from FEVER:
Harry Smith: He was the game's original champion but last night on Survivor: All-Stars, Richard Hatch, the often arrogant, often naked, the King of the Islands was forced into exile. <video clip of Colby and Ethan plotting to vote off Richard>
HS: The slow motion exit, *laughs* Richard how are you? Good morning.
Rich: I'm good Harry. It had to happen.
HS: When we heard about the Ethan business with Colby last night. My family said, Richard is gonna rule, he's gonna overcome this. Was it too late, did you just not know it was coming.
Rich: I was right with you. I was gonna win it. I thought Ethan was out of there. I had an inkling talking to Colby in the water that he wasn't being quite as honest as I thought he was, it wasn't coming across as true. I thought Kathy would go with it.
HS: I thought so too, thought the women for sure would side would you.
Rich: I don't know anything about what happens but they'll pay for not listening to me, I'll bet.
HS: Do you feel like you were playing well this game?
Rich: I don't feel like I played as well as the first game. It was very, very tough. People will have no idea how difficult this actual game was. Physically it was exhausting, two weeks in felt like six weeks. It was unbelievable. I was irritable and all sorts of things.
HS: It seemed like your approach, being a provider, is always a good role to play...sort of the laid back, lazy....
Rich: Lazy??? I had a plan Harry. I always have a plan.
HS: That was part of your philosophy, your strategy?
Rich: People think of me as cocky, arrogant. I came into that game, even though I knew these people with their impression of me being that, being negative. I had to do some things to made it seem as as I am kind of a difficult arrogant cocky person... try as I might. Otherwise they might think I have something up my sleeve.
HS: This time, almost every single scene you're in...there was a big dot...I threatened to give you a beach ball this morning... we were afraid you'd come here without clothes. Did you play this same way the first time?
Rich: I did. They didn't show it until about half way through on my birthday. I think they thought I was so arrogant I was gone early they didn't need footage of me. But then decided... hey that fat naked guy is still here, get some footage
HS: Was that part of the strategy, the nakedness.
Rich: The original strategy was that it was 110 degrees, so I was comfortable without clothes. I thought, who's going to film it and they'll never show it, so I'll get lots of private time. Which I did. But then this game the strategy was a little different. If I changed they would wonder what was up with me.
HS: Chapera bid farewell to the game's first millionaire. We saw you without clothes a lot last night. What happened to you and Sue during that challenge? Where you were coming together and Sue just... what went on there?
Rich: That challenge was a crazy king of challenge... hard to stay on the beam there... I wore my pants for the first time I think in any of the challenges...it didn't matter, I didn't see any advantages. But my teammates said...get 'em off, get 'em off... that'll distract people. So after I got wet, I took them off. We were just going along, I was doing my thing. For some reason she just turned around and came back toward me. I have no idea what happened.
HS: Wow, it seems like that will have some sort of repercussions, we'll have to tune in next week to see what is up with that.
Rich:
HS: One of the other great moments in the show this year, was while you were out there fishing and this shark comes and gets connected to your shirt. Do you still have the scar?
Rich: His the scar, and here's the shark.
*points to shark tattoo*
He was locked on here for about half and hour. I bit him back and he wouldn't let go. So I wanted to remember him.
HS: Did he taste good?
Rich: He was great, he was delicious. He was chunky and full of meat, we loved it.
HS: Early on former winners were getting knocked off. That's slowed down. Is it possible a former winner can win?
Rich: Absolutely. You know it's a game. Fair... people have been saying is it fair...it's a game and it's a little different from the earlier games because everyone knows each other. If I were smarter I could have done better. I fault myself for where I ended up.
HS: Do you think that because you won before that you were maybe not as hungry as everyone else.
Rich: Possibly. I thought I was hungry. But while I was out there, I was hurting. I was hurting. I thought to myself come on you ignored all this the last time... maybe I was less hungry than I needed to be to really focus. It was exhausting. Exhausting.
HS: You were the first champion. Sort of the model of what a Survivor player is supposed to be, what is it like to lose.
Rich: The original winner, I'll always be like that. What's it like to lose? Hey it's a game. It was fun... you know I stood up at TC and said "hey I've been bamboozled". I went to that TC knowing Ethan was going. We don't want him sitting in the background.
HS: Did you have any 2nd thoughts when they came to you and said hey come play this game again... did you say, I've been there done that or were you enthusiastic.
Rich: Very enthusiastic. But what was I thinking. How am I going to do it? I knew I had a huge target on my back but I went with all of my energy. Thinking... you never know
HS: There were some rumors that you were playing hard to get, holding out for more money...
Rich: We all have managers now, and agents, representation... so there was some negotiating that went on.
HS: You look very happy. Life is good?
Rich: Life is great. I am so in love. I'm a happy man.
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