By John Powell – GlobalTV.com

Two perhaps unintentional themes of Survivor 50 has been the affect of pre-existing alliances, partnerships on the game and the controversy surrounding how the female players are being edited, portrayed. Kamilla Karthigesu hasn’t minced her words when it comes to her thoughts on Survivor 50 and shared her frank, honest thoughts with us.

John Powell: Kamilla, it’s great to be talking to you today. How are you?

Kamilla Karthigesu: I’m good! How are you?

John Powell: Doing fine, thanks! The most disappointing thing for me from last night’s episode is there’s no chance a Canadian will win Survivor 50.

Kamilla Karthigesu: I know it’s so rough! Two seasons in a row where both Canadians get eliminated in the same episode, something’s up!

John Powell: It’s almost like it’s a conspiracy. (laughs)

Kamilla Karthigesu: Yeah, I think we need a season with no Canadians just to get a fresh start. (laughs)

John Powell: Why did you decide to come on and play again?

Kamilla Karthigesu
I had so much fun lying the first time! (laughs) The thrill of seeing people fall for my lies was so fun! And also, by the end of 48 I started to like the challenges. I thought the challenges were fun so I wanted to do the challenges again.

John Powell: Did you worried that in joining 50 your reputation would precede you

Kamilla Karthigesu: I was a little worried and my plan was to go and tell people like, listen, I understand. I lie. Everybody lies in Survivor. That’s just how it is but also I am so loyal to a fault. My number one ended up winning. I never turned on him. I’m a very loyal person. I don’t have it on me to blindside my number one. We can work and take other people out together but if I’m with you, I’m with you.

John Powell: One of the your downfalls last night was Jonathan’s decision of who to vote for.

Kamilla Karthigesu: Oh, my god! He didn’t play with honor and integrity! That’s craaazy! (laughs)

It’s actually funny because I think Jonathan did a really good job at downplaying his relationship with Chrissy. He had one tiny slip up during the challenge where he said, Hang in there, Chrissy, hang in there, Steph, even though I was still hanging in there.

He did a great job of downplaying his relationship with Chrissy. Had I not blindsided him last episode I don’t even think that’s the big thing. I think on our starting tribes I was very slow at getting to Jonathan because I felt pretty comfortable with our numbers and Tiff was having conversations with him. So maybe, had I approached all of that differently, maybe it would have been Tiff instead of me, because I knowing the things I know now, Jonathan, Steph and Chrissy were locked in. They were never going to write each other’s names downs. It was either me or Tiff.

John Powell: You had one ally betray you then you had another ally leave the game in Kyle. How did you feel about the whole situation? I mean, it must have affected you in a big way.

Kamilla Karthigesu: So here’s the thing, when you play on a season with a bunch of new people you kind of fall into trusting people a bit more versus like a season with a bunch of returnees. You’ve seen how well everyone lies. It is very hard to find 100% trust out here. I didn’t even know if I had 100% trust with Dee, until she was like, we’re getting Charlie. The one person who I could trust, the one person who I had a really good pre-existing relationship with was gone. Bro, it’s basically like a fresh season of Survivor where I know everyone is an amazing player so it’s hard.

John Powell: Rizo claimed that Kyle wanted you to know you could play and trust Rizo. Did you believe him?

Kamilla Karthigesu: Kyle never says nice things about me and I never say nice things about Kyle. (laughs) Kyle wouldn’t throw me under the bus like that. I will say everything else that Rizo said to me afterwards I’m like, I want to believe it but I have to take it with a grain of salt. I was fact checking everything afterwards, right?

John Powell: What is your stand on the talk of how pre-gaming has affected this season?

Kamilla Karthigesu: I mean, people say everyone pre-games. Yeah, I am stupid and I followed the rules. Every phone call I got where they’re like, don’t tell anyone, because people will throw you under the bus and we’ll cut you!

We got an email shortly after I made it to a next stage which was like: We trusted you all to maintain the integrity of this game and we’re hearing rumors flying around. If we know this is from you, you will be cut.

That email said “integrity”. I’m not making this up. I see integrity. My eyes go big because I’m like: Oh, be careful. Caution, caution!

I actually followed the rules. Now I will say pre-gaming in the sense of we’re friends outside of the show, right? I don’t really care about that. Everyone has that, except for people who are newer survivor players. I’m not bothered by that at all but we learned in the show on this journey that Mike, Savannah and Colby went on, we learned that there was a pre-game alliance that had actual calls together, like strategy calls and that three of those players ended up being on my tribe.

I was like, oh s—t! I hope they’re aware that everyone is aware of this alliance and they need to cut one out to make it look like they’re not locked in. That’s what I was hoping for. I was hoping Jonathan was going to do that and then I was like: Damn, I should have just trusted Mike White!

John Powell: That would have been a great strategy, actually, to cut somebody out, to throw people off. That would have been brilliant.

Kamilla Karthigesu: I know some people say I’m not bad at the strategy part of Survivor. (laughs)

John Powell: What do you think about the controversy concerning the edit of the female castaways on the show?

Kamilla Karthigesu: SO, I’m going to take myself out of the equation. I knew I was not going to get a good edit because it wasn’t really relevant. I don’t make it that far.

I actually ran into Johnny Fairplay last night.

One of the things he told me was: “Stop doing this! You guys are ruining Survivor! You guys are ruining Season 50!”.

I’m like: What’s ruining Survivor 50?

He was like: “This stuff you guys are doing, talking about how the edit hates women.

I’m like: Oh, that is a wild extrapolation when we’re talking about gender inequality and you’re now saying that we’re saying that the Edit HATES women?

He was like: “Just stop. What you guys and Angelina are doing is ruining the season.”

I was like: “That is crazy thing to say to me.”

Later on that night, like two hours later, he comes up and he tries to have this conversation again.

I’m like: “Oh, I’m sorry I ruined the season for you.”

He was saying: Oh, Kamilla, you’re such a great player. I love you.” Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I’m like: “Sorry I ruined the season for you.”

He’s like: “Wait. What do you mean ruined the season?”.

I was like: “Like you told me earlier today that me and Angelina were ruining Survivor 50 for everyone.”

He’s like: “No. I was joking. I was just joking. I was joking.”

We talked for like maybe five to 10 minutes more and then he pulls his bag and he’s got some photos he needs me to sign, right? So I’m like, okay. I guess me and Angelina and every other woman who are talking about this and even non-women, other people, we’re ruining Survivor 50 right now because everyone is online to see our social media.

John Powell: How do you feel about your edit?

Kamilla Karthigesu: They were pretty generous in some aspects, right? The challenge where I latched on to Jonathan and rode him like a dolphin. That was very kind of them to edit that whole challenge. I can’t be too bothered with the way they edited me because I understand. The strategy I was involved in didn’t really pan out because we didn’t go to Tribal Council. I get I get it. 24 people. I get it.

It’s fine. Maybe next time I’ll poo my pants on national television.

John Powell: Was there a moment you wish viewers saw that was cut?

I kind of wish that made the show.

Kamilla Karthigesu: So, the day we were debating between Charlie and Rizo I was NEVER the swing vote. I was trying to get Jonathan out that day, which had I done that who knows what would have happened. Jonathan wouldn’t have existed to flip on me.

I told everyone we’re swapping tomorrow, that we’ve been in this tribe for too long. Turns out we merged that the next day but no one believed me and they were afraid to lose Jonathan. So, I ended up voting against Charlie because the Rizo group would give me access to more new players than the Jonathan and Charlie group at that moment in time. When we were on the swap tribe I didn’t know Rick was friends with Emily and Christian all that well. It was once we got to the Merge where I’m like: Oh, I kind of burned that bridge, right? I would have loved to talk to Emily and Christian but I mean Christian entertained me and Emily did not.

John Powell: Is there anything that from the show that you’ve seen so far that has surprised you the most that you were shocked by?

Kamilla Karthigesu: Oh, I would say probably the dynamics on the tribe with Ozzy Christian. I like the way every single vote that happened, all of us were shocked, because Jenna made no sense to us as people on the outside. Savannah didn’t really make sense. Every single vote we were just saying what’s going on? To actually see what was happening behind the scenes, I was like, wow!