Much more interesting than her Early Show interview. This from SNN:CBS Chat with Nicole
Transcript from Nicole's CBS Chat
SNN
Friday, September 19, 2003
Transcribed by: cafunston at VotedOff.TV
Q: Let’s get started! Hey Nicole! Thanks for being here today. Are you ready to talk to take some questions?
Nicole: Yes, I’m ready.
Q: Nicole, were you and the others given any sort of education regarding the dangers that awaited you on the island?
N: We were not informed ahead of time but we were informed of what we could and could not eat.
Q: Was it worth traveling all of that way to be there for 3 days?
N: It was absolutely worth it because even after I was off after the show I got to enjoy Panama for the remainder of the time.
Q: How did your family react when you were voted off first?
N: laughs. My family took it with a grain of salt because they know my personality so it didn’t really surprise them.
Q: Why did you try to get people to go along with your vote instead of “laying low” and waiting for someone to approach you regarding how to vote?
N: I think it was just a natural instinct because someone was bothering me and annoying me so I wanted to take control and eliminate that person as quickly as possible. I’d never watched the show before so I didn’t know much about strategy.
Q: Nicole – what went through your head when you found out you could be wearing that thong for 39 days?
N: laughs. Lew!!! I actually was hoping that we’d have some reward challenge in which we’d get some of our clothes back.
Q: Nicole… How did the clothes issue hamper your performance in the challenges (if it did)?
N: Actually after we jumped ship I got used to running around in a dress. The hardest part was sleeping with the sandcrabs crawling up it.
Q: What was up with the guys stripping down nude during the challenges?
N: laughs. I still never figured that one out! Osten seemed ready to take his clothes off from the beginning when he ripped his shirt off. I think it was somewhat of a male bonding experience that we’ll never really understand.
Q: Did Osten and the other guys go nude around camp or just in that challenge?
N: Not intentionally they didn’t go nude but Osten’s shorts were hanging off him for the entire time so he was basically nude. Laughs. He wouldn’t do anything to fix ‘em and Brian O’s shorts ripped open at the crotch so he was having trouble with things hanging out. He actually sewed his shorts with some wire and string but they didn’t show that.
Q: What did it feel like when Jeff said that the game started while you were on the ship “Going to take pictures” Were you scared, excited? Or what was going through your head?
N: I started giggling because I think I got nervous. My heart started racing and I immediately switched into competitive mode. The next thing I was worried about was being one of the first ones to shore.
Q: Was there any traditional survivor challenge you wish you could have participated in if you could have stayed??
N: Something that involved simply running and not pushing 300 lbs. objects! I think I would have done a lot better.
Q: I thought I saw some “cuddling’ during the crab attack the first night. Who was that?
N; That was Tijuana and Osten but apparently they were just keeping each other warm. Meanwhile I froze because I wouldn’t let Ryan O. touch me! Laugh… He tried to cuddle with me and Darrah.
Q: Nicole – Were you disappointed that Lil told everybody your plant to vote out Tijuana?
N: I was disappointed that Lil told because she had me fooled with the uniform. The most obvious threats aren’t necessarily the ones that are in your face but at the same time I think it’s all part of the game.
Q: If you could tell Tijuana one last thing, what would it be?
N: oooh… Laughs. Calm down! Life’s too short. Laughs.
Q: Nicole you said that you knew you’d get into trouble by “mouthing off” … so why not try to curb that?
N: I did try to curb that! Laugh. I think that the conditions and everything make your true self come out, at least in my case. I was too tired to take it.
Q: How bad was Osten’s over-reaction to everything?
N: laughs. Honestly I don’t know why Osten volunteered to do this because he’s so scared of everything in the outdoors. He must have gotten us out of the shelter six times because he “saw a snake.” It finally got to the point where we didn’t listen to him anymore.
Q: um yeah Nicole why did u go to Lillian and not someone else?
N: The boys weren’t really an option because they were already starting to bond when they built the shelter and Darrah was sort of friends with Tijuana so I wasn’t sure that she was the right person to go to. So, Lil seemed like the only obvious choice.
Q: Hi Nicole. Did y’all know that Rupert stole your shoes? Or did you think the locals did it?
N: Until last night I had no idea what happened to those shoes! I thought that they were lost at sea. I thought it was funny because Rupert was so funny about the way he did it. But I would like to have the shoes back! Laughs.
Q: Hi Nicole, what was the high point of your brief appearance on Survivor Pearl Islands?
N: laughs. Walking away from Tribal Council! The very beginning was fun too. The very beginning and the very end.
Q: What was it you didn’t like about Tijuana?
N: Speaking to me and everyone else, she was very condescending I thought. That may have been just how she was in the game but if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s being patronized by someone that’s my own age.
Q: It seemed like people were pairing up.. Did you know that Ryan S and Lillian had a close bond?
N: That was apparent from the very beginning. They were the only two that would really go and get the water and then for some reason wouldn’t tell anyone else where it was.
Q: Nicole, how hot is Ryan Opray’s body?
N: laughs. He’s not my type.
Q: Hey Nicole, do you think you could have survived the entire 39 days with that dress?
N: With the dress? Yes. With my mouth? No.
Q: Why didn’t your team stay together when you went into the village?
N: We broke apart immediately when we jumped off the boat because some of us were stronger swimmers than others. Darrah, Ryan O. and I swam to shore while the rest held onto the raft and came in slowly.
Q: Nicole, were you embarrassed by the way Morgan acted with the villagers?
N: Yes. Laughs. I saw yelling, people raising their voices simply because of the language barrier not because they had a hard time hearing and I think that respecting them and the fact that we were in their town, people acted like they were there to serve us.
Q: I just have to know – did you guys get shots before hand for Yellow Fever, and did they give you pills to prevent malaria, and all that? I t seems so reckless if they didn’t…
N: We did get shots beforehand.
Q: Nicole… ya’re hot! Hot! Hot! Having been back from the show, how’s your massage theraphist business going? Is that getting better?
N: I still keep my old clients but I haven’t been seeking any new ones. The volleyball season is almost over so it’s slowing down.
Q: Hi Nicole. Were you happy to follow the Drake team through he obstacles rather than clear all the debris for them like they did for you? Why did the Morgan team ‘run out of gas” when they did one third the amount of work compared to the Drake team?
N: No, we weren’t happy to be behind them because everything they cleared out they threw back in our path including logs and rocks. I think we actually ended up doing equal or more work because we weren’t able to keep the momentum going because we were behind.
Q: How bad were the insects? Are the living conditions as rough as they seem?
N: I think that it was rougher than what you’ll ever see on TV and that people don’t understand how real it is. Even after three days it was like I had chicken pox because of the bites.
Q: In your opinion, why did Morgan tribe lose after leading for a while?
N: We basically hit a bad bump in the sand and we couldn’t push it. You couldn’t see from the shot but it was uphill and we just couldn’t get it to budge.
Q: Nicole, great dress. All of Male America loved it. Did you cut yours up at all?
N: I did cut off the bottom to wrap the fabric around the bottom of my feet and make shoes.
Q: Nicole… Who were you closest to in your tribe?
N: Darrah. She was a really nice girl that didn’t do anything to offend everybody but at the same time she had a good sense of humor.
Q: Nicole, are you planning on running a spread of Playboy like Jenna and Heidi did?
N: I’m open to it at this point but nothing’s been decided.
Q: Hi Nicole, What effect do think this exposure will have on your immediate future?
N: I’m not really sure what to expect, this is all new to me.
Q: What was the one thing that you not get in the village that you wished you did?
N: Blankets that were not infested with dog fleas! The blankets we got were the ones they were letting their sickly dogs lay on in the village! Laughs.
Q: Nicole, how far was it from the ship to the village and how long did it take you all to swim to it?
N: I think it was probably at least a half a mile. It was further than I’ve ever swam. It took us maybe about ten to fifteen minutes. I’m not sure. It seemed longer though because we thought there were things in the water with us – we’d seen sharks earlier.
Q: what was the first thing you did after you left tribal council?
N: Showered! Laughs. I didn’t eat too much. Actually, my stomach had shrunk so I didn’t eat much. Then I slept really well.
Q: Nicole, considering you wore such a sexy dress, was it your strategy to use your sexuality in the game?
N: I thought I would be able to but as soon as Ryan O. started making advances I realized I wasn’t going to be able to fake that part of my personality. I think that might be part of why I was voted off also.
Q: was there any sexual chemistry out there – between anyone?
N: We had some talks that there was something going on between Tijuana and Osten but it was never confirmed while I was there.
Q: One guy shows up in an Armani suit, one woman in a scout uniform – what was your first impression?
N: I didn’t know what was going on with the Scout uniform but I think it was a good way to win trust automatically. As far as the Armani suit I felt bad for him because he probably lost a lot of money when he jumped in the water.
Q: Any interesting stories from the island that didn’t get aired?
N: There was a period on the second day that we were there that I cut the head off a chicken and then we roasted it and they didn’t show that. It was the first time I’d ever done anything lik that. It was probably one of the strongest memories of the experience.
Q: Nicole, what was your goal on Survivor? Was it simply to win the money, or was there something else you were hoping for?
N: I was just hoping it would have a positive impact on my life and be a memorable experience one way or the other because I never really expected to get on it and I never really had a set goal. They approached me, I never went to an audition or sent in a tape. I was approached on the beach to do the show but had never contemplated doing it prior.
Q: I noticed that nobody was talking on the ship. Was there already a sense of competitiveness firing up?
N: There was a gag-rule on the ship. We weren’t allowed to talk until the game officially began but you could definitely feel people sizing each other up and down.
Q: Nicole, were you disappointed in being put on the Morgan tribe? Do you think you would have fit in better with the Drake?
N: I absolutely think I wouldn’t have fit in better with Drake. Watching the footage of them last night a lot of the people in their tribe seemed friendly and funny and even sarcastic. It made me laugh whereas our tribe was just very uptight it seemed. We didn’t do a lot of socializing.
Q: Did you ever flash anyone for trade as Osten had suggested?
N: No, I was offended by his comment because it was totally unnecessary and I don’t think he realized that Panamanians are very respectful and would’ve been offended it we’d done that. The men there are actually pretty reserved.
Q: What was the best thing someone in your tribe bartered for in the village?
N: I would say it was either the matches or the tarp because we would have been in a lot worse a position without either of those things.
Q: Why didn’t you buy clothes while in the village?
N: It was about 110 degrees and we didn’t at that time imagine that it was going to get cold at night. I don’t think that even the people in the village would have had any clothes to sell. A lot of them were missing clothes themselves.
Q: Nicole, even tho you didn’t get to use it, what was your luxury item?
N: My massage lotion.
N: The only constant request I had for massages were from Ryan O.
Q: What’s one thing you missed while on the show that you didn’t think you would?
N: Private time. Time to be by yourself and not worry about everyone else.
Q: What was your best deal made at the village?
N: I was the one that got the beans, the rice, the candles, the lighters, the blankets and the tarp… and the potatoes… with a little help from Ryan O. I didn’t rub it in but I don’t think anyone ever realized or appreciated that.
Q: Did you think that you had to go with the clothes on your back was unfair?
N: Because I’d never watched the show before I didn’t know what to expect… except the worst. So, it was fair to me. Not fun, but fair.
Q: Nicole, when you were confronted by the tribe about what you said to Lil, did you assume that was it, you’d probably be voted off?
N: I definitely knew I was in big trouble at that point but I was hoping that Tijuana’s personality might do itself in and that they give me the benefit of the doubt. At one point while I wasn’t near the tribe, I heard she cried big crocodile tears. That must have won them over.
Q: When you first saw ‘blackbeard’, did he look skerry to you?
N: laughs. Rupert looked half scary, half endearing but I definitely thought that physically he was a threat.
Q: Do you friends treat you any different than before you were on the show?
N: Actually, my friends are pretty down to earth and we all try to avoid using the “s” word for fear of overkill. Laughs. In the town I live within a five mile radius there are six people who have been on reality TV shows.
Q: Did you have a boyfriend on the outside or someone close cheering you on?
N: I don’t. I’m not involved with anybody right now.
Q: Is there anything you would have refused to do to win?
N: Before the game began, I thought ”no” – short of killing or maiming someone, but once I was actually in the midst of it I realized that faking an attraction to someone or getting naked was a lot more personal than I thought it would be and I wasn’t going to give those things up so easily.
S: I am sorry to say that our hour with Nicole is up. Nicole, thanks so much for being here to chat with us today. Do you have any final comments for the Survivor fans?
N: Thank you and keep watching! I think it’s going to be a great season.
Bebe's quick observations:
She said she never watched the show before, so she didn't know about strategy. WTH? AND she was approached to do the show. She never went on an audition or sent in a tape. That makes me angry. Her spot should have gone to someone who knew what the heck they were doing.
Sounds like Ryan O. is lookin for luv! I doubt he'll have the energy to keep that up, but we have seen that people looking to "hook up" have never done exceptionally well on Survivor.
Morgan did a lot better in the fishing village than I was led to believe. They got blankets, among other things, and a chicken! I'm impressed that Nicole actually cut it's head off. And Ryan mended his pants?
The first episode, IMO, was all about how well Drake did, and how unorganized Morgan was. Did we see Morgan eating at all? I don't think so. It was all about Rupert and the 6 or 7 fish he caught. There is definitely something to the editing here, but that may be a subject for another thresd.