance you get introduced as a player to the US region then that opens the door for the U.S fans to go and watch Survivor South Africa and to continue like I don't think that Jeff should feel threatened and I can say this directly because I don't care I don't feel like Jeff should be threatened by the fact that Survivor South Africa is becoming popular or Australian survivors becoming popular out of that fact yeah because a lot of it like survivors of Africa to me is a love letter to Survivor us and what it used to be and I feel like because he's trying to do his own thing he feels like this is going to put pressure on him to let go of a lot of the quirky stuff behind back to

12:02 The beauty of the game yes yeah and it's fine he can do his own thing but at the end of it I feel like fans out there will watch like I watch all of it because I'm a super fan I love watching South Africa I love watching the US I love watching Australia and each one of them to me has got its own strengths and weaknesses that you can appreciate and I feel like true fans will watch all of it like he should look at it and say how do we continue to build this brand how do how do we and this is the thing and I don't know if you could talk to this or not if you want to talk to it I feel like you'd speak your mind regardless but I feel like you know if Jeff was to leave the show down the line like well who does he have who's the next person in line that's going to take over the show because I personally have this Theory and I've had it for a while that he wants the show to retire with him when he retires at season 50 he's like I am Survivor yeah which I don't want that to happen so why can't we have Nico come in and become familiar to the crowd on that side Jonathan lapaglia coming in because one of those two could take over the main gig in the future like you should be promoting young talent coming up you know but even with them there needs to be longevity with what's who do they pass the flame on to you know I mean if that is honestly Jeff's thought process it's quite sad it's like very sorry jib I freaking love you but like that's super egotistical because

13:22 Yeah I hope I hope you are and look there was sometimes I go through these processes where I've got very love-hate relationship with Jeff but because I love so much for 20 years it's hard to let go of the love pot as much you know but I do find that there's just been like there seems to be way too much interference now and I think the role of producer and host and interfere like it should actually be so Secrets I think that post should also be they're blinded in a way because that's the beauty of it for a host I mean if I was hosting something like Survivor I would love to not know what's going on I would love to be sitting there going damn even as a host you know but and I think he's taken away the joy for himself if with the way he's interfering with it so which is the pity because if he could now retire and sit back and not even be that involved maybe he could love the game again because he could sit down and watch a show with blind eyes and go yeah damn this show is good you know yeah I wonder if he's even watched South Africa or if he's watched Australian and brought back that love for the game and gone wow these people are mad like this is insane because maybe he's just lost his passion for the actual Nuance of what the game's about I don't I mean it's interesting we could talk about Jeff for

14:42 Quite a while I listened to some of the podcasts that he recently did he still seems to have that passion in his voice and he thinks that he's doing the right thing by the franchise and I feel like that's all a good thing but you've gotta you've got to think about how do I keep this franchise you spoke about Days of Our Lives being on for so long and you know how does Survivor get to season 100 which I want to see I want to see Survivor Outlast Jeff like I feel like the concept of Survivor is bigger than any individual that is either playing the game or hosting the game or producing the game you want it to be something that's going to be there for many years and I just feel like yeah building this thing by adding more franchises and backing it I think will help the show in the long run and for Paramount plus Who currently are looking for more and more content because there's a writer strike happening over in the U.S reality TV you could just be dipping into a pool of great content there with survivors of Africa and put it on Paramount plus and I think it would do extremely well I want to track back a little bit I want to talk a little bit about tribe modes that's the this is the New Passion project that you've just started you're something that you had the opportunity to put into the works after having been on the show yourself talk a little bit about that this is the opportunity to plug it in I'll make sure to put links as well below for people if they want to check it out later on yeah so look I mean my 30th birthday party was a Survivor themed party and then eight years I actually got to play the game so I've always been into this like let's organize

16:03 People to do these kind of things you know at least put people up against each other and since I am in the facilitation field I do training I'm in the education field and I'm often teaching communication team building conflict resolution conflict resolution people would be like listen Tony conflict resolution she seems like she's smoking the fires the thing is the first step of conflict is you address it okay Ah that's what I do I've always been in that space of teaching so yeah you know I always wanted to kind of get like a team building going on that's sort of incorporate Survivor and they're just always so busy being busy with works I've got my own company obviously so I'm always running my stuff and I just never got around to it so then finally one of my customers said Tony will you come in and do a one day workshop with our gospel team building maybe you can talk about Survivor and I thought this is us I need to push the button do child mates now and then we had a really fun experience for three to four hours we played a little like iterations of Survivor for team building and then I finally launched tribe mates and I had a great thing a month ago with 30 players and we just had the best day ever and what's nice about what we do because obviously voting out zombie is not a good team building exercise so we don't vote people out

17:24 The difference with my with crowdmates is that we play these games and the winning tribe comes to Tribal Council and they discuss why they felt they won what they did so well as a team and then they vote for a and they vote for who they felt really helped the team whether it was just team spirit whether it was just Community good communication and that's how the troubles goes we always have the winning club that comes and they discuss why they got there how they got there and then at the end of the whole day we had Soul Survivors and those are the people who contributed to the team so it's super fun you know so get to engage and get people to experience this game and just understand like all the different elements that go into it you know so I just almost everything I've touched I just want to have some kind of a Survivor feel to it in a way you know yeah so I mean that's a big movement there from you to continue to I guess give back to something that gave so much to you can you speak a little bit about how Survivor you know you mentioned you want other people to experience this how's it changed your life because you know you came on first in season six it's a it's a while ago now and then you've got the opportunity to go and play twice again what was the experience like going through both of this and what has that sort of done for you in your personal life [Music]

18:45 That you get to experience and so you know you it's heart soul body kind of thing so you learn stuff about your own body you know about how much you can take and how much you can withstand then you learn about your soul and your spirits and your heart and your brain and like it's just it's there's so many layers that we could be here forever discussing the lessons that you learn but I think for me like it humbled me a lot you know I've always been quite Avenger for those who don't understand what that means it's like a African yeah a little cheeky little thing you know and I've still got that fire that never that's never gone away and I've always felt like I have been always been a very empathetic person I too much so and I feel like I've always been a very people's person but the problem is I am not pizza not everyone loves me and I've learned that you know and I've learned it took me a while to understand that's also okay that I don't have to be like everyone and that was a very hard lesson to learn in terms of watching social media like my first season when I got off of that first season social media had some field days with me and I really it affected me terribly to the point that I you know like I'm going to be very open and Frankie to the point that I just became a terrible wife I stepped a little bit outside of my marriage because I just didn't like

20:05 Myself because of the Public's perception of me and you know it really shook me quite a bit whereas there was so much love too this is the place where I met all these amazing people like the ruins who are you know host but this is the space where I met some of my best friends because they loved me so much but I saw the hate so my first season really Shook Me In terms of public perception of me and the way viewers are whereas my second season I didn't get even if you know because I knew I was I was like hang on you guys don't know me and I know who I am the first one or two episodes I was like oh the Public's hectic again and I thought no remember Tony you don't care about that anymore you know who you are so there's that list and it humbled me in terms of not everyone's gonna like me and that's okay and it's oh my God there's so much else that happened like often that first step I just want to say I also want to say just on that point I don't want to interrupt but you know that I remember those I remember those first couple of episodes and you know obviously I already started having like this online friendship with you because I had you on covering a season before that I think we were covering either South Africa or we were covering one of the U.S Seasons but you know having to gotten to know you personally I was like and I saw people and I was like you guys don't know Tony is awesome like you this is an edited show you're only seeing this little snippet like you know so I was

21:25 Fighting for you in the corner but I think so many people did because so many people who know me know me you know yeah sorry carry on yeah that's why you were one of the first people I felt comfortable enough to reach out to say let's have a conversation about the survivors of Africa thing because I knew you'd say yes I knew you'd be open for a conversation and that's what I love about you and you know seeing that I was just thinking to myself again this is why I hate it when people are in the space nowadays not just in Survivor but in life that if you say one thing wrong you know because you dare to have an opinion you're like canceled you're out like just get over it like I mean do you really in life have friends and family that agree with you on everything like I mean I love my brother but he says some stupid sometimes you know like I don't know why people art yes but listen this is also now goes back to where I'd love some people to play because there are those armchair Warriors who were and I was that person I watched the Bible and I was like oh I would not have done that oh that was dumb oh my word that girl needs to just relax why is she crying so much I was that person and then I got brought to my knees in this game brought to my not even just the first time I played the second time a few times you know and I'd laugh with those people to also get to play so that I can sit there and go okay then what were you saying you know what were you saying because those

22:46 Are some of the people I'd love to get to experience the game team I love that because when yeah some of the people who have played my online game they are the people who go these people these people emotional on the show and then they get so emotional on an online Facebook game and I'm like listen guys you see how you're getting now like now why are you judging the people on the TV because that is their reality for the time that you are on that island that is your reality it is not a game you know and I think that's what a lot of people forget so I'd love some of those people to get to play too that's a piece we can't stop the show because there are these armchy Warriors that I would love to see plan they must come back and be humbled and go wow that was hectic you know it's one of the reasons why I'm so grateful that I've not had the opportunity like I was I went deep in the New Zealand Survivor casting process and nearly played in the first season I didn't go all the way and sadly the show got canceled and now I'm actually in some ways I'm okay with not having played New Zealand because I feel like I would have been not ready to play Survivor and mentally I would have been like the nicodunzia of that season I would have wanted to strategize to a Alliance System the show wasn't ready for it so I'd much rather play in a mature franchise like South Africa or Australian Survivor where you don't have to explain to people what an alliance is or why you need to vote in blocks or things like that people get it but the biggest thing for me is since I've done the podcast I've come to the realization that it

24:06 Would be a lot harder than I can even Envision because I speak to so many Survivor players on a consistent basis I pick up little things and I learn little things and I have more empathy for the edit I have more empathy for people coming on the show and saying it's so much harder than what you think because prior to that I would have been similar to yourself I would have gone into the show thinking that I would just be this Mastermind doing extremely well if I go out there now I'm like I think it'll be extremely hard but I still want to do it and that's one of the reasons I'm fighting for it because you know Survivor South Africa comes back I've said it many times I love Survivor South Africa I'd love to play Survivor South Africa you know but I want the show to come back for people like me and for a bunch of other people out there that haven't had the opportunity and like you said you're going to learn something about yourself you're either gonna learn that you are who you think you are or most likely most of us have got a vision of ourselves that isn't fully accurate and this is one of those few times in life where you get an opportunity to see through the lengths of a camera how other people perceive you and the things they say behind your back will probably hurt a lot more after watching it back and you're like I thought we were tight how do you say this about me you know so real so never mind what people say about you because ultimately they are also playing the game and they are also dealing with their own insecurities so you're like okay whatever the end of the day that although your cost as a certain character and that's what I realized in my first season is that the production looked at me and said we are this girl is gonna blow up then that is the parts we're going

25:26 To show of who never mind that in my first season a lot of the people called me Mama Bear because I was the comforter and I was the funny person they did not show that and you know what I had to make peace with that because I know that exists in me however what I forgot exists in me is the parts that they did show and I can blame the edits you can't though you can't say oh that is the edit yes it is the edit but you did that you were that you said that so as much as the edits are HID away the other lack of things about you they still showed you real things about you so we can say what we want about the edits and blame the edit for exposing us as a horrible human being but that horrible human being was there they didn't they didn't get the script they didn't piece together different things yes they maybe omitted stuff that maybe helped soften that blow a little bit but at the end of the day their parts exist in us and I think that's what's really you know even knowing that even knowing that about people that they will show certain parts like the person who shocked me the most because you know I went to the live show after survivors of Africa returned to the artist I was there and I met yourself and your partner as well and pointy what an absolute pleasant person in real life to me and on the show I was like I don't know I don't know if I could get along with finding she seems like too much

26:46 Trouble but then you meet her in person and you're like she's the loveliest person but listen really I love it to bits too but it wasn't the a that she was literally like that most of the times I get it yeah maybe that's a competitive side of her that comes out and she's like different things I think it's does the pressure cooker it's the competitiveness and also hunger pine tea is really not good being hungry like she like I think that's yes and there we go there's your face on floor like you she gets to see them go Donuts I didn't show my best off there were moments there were little moments of pantiness that was so cool because I also love panty I met panty before her very first season on Table Mountain accidentally and she was going through the casting process and she actually saw me she said you're Tony from Survivor and I was just coming through my divorce I just left my husband it literally just left me like three weeks prior I was broken and she looked at me said you turn it from survive and I was like yes and I had a hoodie on I was like hit and it was cold and I was like yeah and she gave me a hug and respect about nothing in particular but there was something that happened in that moment that just made me feel good and I hadn't felt good for a while there was something that she did that just made me feel seen and then I said to you should really enter Survivor and then she said and

28:07 That means and then I knew because the casting process was busy happening and I had this feeling and then when they showed the show and they showed the course I was like there's that chick from Table Mountain so how bizarre is that so I know this beautiful human being but on the island she was like quite hectic and again yeah it showed the hecticness on the Telly so it gives her an opportunity to watch it and go I'm not good at that food I have to figure this out you know well I haven't put my best foot forward in and that's the end of the day what it's all about is hopefully people who get to play don't just blame the edits because yeah the edit is still showing you something that you did and you still need to accept that part of you and love it or hates it or change it or accept it or whatever and at the end of the day there is a story that needs to be told someone's going to win the season by the end of the season so maybe you did make a very good strategic decision somewhere and it didn't get shown but you're not going to win the season ideally so it's not a part of the story that the you know it wouldn't make sense to show that but I do think that personally you know what you know what's funny the reason like if I could choose I probably shouldn't say it because I'm in Australia now and if Survivor South Africa doesn't come back who knows I might throw my head in the ring for Australian Survivor but the reason I like Survivor South Africa more than Australian survivors because Australian Survivor focuses on about four people in the cast and they only show the four people's story and

29:27 Then the rest are all like Side characters that doesn't matter yes yeah exactly so I'm like okay I could go out and play Australian Survivor and have a really good game but none of it's going to get shown if I don't win we're in survivors of Africa I actually feel like they do a pretty good job at telling the story telling the strategy showing you when someone's going to get blindsided so we're in on it by the time that it happens it's kind of flipped on its head and I think for me as a potential player in the future that would love to play the game I'd much rather play on the show where I know that I wouldn't get absolutely you know put to the side they'll show the good and the bad but they'll at least if I'm going to go down to flames that's going to get shown I'm going to be I'm not going to be purple nothing worse than being purple I'm sure like I feel because like if you if you watch back and you still at least see yourself you're like well at least I saw myself but imagine watching me like spend all this time and effort and everything out there and you're like where am I there was one person that was slightly purple in my first season but you know he seems like a lovely guy actually had like a very quick encounter with him on social media a while ago seems like a really nice guy and someone that I'd love to bring into a podcast one day as well and have a chat with him because yeah it seems really lovable like you said he was kind of like the he was the side character to palesa yeah

30:49 But I mean I think there was there was reasons behind it and it was their first season it was their first season I feel like they only like the production team of Afrikaans has just gotten like this is the thing why it's such a shame with this franchise because I feel like every season they've given us a more polished product from the previous season and even the last the last fully new season cast that they had which was immunity Island that's my favorite season I love immunity Island because of the characters that played that season like I mean how could you get so many brilliant characters together in one season that shows that they can be trusted to bring a great new cast onto survivors of Africa and it will be entertaining now we had a very quick chat about this Tony between all of us podcasters and we said like if the show comes back how much pressure do you think LaRue and them are under to make it an All-Star season coming back if they were to come back finally get another green light on a streaming service versus just saying nope we're going to continue to stick to the format of bringing new people in because we've just had an All-Star season yeah look for me I think bringing another All-Star back to back would I wouldn't do it however I know that there's a lot of public debts or there's certain characters that they didn't get to see that they were really hoping to see on our course you know so perhaps they might bring it in and say listen we're bringing back your favorites this time not just those outcasts you

32:09 Know it's really paying back your actual favorites just to get this going but I don't know if they would be remiss I think I think having a whole application process Survivor opening applications now is part of the marketing strategy you know because people are like oh people must enter and people are oh my cousin into oh my brother entered I think it builds that's that watching Survivor but my cousins entered oh I'm gonna have to and I think that's part of the marketing strategy and that's kind of what happened with us also in 2018 like suddenly we were seeing this advert Survivor open for application survivors coming back and everyone's like oh I've got to get in on this you know I have no idea what this is all about so I would think a newbie season would be more exciting because of the build up of having to advertise that applications are open people scrounging around trying to figure out who's ins and all and watching YouTube entry videos and saying I bet you that one's going to be cost a bit too you know it just it just creates a little bit of an excitement so I would think for the first season maybe a oh hell if they're going to do if they want to bring favorites back then rather do a fans versus favorites or blood versus water and I actually think that there's enough people who were left out with doing and I love the theme I think that this is a theme that they should do and some of the other franchises as well with pre-mergers versus post mergers

33:30 The only problem with Australia is they're bringing too many of their good pre-mergers back already so maybe in the US and then they were pre-emergers now they are post mergers and now that yeah they look at Mark Wales and Sam you know coming back and doing extremely well they could have been too great you know happy for Mark he got to win he's a great guy by the way as well you know a big fan of this podcast but you know they're already sort of Dipping into their pool quite a lot but I feel like with South Africa there is so many players now that they didn't bring back they could bring back a Werner they could bring back a jack Burger yeah there's heaps of people yes I think that they're I was a bigger nissu fan I think anissu could come back to a while so yeah there's people that they could bring easily back into like a favorite season versus fans and you know I'm not the biggest fan of the fans versus favorite season I always feel like I am only as a player yes I get it as a player yeah sometimes which I hadn't said yes to return to the outcast and hope that they still keep me on the back burner for another season because I always wanted to come back and do a fans versus favorite because of the fact that I love new players I love this game so much that I almost would be like sorry favorites I'm not with you guys I'm with the feds and I'm gonna help them do well in this thing and then they're probably gonna Blindside me and that's okay because the newbies yeah they're going to play like I

34:50 Have the stupid like yeah love for newbies playing even when we're doing our Online survivor like whenever we got people who've played already then we get the newbies I'm like come on newbie you can do this please win please win and I get that this absolute passion for the newbies I think I would have loved to have done fans of Bruce's favorites and just watch some people navigate the game I would have loved to have done that I think that would have been a lot of fun to see you play I think the reason I don't like the fans versus favorites theme is because I always feel like the favorites are at such a disadvantage going on because people who've played the game before and I've always said my worst fear would be to be casted who don't listen to this part will you know always be would be to be on defense was his favorite season like you know being like a fan and going up against like it would be tough it would be really cool you have to write these people down you've like sort of idolized in a way 100 like I mean I've got a great idea for a Survivor season but I don't even want to say it yet because if Jay for anyone gets wind of it and they copy it I'm going to be pissed or maybe I should say it yeah okay if they ever do it I'll be like here is the podcast that was my idea I want in on the action but I think okay Survivor Inception picture this they run two seasons at the same time so you've got your 12 18 your tribe of 18 tribes then you're just running these two things then

36:10 When you get to merge you just say to him okay guys you have merch and they're like Yay yep Canton they think they're fine and this one gets into their camps and they think they're fun they're Nico standing there he's like come on in guys and they come in thinking this is their first merge Challenge and he goes Cameron guys and the next tribe comes and he goes right here we go again and there's a whole two new tribes starting all over again I think it would be brutal and imagine if they did that for like a season where there is an Inception slash clash of the worlds where U.S has got a season going on Australia's Got a season all come together at the merge to be like by the way you didn't realize you thought you were here for 38 days you're now here for 90 days you're starting again but what I think would be beautiful about that because as soon as you merge you all sit there for a day saying you know we need to get rid of this one because he's strong and we need to get that one because they're strong now should keep the strong ones keep the strong ones now suddenly you cut your cut because you're like I was literally protect this person could say the strongest but now we're still playing it's kind of like what happened with Steffy I mean in that position where they were like we don't want Steffy to stay because she's going to win some individual immunity so she stays any longer we've got to cut her and she had so many good relationships of different people in the game so yeah it's very interesting concept I quite like

37:30 That listening to you talk it sounds like the Fire Within you has not fully been extinguished when it comes to Survivor you've got a lot of passion so you know I've got the feeling that if you had the opportunity to go back and play again you'd probably say yes depending on where you are at life who would you like it would be who'd be the you know if you could choose from the seasons that you've played in you choose one other guy and female to come with you into an All-Star War of the World season who do you have coming into battle with you when you take on the best of Australia and South Africa the US you know I'm so puss that I just never get to play with Sheamus so Sheamus and I you know believe it or not like we were in the first season our first season together we were never in a tribe together but we became such good friends because once I watched that and that's what I messaged him like that's who I am like I think I've got so many friends from The Castaways you know so I messaged them and we just became my brother and sister so when we got to I did not know that it was going to be crossed but I had a feeling I had a feeling and when I looked and I was like yes he's there we were winking at each other the whole time I'm like I'm finally going to get to play with Sheamus can I start with you for a second when did you when did you know the theme when did you know that it was going to be posted

38:56 And I was like oh damn that's what's happening here so a lot of us actually saw still didn't kind of Click until so yeah I'd love to play with Sheamus I just I don't know what it is about him but I just love the boy to bed so I would really I want to just get an opportunity to play with them and then funny enough in this might surprise you but the other person that I want to play with and I never got to play with also is Tanya right yeah listen it would be both of them would be entertaining you know it actually broke my heart when I did the excellent interview with Sheamus That season that he left early because he said he came to the realization that he is a better fan than a player he should stay a fan not be a player and that kind of felt like he was so broken I was like no because Chris he was he was terrible the other person that I've never been on the a show with or a season were throughout also love to play with and I really had hoped that he would get a second chance is Jason brookstein so the last from season eight the first time Jason yeah I love Jason so Jason and I have actually really good friends because in my season he reached out to me saying that him and his wife love me and we just became besties I mean he came to Mozambique for my 40th so you know we are ready but friendship aside he to me just I thought he was going to be like the Aussie

40:16 You know like he is Decca is like monkey man he climbs trees he fishes he is the most outdoorsy Adventure City because that I know like I just really imagined that he was going to do so well when you know when I heard that he had been crossed because he obviously confided in me and told me I really imagined him going so far because he has fun he is funny he is so easy to talk to he is caring he's empathetic and he is just this really strong physic physical individual and the outdoors laugh is his thing so when he got first boot I was broken for him so I would love to see him play again and I would love to play with him absolutely yeah it's interesting if you watch or go and check out his Instagram page you'll get exactly why Tony says this and you know having a chat with him as well in his exit interview for immunity Island I'm very fortunate to be able to do that I could immediately pick up that he just had so much energy he was just bouncing off the walls like having a conversation I really felt like we as an audience missed out that you know he could have been he could have been a big character that season and he just went up and he's entertainment that boy is so entertaining he is so funny he can sing he can I mean it he's just got so much to give and I would just love to see him get an opportunity to really show himself as the Survivor cast away that I truly believe that he is but there's so many I could suggest so many people that I'd love to

41:36 Play with again and you know but when you just ask me my knee joke was a Sheamus a Jason and the Tanya because I relate a lot to Tanya and yeah I just really do I just think she's Tanya is a big fan a big supporter of this channel as well I love Tanya as well she's awesome you know so I can endorse all of those decisions but let's sort of leave it with this Tony what hope is there out there for people who are a big fan of Survivor South Africa is there anything that fans can do I personally have created this petition to try and put it out there police South Africans get onto this thing and also go and sign this don't let the Australians show us up on this petition and you know like this is a South African Survivor we need to get it back but what else what can you leave us with is there any hope out there you know you know the people behind the scenes more than anyone else everybody at Afrikaans that are working really hard can you leave us with some hope here I 100 don't believe that LaRue is going to let this rest like there is I just don't see it happening So for anybody who wants to play anybody who's just you know play some online games for now you know get to get it out of your system but please don't give up hope please sign the petitions please actively support the other iterations of survival like the US and the Australia to get debt to keep the longevity going with those shows because that will show South Africa that there is there is something

42:56 In this the problem is Chris I think is also budget so I don't know how we get across that hurdle because as you know that South African rand is you know so maybe the voices need to be loud enough because maybe we need CBS to be like come on if we need to buy the rights whatever just give us a discount yeah and discounts or family discount because we want the show to continue but obviously our currency isn't allowing for it and it's an expensive show to host and you know maybe I don't know these sponsors that are listening to this if they are people who are working for major companies who could possibly sponsor some something that goes speak up talk because maybe a great brand and good sponsors could actually just back the show because there is longevity in it you can see it by the fact that it's been 45 seasons in the U.S if you can back the show you're going to just be around for a long time or so yeah it's a very passionate and strong fan base out there that would support this show again if we can make it something that's more accessible like we spoke about earlier onwards maybe on a platform that costs a fraction of cable TV and also if we can just appreciate that cable TV is dying it is a Dying Breed especially under the younger Generations so I think a streaming platform would be the place for it to ultimately end up on and Paramount plus if you're listening to this you know get on top of this if you want to break into the African

44:16 Market which is ginormous there's so many people in Africa you know and I always see Africa is one of the Emerging Markets when it comes to the world if you want to get into that market for the longevity I'd say get into this and get in touch with afro cards to also bring the challenge to South Africa or Africa I want to see that I really want to see that and I think we've got some we've got some great players like your chappies and you know Europe and teles and the likes of them like the challenge beasts that can go on and full potentially do well I'm not saying that's Australia and USA aren't diverse country but well confidence but South Africa like these kind of shows it's we are so diverse I think that's what makes us really interesting yeah and the US players are all kind of knowledge there's a few strings of like consistency between them and we've seen some really interesting characters coming out of there but I think what's beautiful about South Africa is the cultural diversity so imagine having that kind of cultural diversity in these shows you just get to introduce the world to just this amalgamation of people you know we I mean we are and it's more than Skin Deep it's more than Skin Deep with South Africa because it's not just having black and white in South Africa you've got all difference you've got Indians like I mean we had Quran who was like a

45:37 Great player as well so you know we get people from all walks that can play this game but not just that it's also all these different languages that are being spoken so that's beautiful we have got because of these different cultures you've got such different upbringings that are going on yeah you know like it's that's so interesting and that's what I love about South Africa is and playing Survivor is just learning about all these different people in different cultures and oh is that how you were brought up oh is that what your granny does oh that's so interesting and I think that's what makes us it's like you said it's not the skin color only but it's just the cultural differences and just value systems and stuff that you just get to learn so much about when you have a show like Survivor in South Africa 100 where can people find more about tribe mates or anything else that you're working on is there a website they can go to that they can get involved with yeah so my work website is www.giroff.com but it's giraffe j-e-r-a-f-e anyway I'm obsessed with giraffes but that's so draft.com is gonna it's got it but it's also I've got a Facebook page called tribe mates whoops we may have lost Tony because I know that there is such a thing as load shedding in South Africa which is also unique to South Africa where people lose their power at certain times so we just got 47 minutes in the clock if you like this type of

46:57 Content if this is something that you would like to see more of in the future please consider subscribing to the channel I'm more than happy to bring more previous Survivor South Africa players onto the channel and to have further conversations in regards to survivors of Africa a little bit about their experience and why this franchise is so important to get back on our screens but for now please put a like on the Subscribe hit a notification Bell so you can be informed the next time we go live with something like this talk to you next time bye