Ben Davis Exit Interview | Australian Survivor: Redemption | Ep 17 | Beyond Tribal

In this episode of Beyond Reality: Beyond Tribal, long-time Australian Survivor producer Hayley Ferguson sits down with the latest player to be elimated from Australian Survivor: Redemption and the third member of the jury - Ben Davis.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:15

Hi, I'm Hayley Ferguson and this is Beyond Reality. I've spent the past decade working as a producer on Australian Survivor. And now I'm taking you beyond trial. I'll be chatting with the players from Australian Survivor Redemption. As they leave the game, I'm picking their strategy, their downfall, and their story beyond the fucking.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

This is beyond reality.

SPEAKER_03 0:36

Hi, Ben. Hi, Haley. That was such a brutal blind side last night.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

All my days.

SPEAKER_03 0:44

Yeah, I mean, you took it so well in the moment.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:48

How are you feeling now that you've had a chance to watch it back?

SPEAKER_00 0:51

I feel the same. I feel the same. I I love that man with all my heart. Um, he is one of the greats. And I made him my number one out there for a reason because I love who he is. I love how he treats others, his values and everything. And um yeah, that the vote doesn't change anything. It's the game, it's the nature of the beast.

SPEAKER_03 1:11

That's such a good attitude. Like emotions can build up in the game, and it's, you know, it's one of those things to be able to walk away from a blind side by your closest ally, your best mate in the game, and to take it so well, I think it's an incredible thing to be able to do when you can walk away and you can shake hands and say it's a great game.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Yeah, um, yeah, I mean, I it is a complex game, Survivor. And I've I hadn't watched it before, so um, I was learning on the go, and like one thing that I did learn was how complex it is with the the emotions that come in and and then the strategy component, and you're trying to like mix the two and find the perfect balance, and you can never find the perfect balance out there, like it's so tough. Um, so I just pretty much took in my own perspective on life into the jungle, and I was like, I'm gonna treat people like people, um, I'm going to get to know them, and gameplay is gameplay, like that's a separate thing. Um, but at everyone's core, they're they're all amazing people that deserve to be here, so I'm gonna treat them that way.

SPEAKER_03 2:20

Yeah, and I mean we saw through the episode in the lead up to this vote, Simon chipping away at Jackson, getting in his ear, and it felt like Jackson was really locked into voting for Brooke until the very last second. What do you think it was that convinced him to flip in that moment?

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Honestly, I I think it was his ability to navigate the emotion because he like we were best mates out there, and we're best mates now. Like he's he's literally stayed at my house like twice already in Melbourne. Um, but and I've been to his wrestling show. Um, but I think his ability to navigate his emotion of uh voting me out versus what that could do for his game and give it a bit of a different edge, a bit of a a different, like another string to his bow almost like he just had to make that snap decision. And in that moment, uh like when you're about to go up and write a name, it you could do so much groundwork and like know the name you're writing down. And when you get into tribal and people say things and you hear things, it can change your perspective like that. And so I think that's what happened to him. And he made the decision to move forward in his game without me, which is fine.

SPEAKER_03 3:45

Yeah, I mean, we really saw his brain ticking over. You were sitting there, and at one point you were talking about emotions clouding judgment in the game, and it felt like you were it felt like that was kind of ticking over in his brain, and it like made him click.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

I was watching with my wife at home, and then I said that bit, and I turned to her, I was like, Did I just put the nail in my own coffin? She's like, I think you did. So I'm sitting there and I'm listening to myself. I'm like, Am I speaking to Jackson right now? Like, I just literally made my own bed, which was hilarious to me. It's quite poetic, very poetic, very poetic, very on brand for me to um to give myself up and end up getting myself voted off.

SPEAKER_03 4:32

Did last night's episode clarify anything for you?

SPEAKER_00 4:35

No, I don't think it did. Because I I whenever Jackson would talk, because some was obviously putting a lot of work into Jackson, and and I saw that at camp and everything, and I was like, they're putting work into Jackson, but he'll never flip. He's fine. Um and so yeah, probably the one thing was Cameron potentially gonna put my name down. But I backed the relationship that I had with him um to sort of navigate them wanting to try and flip um one of us newbies. So kind of like showed me something that I didn't see with Cameron, but also I kind of expected that, and so it worked out how I thought it would have.

SPEAKER_03 5:19

Yeah, and I mean Cameron stood by you in the vote anyway, so he didn't flip on you.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Yeah, my boy.

SPEAKER_03 5:24

I love that you've maintained this great relationship with Jackson um in spite of this move. I want to know what were the text messages like back and forth after watching this episode.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

I so I because I one of the things I love about Jackson is he is a very emotionally in touch man, and I know how bad he feels. He could, he, he nearly he was nearly crying holding up my name on thing, like he couldn't speak. And so I was texting him last night, like reassuring him, like saying, I love you, you're a beautiful man, like um, this is a game, like, and then I rang him after to make sure he was okay. Um, because I know he was hurting.

SPEAKER_03 6:06

That goes to show the kind of person you are that in your own blind side, you're worried about how bad the person that voted you out feels.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Oh, I just like he he sent me a message saying, ah, like just the pain um that he was feeling. And yeah, I know that he would have been in a world of hurt, so I just have to make sure he knows he remembers that he's a good person.

SPEAKER_03 6:30

In your mind, would you have ever turned on Jackson?

SPEAKER_00 6:34

No. I I went into this game playing like with the plan to play how I'm hold myself in the real world and and stick to my values and stand by my people. So yeah, I would have I would have been sitting at the end with him um if I had it my way.

SPEAKER_03 6:49

What about Durag Davo?

SPEAKER_00 6:51

Durag Davo, he's vicious, that dude. Um, I think Durag Davo would 100% have him sitting next to him as well. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:02

It seems like for you, you kind of found your feet at Tribe Swap, and you said yourself that you know the training wheels have come off. Yeah. Can you talk me through what your experience was like in the early days and what you were doing in terms of observing and you know, figuring out the game?

SPEAKER_00 7:24

So at the start, I just sort of wanted to build relationships and build connections with people and do it organically. So I knew that I wasn't getting voted out because they needed me for challenges, and so I just spent that time just making friends, and and I just sort of sat and listened to you know, like Mark and and how he and Brooke and how they talk to others and sort of the way that they navigate the different social dynamics. Um, and so then I kind of learned that like if you've got something that you can leverage with another person to use that, and so that's when I hit merge, and I was like, even though the smart thing would have been to split, I was like, I want to do this how I live my life, which is a hundred percent like full throttle, and so I wanted to dump on Mark and let him see how much everyone wants him gone because I wanted to leverage the frustration that us newbies felt towards the returnees, in this case, Mark, for how he treated us, and so I was like, I'm gonna leverage that anger and try and make use of it, and it ended up working, um, thankfully. So yeah, it was cool to sit there and learn in the early days and then finally be able to actually have a hand in the game towards the end.

SPEAKER_03 8:45

So you sort of wanted to build momentum behind that mark for it, even though you know your first attempt, Richard went home.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Yeah, poor Rich. Oh, he wasn't even in the same state and he's still copped astray. That's how far away he was from it, my poor guy.

SPEAKER_03 9:01

Which returnees gameplay taught you the most, do you think?

SPEAKER_00 9:04

Mark's ability to talk to people and socialise was really cool to watch up close. I think Brooke's Brooke's ability to to banter and toe the line with like saying things that are actually there's kind of a bit of meaning behind it, but with banter and try and find information that way. I really found that interesting and and the way she sort of operated um was really cool. So I'd probably say Brooke, I reckon, because that's kind of like my personality. Like banter, have a laugh, and try and get people on your side through good relationships and um yeah, definitely Brooke.

SPEAKER_03 9:49

Yeah, she's very good.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

She's great, she's scary good. She girl started applying for a movie film when she put on the waterworks for the food thing, and I'm sitting there like, this girl's got something from home. This is unreal. And then it was 11 bar. I was like, God damn, this woman.

SPEAKER_03 10:11

It was so savage that moment.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Literally.

SPEAKER_03 10:14

What gave you the confidence to start playing big and making big moves when you got to tribe swap?

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Simon said something in a tribal the night before we started the Mark train, and it was you can make a big move when there's four people left, and that's an easy move, or you can make a big move now when there's still 12 people, and that can be a bigger move. And I that like rattled in my brain all night. And I woke up the next morning, me and Jackson in the hammock, and I went, I want Mark gone. I want him done, I want him gone. So I just started rallying the troops, and I was like, This is I I can't stand having him have any control over this tribe anymore. I need him to leave.

SPEAKER_03 10:56

Yeah, you became the leader of the revolution against the returnees.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Bro, it was so funny. Like, that is so devo coded. Like the fact that I found myself leading a resistance, like, is just hilarious to me because like, how do we like I sat there in some of my professionals, I'm like, how do we get it? What are we doing? How did I get to this point? But I mean, it was fun, it was really fun. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:19

Did you surprise yourself in terms of your ability to corral people behind you?

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Look, I've always sort of I've always sort of had this ability to relate to people and to find social cues or social connections that really bring us together. And so I've kind of I've always been that way where I've been able to build these really good relationships. And so I knew going into this into this game that my strong suit was going to be challenges, but in my opinion, my even stronger suit than that was gonna be my social game. Um, and so it was it didn't really surprise me that I could make friends easily out there, and then I guess in turn, by building those relationships with those people, I could then start a movement. So surprising that I ended up leader of the revolution, but not surprising that I could build good relationships, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 12:16

And the first big move, I guess, was that Arsher blind side, the beauty of the beast forming. Yeah, did playing the game become addictive for you?

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Oh my god. I was like, I was sitting there at Tribals and I was like, inject this shit into my veins. I love this. I'm sitting there, some tribals where I'm sitting there and I'm going to Dave, look at this, this conversation's happening over there. I don't know what the hell they're talking about. Look at this over there. Like it was nuts. And we'd come back from tribal and I'd have this fat adrenal rush, and I was sitting there going, I could honestly rip a tree out of the ground right now. That's how much fun I'm having. And so, yeah, I just fell in love with it. Like the art, like the all those situations and and seeing people's faces when like things pull off and they're blindsided and they're like, What? Like, especially Asha, because she was like, Brooke, it's been real, girl, but you gotta go. The whole tribal council. And then when her name comes out, she's like it was yeah, it was crazy and addictive 100%.

SPEAKER_03 13:17

You didn't even realize that you sent her home with an idol in her pocket as well.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

No, and not even hers, it was Blanche's poor Blanche. She could have used it when I changed the split onto her.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

That was an incredible moment when you had to think on your feet, you know, Keely and Brooke brought out those idols, one being fake, but you're not to know that. And I guess, you know, you knew they were coming for you, and you changed the vote to Blanche. Why did you pick Blanche?

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Bro, that was just uh that was just a like split second decision. Like, I guess in my subconscious, it wouldn't have really hindered my game if uh if she wasn't there. So maybe that's what I thought. But in the moment I was just like, I need a name, Blanche's a name, and I needed a safety net in case I was like, there's I like we clocked that Brock Brooks wasn't real. So we we were like, stay with the four votes on her, but we need a safety net because if they're all real, I'm going home. And so yeah, changed it to Blanche. Sorry, Blanche, love you.

SPEAKER_03 14:15

Now, obviously, you were known for leading the revolution against the returnees. I want to know if you were to return to the game and play again, how would you adapt? What would you change about your game?

SPEAKER_00 14:31

I guess I've got I've got like a bit of rep for sticking true to my people that are with me now. Um I think I'd be more aware of my blind spots and and have more conversations with other people around how I can navigate those blind spots. Um but I mean I I wouldn't have changed how I went into this one, but will it change how I go into the next one if I'm lucky enough to be invited back? Who knows?

SPEAKER_03 15:01

If you got into a situation where you had a number one like a Jackson, yeah, is there anything you think you could have done to prevent him from making a move like that?

SPEAKER_00 15:13

Yeah, I think potentially letting them take not that like we were both equal in making decisions, but I think a big factor was me starting the mark train and so potentially taking a bit of a passenger seat for a bit and letting my number one make some moves and and sort of let them be, because then I would be the one getting approached with that proposition and I'd have that power. Um, is probably one way I'd change it, I reckon.

SPEAKER_03 15:42

Yeah, so you have to have distinct games in a duo to be able to go to the end together.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:49

Thank you so much, Ben. I want to get to some quick fire questions before we go.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

Okay, I'm ready.

SPEAKER_03 15:54

Who was your favorite person in the game?

SPEAKER_00 15:56

Jackson and Johnson.

SPEAKER_03 15:58

Who had the most annoying habit and what was it?

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Don. He would he would start projects, he would start projects around the campsite and then not finish them and start another one. Um, and dunked bottles in the well, which had us going to the toilet frequently.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

Oh no, what do you mean? Like dunking the whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dunking the whole thing.

SPEAKER_03 16:19

Oh no.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

I know, right? It's not well water now, it's bad water.

SPEAKER_03 16:24

Most embarrassing moment of your game.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

Last night's episode when I go up to Brook and that and I'm like, we're voting Cameron. Are you happy with that? Like, I want to get rid of some riffraff. And I go over to, and then they're like, anyone buy that? And they're like, no. And then I walk over to Jackson and I'm like, I got him. They believed it. Oh, I was howling at that.

SPEAKER_03 16:43

What hurts more? Getting stabbed in the back by your closest ally or going most of the game without winning a reward.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

Oh, you're asking the right questions because that is tough. Ah. You know what? You know what? You can see the size of me by the end. I am literally a stick figure. So I'm gonna say the most most days without reward is hurting more. You were hungry. I was hungry. Yeah, boy, I was hungry. I was sick of eating coconuts. I even ate, we couldn't get a fire started early, and we had to soak the beans for eight hours before we eat them, obviously. And we couldn't get a fire, so we couldn't cook the beans or anything. I was eating raw beans. That's how hungry I was.

SPEAKER_03 17:30

Contestants do that every year. It's so bad.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Yeah, yeah, it's not, I wouldn't advise it. I wouldn't advise it. So if you're thinking about eating raw beans, Haley, don't what song sums up your time?

SPEAKER_03 17:41

Potentially Crazy Frog.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Because I was a bit wild out there. Either that one or like the the song from um Fast and Furious when Paul Walker like drives off from Vin Diesel. It's like when I see you again, and then like drive off because the best friends have parted ways. I think that's probably a mix of those two.

SPEAKER_03 18:02

Oh, that's that's beautiful. Would you ever play Survivor again?

SPEAKER_00 18:07

Yeah, I love this game. I love this game. I am all in. I don't know why I didn't watch this shit sooner. Seriously, this is the best game in the world. It's incredible.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

If you could be on any other reality show, what would you be on?

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Ooh, I would be on the amazing race with my wife. Bro, she is so funny, she's hilarious, she's funnier than me. And if I'm admitting that, that's saying something. Um, but I think us two on the amazing race would be quality content. The only thing is we are both geographically challenged, like we don't know how to get places, and that's kind of the whole point of that show. So, yeah, probably amazing race with my amazing wife.

SPEAKER_03 18:52

What celebrity would you want to see play Australian Survivor?

SPEAKER_00 18:55

I would love to see Chris Hemsworth play Survivor. I reckon that would be funny. Thor. Thor out there just wielding his hammer around, causing some chaos. Because every I've got to see so charismatic. I feel like charismatic people do really well. That's why Dave did well.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

Just get all the Hemsworths out there.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

Let's just get them all out there. Let's get the brothers there too. Let's get let's get Chris's wife out there too. Let's just have a whole Hemsworth edition.

SPEAKER_03 19:24

Describe your survivor legacy in three words.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

Crazy. Funny. I hope.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

I hope. My mum thinks I'm funny anyway, so I don't care. Um, no, funny, no.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

What did I say first? Crazy, funny, and leader.

SPEAKER_03 19:51

That works.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Um that'll do. We'll go with those.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

Thank you so much, Ben. I really appreciate your time. I love that you have fallen in love with this game.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

No worries. Thank you, Haley. Thank you for chatting to me.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

See you later.

SPEAKER_02 20:05

This is beyond reality.