‘Survivor 47’ winner Rachel LaMont reveals lie she instructed at remaining Tribal Council

Rachel LaMont wasn’t adequate to play Survivor 46, however she was adequate to win Survivor 47. That’s an oversimplification, in fact, however the lady who was an alternate for season 46 made the solid one season later, and what a stroke of fine timing that turned out to be.

Rachel was topped the Sole Survivor after successful a jury vote by a blowout tally of 7-1-0 over Sam Phalen and Sue Smey on Wednesday’s Survivor 47 finale. Rachel confirmed off a powerful all-around recreation — making social connections whereas additionally displaying crafty strategic flashes, like when she used her Shot within the Dark to gauge the reactions of fellow tribemates to see if she wanted to make use of her immunity idol. She later then maximized the timing and influence of that idol with a flashy play at Tribal after permitting the opposite gamers to advertise her recreation to the jury whereas assuming she was about to affix them.

Of course, Rachel additionally had a dominant problem run, becoming a member of Kelly Wiglesworth, Jenna Morasca, Kim Spradlin, and Chrissy Hofbeck as the one girls to win 4 particular person immunity challenges in a season. With that form of résumé, it is no marvel Rachel received, however did she ever fear about her possibilities throughout that remaining Tribal? We spoke to the newly minted champ to get the within scoop on her epic run, being in contrast unfavorably by Andy Rueda to some fellow winners, and if her time as a Survivor alternate helped put together her for her second journey to Fiji.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, do you propose to rub this in your buddy Domenick Abbate‘s face that you just received Survivor and he did not?

RACHEL LAMONT: You know what, I used to be so nervous at that remaining Tribal Council. Sam did so effectively and Dom’s entire factor was not placing himself into hearth and shedding to Wendell, and I used to be like, “Did I simply lose at remaining Tribal?” I used to be undoubtedly spinning on these issues. So yeah, in fact I’m going to rub it in to him.

I’ve little doubt you have been doing jury math in your head strolling into Tribal. What have been the votes you have been least certain about?

The votes I used to be least certain about have been Kyle and Gabe. I used to be fairly certain I had Caroline and Genevieve. I had a sense I had Sierra. There have been just a few indications as I stored coming in with the necklace. She was simply grinning at me. There was one level the place she mouthed, “I’m so pleased with you” from the jury bench. I used to be like, “I do know she’s going to be very conflicted.” But Sierra was one of many votes at Final Tribal the place I used to be like, “I feel she’s voting for Sam.” And so there have been undoubtedly issues the place I used to be like “Shoot!” And then the way in which that Andy was, I do not know. And even Teeny!

At remaining 5 after I received that immunity, I used to be like, “I simply received the sport, I feel.” But then at fire-making with the jury leaping off the bench and Sam successful hearth in probably the most dramatic approach — I knew that there was a risk he may win [at fire], however may you’ve got received in a approach that wasn’t probably the most dramatic approach anybody’s ever received hearth earlier than? Win usually! Not like that! And then to have him have such a powerful remaining Tribal. When Jeff went to learn the votes was probably the most scared I used to be for every week. My abdomen was in full knots and, really, there’s part of me that was like, “I feel I’d’ve simply misplaced.” So the arrogance actually wavered all through these final couple days.

You have been proper about Kyle. He did vote for Sam. Why have been you frightened aboutGabe? Just form of a brodown throwdown state of affairs?

Yeah, I imply Gabe and I, we did work collectively just a few occasions, however we did not have a really shut private connection on the market. And Sam and Gabe would speak sports activities for hours daily and simply go down these rabbit holes of “this participant, that participant” and I might simply be like, “Let’s tune out, go discover another person to speak to.”

I knew Gabe was a gamer and so I did be ok with the truth that I felt like I performed form of a flashy recreation, a recreation that I might’ve thought that he may’ve performed. And so I knew that that may attraction to him. But there’s these relationships, and people are the intangibles in Survivor the place you’ll be able to have a look at folks and you’ll attempt to guess what they’re pondering and what their motivations are and their perspective, however you are at all times guessing. You cannot learn different folks’s minds.

How’d you are feeling about Sam implying that you just have been simply fortunate to get the French fry idol and did not play as skillful a recreation as he did?

I clearly had luck within the recreation, however I do suppose that getting the clue within the burger was the luckiest factor that occurred to me. I feel that I’ve reasoning and proof to again up that principally every thing else that occurred to me was not luck. And so I feel within the second, when that one reply the place he’s simply so eloquent and he is giving all these stats, now I’m like, “Oh, I can retort that and this and that.” But within the second, your head is spinning and each remaining Tribal Council query I am unable to absolutely hearken to Sam as a result of I’m making an attempt to think about what I’m going to say. But you must pay attention a bit bit so you’ll be able to rebut, and it is a very complicated, onerous factor to do even in actual life, not to mention after 26 days of the sport, after that a lot ornament and this a lot stress.

And so I do suppose that there have been moments the place I used to be nervous. I felt like he had a superb level, and in my thoughts I did not have to reconcile the way in which that I performed the sport. I performed the sport that was in entrance of me and the sport and the trail that I discovered to the tip, I took it and I executed on it. And if I did not have an idol in my pocket, I would not have performed the way in which that I performed. It modifications every thing as a result of my perspective within the recreation modifications, my positioning that I do know I’m in modifications… and so it is very simple to chalk up my win to luck and the strikes I made [because of] luck. But if I did not have these instruments, I would not have performed the identical approach. And so it is a trigger and impact, even when it looks like an idol magically appeared in my pocket, which everyone knows just isn’t true.

What’s going by means of your head when Andy compares you to Mike Holloway and Ben Driebergen, and never in an effective way?

What’s so humorous about that’s when Sam and I and Andy have been on the seashore on the ultimate six day, it was a type of issues the place we talked about it the place I’m like “I’ve form of performed this Mike Holloway-esque recreation and that is fairly loopy.” This concept that I’m simply form of successful immunities and being immune, not permitting folks to try to vote me out. And we have been form of laughing that who would’ve thunk that I used to be going to play a recreation like that?

And so the way in which that Andy introduced it up the place he was saying, “I do know your perspective because the superfan and you do not view these winners in the identical gentle as you view another winners.” And I feel that it is a type of issues that once you sit in your sofa at dwelling and also you watch folks play Survivor and you are like, “That recreation simply appears simpler and it is only a totally different sort of recreation” — as soon as you are a participant and also you acknowledge, like Sam stated, he was throwing my identify out tremendous early. Genevieve was throwing my identify out tremendous early. Andy was too.

And you may name that risk administration, however I used to be on the backside of the tribe. Sometimes folks simply select you as a goal. Genevieve was like, like sees like. How can I cease her from seeing that I’m an identical sort of participant to her? I am unable to try this. She’s not an fool, I’m not going to idiot her. We had only a few talks on the market and he or she simply knew. She knew.

And Sam was actively throwing me in entrance of them as a result of he was like, “She is aware of I’ve an idol.” All these different causes that he simply form of wished me gone with out blood on his palms. And so sooner or later you have a look at your path and also you say, “Well, that is the trail that I’ve and okay, let’s stroll it then. If that is the choice, let’s do it.” And so I’ve grown to empathize and perceive that sort of recreation much more as a type of gamers.

What occurs subsequent after the After-Show and the cameras flip off that night time?

A shell-shocked zombie goes again to Ponderosa. I imply, really. It was humorous, somebody requested me, “Are you excited to see the After-Show?” And I used to be like, “I’m as a result of I’ve no reminiscence of it. The stress of ultimate Tribal Council is not like something that I’ve ever felt in my life. It is that this end result of you have spent 26 days struggling daily, and also you’re lastly right here on the finish and also you suppose you are able to do it, however if you happen to screw up proper now, every thing was for nothing. And the stress of that’s so immense and to have it truly work out and I received Survivor… I feel I simply blacked out at that time.

The stress and every thing lifted and I used to be in a position to loosen up. I do not drink, so you will discover I used to be holding a glass of water all through all of that. I used to be consuming pizza, however I wasn’t ingesting, so I wasn’t drunk, I wasn’t even tipsy. I used to be only a full form of shell of myself within the sense that I used to be like, “Holy cow, it is over. We’re accomplished. I received.” And really it felt like the primary time watching the After-Show again.

So then we get again to Ponderosa, we hang around as a gaggle, I am going to my room, I take three showers, I stare at myself within the mirror going, “How did we do that? How did I do it? It was so loopy.” I slept for 2 hours, and I used to be like, “This mattress is so uncomfortable. I’m a dust napper. Where’s my filth?” And simply the acclimation again to regular issues. Even the lights going up on the After-Show! Tribal is likely one of the locations the place you do not actually see the cameras. It feels so pure once you sit there, and to have all these studio lights go up, I used to be like, “Oh my God!” Also simply the brightness. I felt like I used to be being burned by the lights. Just all of it. It was so, so surprising.

Well, you could not have had a drink, however I’ve a sense Teeny had sufficient drinks for each of you. We met out in Fiji for the Survivor 46 pre-game, once you have been an alternate. Do you suppose that have helped you in any respect when it comes to figuring out how you can act and perhaps make some silent connections in these days earlier than the sport truly begins?

I feel the one factor being an alternate does for you is makes you much less nervous as a result of you understand the schedule and what to anticipate from pre-game. I feel there’s a lot ready and it is form of awkward. It’s like sitting in a library for every week straight the place you’ll be able to’t speak and also you’re simply gazing one another. You’re making an attempt to look with out wanting. You’re making an attempt to suss folks out with out wanting too bizarre. You’re studying different folks’s physique language, however you are making an attempt to offer off good physique language. And so it is a very bizarre cat and mouse form of recreation.

But I feel that, for me, mentally final 12 months after I was an alternate, I felt like I wanted to play. I used to be like, “I would like Survivor.” And I feel that the readability that form of break gave me was this 12 months I went in being like, “I’m taking part in with home cash.” It felt freer and lighter and extra like, I really need this. I do not want this, I would like it. And it was simply form of a mentality change that I feel solely occurred with the truth that I received so shut. I used to be the backup quarterback on the Super Bowl after which I received to play the subsequent 12 months. And I feel that one thing about that gave me a bit bit extra confidence and a bit bit extra of a mentality shift that permit me simply have enjoyable with it.

What’s one thing that occurred on the market this season that didn’t make it to TV that you just want we received an opportunity to see?

The factor that I used to be probably the most disillusioned I did not see on my TV was my relationship with Caroline. She was by far my primary from nearly the night time Sierra was voted out after Tribal. We talked that night time till her boot. And I used to be very shocked that I do not suppose there was a single one-on-one dialog with Caroline and I that whole stretch. And it makes a lot extra sense why Operation: Italy focused Caroline, as a result of they could not get me.

We have been very clearly working collectively and he or she known as me her strategic primary and I used to be simply enthralled to be working along with her. And so I feel that we noticed the Andy, Teeny, and me threesome, after which the Sue, Caroline, and me threesome, however that one got here first. The Sue, Caroline, and Rachel one was lengthy earlier than the Teeny and Andy one. So it is simply attention-grabbing how we do not at all times get to see all relationships. We haven’t got on a regular basis, however that one was so essential to me that I used to be shocked it did not make it.

Jeff Probst instructed me you have been on of the franchise’s “greatest total gamers.” What does it really feel like to listen to that?

That’s excessive reward. I imply, I didn’t know that. That’s wonderful. Gabe requested the query about legacy on the Final Tribal, and I leaned over, I used to be sitting subsequent to him on the finale and I used to be like, “I feel I used to be mendacity,” however I used to be like, “I do not care.” Of course you care! I feel what I meant was I didn”t come out right here to play a sure solution to have a sure legacy. I got here out right here to play and win, however that does not imply that on the finish of the day, I do not care about how I’ll be remembered. I’m an enormous Survivor fan. Of course, I wish to be any individual that individuals are like, “”She’s the worthy winner. She’s a superb winner. That season was nice.” I would like that simply as a lot as anyone else. And so to listen to Jeff say that simply made my morning, Dalton.

Winners have a tendency to come back again and play sooner or later. Would you do it once more?

How may I not? This is probably the most unimaginable journey. I nonetheless suppose on a regular basis about simply sitting on Beka seashore within the filth with my associates across the campfire taking part in a loopy recreation. And in the event that they known as, in fact I might go.

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