SPOILER ALERT! Trying to avoid news as to who won Survivor: Samoa? Then this is not the article for you. (Seriously, stop reading if you don’t want to know who won.) Okay, everyone all good from here on out? All clear? Then let’s proceed.
Natalie White may not have been the popular choice among viewers to take home the million dollars as winner of Survivor: Samoa, but she was popular with the only nine people who mattered: the jury. The 26-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep called in to talk all about how she knew the jury would be voting along emotional/personal lines and therefore played to her strengths as the sweet Southern belle. She also says there’s plenty that Russell did to hurt himself in ways we never saw on camera, like taunting people after he voted them out. But how does she feel about the person she aligned with on day one of the game telling Survivor Talk this morning that her game was “terrible” and “pitiful”? And we have more questions: Who would she have voted for had she been on the jury: Russell or Brett? (The answer may surprise you.) What was her reaction to Russell’s $10,000 offer for the title of “Sole Survivor”? All those answers and more will be revealed in the 4-part video below as the winner of Survivor: Samoa tells all! And no matter who you think should have won, there is no argument about one thing: Natalie has been (and continues to be) a class act all the way. Don’t forget to keep watching right after to take in our exit interview with the still livid Russell. And to get Survivor scoop sent directly to you all year round (including exclusive on location Heroes Vs. Villains video!), you can follow me on Twitter @EWDaltonRoss.
More Survivor: Samoa:
Survivor: Samoa finale recap: Did the right person win?
So the person who actually wins the game only gets four feeds but the Sarah Palin of Survivor gets six, ehh? Stop buying into your own hype Dalton. I’m tired of your Survivor coverage and really tired of your Lost shtick…Ew.com here I come…
LOL. Natalie and Sarah Palin must be cousins. In God we trust!
If you can replace Dalton sosgemini that would be great. Anything would be a step up.
In a world where people had intelligence and some semblance of dignity, Natalie would be highly embarrassed by her undeserved good fortune. She didn’t earn her prize, she was merely the benefactor of the jury’s pitiful attempt to exact revenge upon Russell…the one who bounced all of their sorry butts out of the game.
What on Earth does Natalie think set her above even Mick, other than her pronouncement that women should be subservient to make it in Survivor? The only women Americans like are women who make theirselves and other women look stupid and weak. It’s comforting to the women haters. Natalie’s an Auntie Thomasina.
Russell never bounced anyone … he was not the only one voting. Kudos to the ones who ‘played’ him!!! ho was almost bawling at the end — the big baby!! He was outplayed. Suck it up …
If Russell’s post game interviews are indication of what he is like in ‘real life’, I pity the people who had to live with him in confided quarters for the duration of Survivor. He is a bitter person, lacking in social skills, and acting like a sociopath. I saw one interivew where he was calling Natalie a bitch–totally uncalled for. He has no class.
To be fair, a great player is able to overcome all obstacles, including persuading the very people you’ve voted off to vote for you. Russell should really ask Chris from Vanuatu and Todd from China how to do that.
She won the game because she deserved it the most, the jury made the choice, the right choice mind you and there is nothing that you airheads that root for Russell can say to change that. She won, he cried, get over it. It’s a game. She outwitted him big time!
I think she played a smart game and deserved the win, runnersmatch
Russell bounced everybody! He put all into play! Who played the game besides Russell! Nobody!!!!
So what if Russell is loke that in real life! How do you know! It’s not about how he lives his life, It’s about how he played the game! He out played everyone, they all looked stupid! They didn’t want to look really stupid so they voted for the least deserving! Now they look like bitter IDIOTS!
@viewer Seems like those insults directed to the jury reflects who YOU are as a person.
She played the best social game, and her best move was infiltrating the girls of Galu and suggesting Eric. If they hadn’t voted out Eric, Foa would’ve been toast.
Russell didn’t tell her to do that. Natalie saved Russell and her tribe there…
As for Russell, you can’t play that piss-poor of a social game and expect to win.
Why on earth then do you come to this blog? Go read a book.
Great comment teresa! That fellow who has an aunt called Thomasina should go read “Little Women” or something. He seems to have a sick attitude about women. Natalie never once implied she was better than anyone else. She played hard in the challenges. How did little dum-dum Russ do in competitions? and who criticized others as much as he did? Nobody!!! The comment about his emptying everyone’s canteen, burning socks, etc hit the nail on the head … who can be proud of that kind of strategy? Only a nim-wit could. The network did all they could to keep him in, but in the end he is the one who proved he did not deserve to win. Trying to buy the title too!!! What a loser!! Should the Dodgers have made an offer to purchase the title when they lost? Geesh, what a loser. Natalie showed such composure – a real champion.
i’m with you, sosgemini. dalton ross is LAME. and now, i’m done with him and his column.
Natalie rocks! She is a great winner and deserves it more than Russell.
YEAGH RIGHT,IF IT WASNT FOR RUSSELL SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER MADE IT THAT FAR!!!!!!! RUSSEL OUT PLAYED ALL OF THEM FOOLS!!!!!!
If it were not for Natalie, Russell would have gotten eliminated much earlier if he did not keep finding and using immunity idols in time.
HOW MANY IDOLS DID NATALIE FIND ???? 0
No need for the caps.
AND RUSSELL KEPT NATALIE AROUND SO HE WOULD NOT GET ELIMINATED,ONCE AGAIN PLAYING THE GAME HE CARRIED HER THROUGH THE GAME.
Get a life Whitehair, you’re making yourself look bad. It seems you’re just as much of a sore loser than Russell is. Natalie won and she deserved it, suck it up.
He may have outplayed, but where did it get him(for being a cad)? NOT THE WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH, PLEASE.
If it wasn’t for the others Russell would never have made it to the final. Nat, Jaison and Mick are the ones who protected him a few times.
After listening to the interviews, I see that Russell is a classless egomaniac. What a sore loser. He’s the one who is screwed up. Even outside the game, all he can do is rip people to pieces.
She might be a nice girl but didn’t deserve to win! She was worthless out there! No game play gets you a million! Stupid bitter jury! Russell had more game play in his pinky then any player all season!
REMY your the one who needs to get a life!!!your making yourself look bad,like one of the sore losers on the jury you ought to be on the jury sounds like you would fit right in, open your eyes you obviously have not been watching the game. jury says she wins america says he wins LOL HAHA
@Whitehair Remy’s not making herself look bad, you’re already doing that to yourself FYI. And seriously, whose opinion matters, the jury who knows all that’s happening during those 39 days or the viewers who are just shown tidbits of info from those 39 days? And who the hell is handing the said players MORE money? I thought so.
Anyone including Jeff who thinks Russel was the best player does not understand the game.. ame show hots often don’t get thier own show. Russle created the Jury.. he created the bitterness by being nastier than needed.. he lost the game like a QB who insists on throwing the interception because its his game. It takes balance to play the game.. you don’t have to be liked.. you just have to not PO people so much they can’t vote for you. russle is the author of the bad feelings his fault he like a lot of pretend fans don’t understand why the Jury is there.. its there so being last is not the only measure of the game.
@Joe fyi everybody has their own opinion,sounds like you and Remy are friends. OK Joe Dirt
@WhiteHair I have a suggestion for you: Get more opinions that are sound and solid. Your opinions, like every other, are so easily rebuttable.
How come no interview with Mick? Is he getting ignored like he did during final tribal!? =x
If Dalton’s interview schedule is the same as most media, Jaison Brett and Mick are tomorrow.
Oh, okay, he didn’t do much in the game, but I kinda feel bad for the guy.
ERRRRR,like you clueless
for your eyes only GI joe
your opinion dont count
errrrrrr
nice girl. she still didn’t deserve it.
Natalie is a Pharma salesperson.. nice hjas nothing to do with it reading people like in poker is where she won.. Russel totally muffed that part of the game.. he didn’t read people he just musceled out anyone he didnt’t like and danced on thier grave.. now is to big a cry baby victim to own the Jury he created.. a smart player would have found the idols and got people out and not danced on the graves and made enemies just before sending them Jury. If I lose my house keys I want Russel the to find them.. if I need to negotiate a business deal with people who have nothing to lose.. he is not the man to have there.
I bet the IRS audits the lying troll.. he likes tricking people and getting away with stuff too much.. I am sure he has smudged the truth on his taxes.
Really liked her, and honestly glad she won. Russell was just too arrogant and demeaning to the future jury members. No need to rub their faces in it. Just dumb social gameplay.
He played a stupid game. What baffles me is his attitude at the finale like he didn’t see it coming. How delusional can you be? It was nice to see him cry after the loss though.
wow you really dont get it
HE SAW IT COMING AFTER HIS SECOND SEASON…
you do realize he went from S19, 10 days later hes at S20…
but right, Im sure he had NO CLUE…Lol…its more that he knew, and couldnt accept the disgusting truth that he lost because the team he beat was bitter…period.
try going on ONE survivor, let alone TWO…and finishing top 5 in both? cmon
You are absolutely right! He got outplayed, acted like a freak at the reunion and almost cried! I heard from someone that works on the challenges that he doesn’t even make it to merge on his second season. That’s what happens when you play with the big dogs.
I’m so glad Natalie won by the way.
Jake, you are a total d-bag for calling out what you “heard” happens in an upcoming season of Survivor! True or not, why put out a spoiler? Do you think that makes you look cool?
Anybody who thinks Russell got robbed has no clue about Survivor. This veneration of Jerkitude by Dalton and many fans is just depressing. Why don’t we just give the prize to the biggest loudmouth jerk in the game seems to be what Dalton is saying. I’ve enjoyed your recaps all season, but today, you disgust me.
There are plenty of jerks that won the game Survivor. Russel played a great strategic game, but a horrible social game. Sometimes the jury will vote for strategy over social, this time they didn’t. In my opinion, he should have won, but it is not up to us, it is up to the jury.
I AGREE , THEY DID NOT PLAY WITH AN OPEN MIND,IT GOES; OUT WIT, OUT LAST ,OUT PLAY /RUSSELL DID ALL OF THE ABOVE AND STILL DID NOT WIN,I WILL NOT WATCH IT ANYMORE…….
Russell needed to play full tilt as he always did from start to finish. NOT to the last 90% and then raise his hands in victory as though he knew he’d already won. Natalie saw the jury were not responding to that and just like she saw what Russell needed in her throughout, she saw what the Jury needed to go the distance. She saw his arrogance was going over like a lead baloon so she was humble and had them relate to, and thus see themselves being as worthy as her and in essence give themselves the win.
Honestly, AMEN! Dalton is terrible! Always has been and always will be. It’s a shame that such an outstanding website and magazine has such a pitiful “expert” for the best reality show of all-time. You would think someone who actually loved the show and knew it inside and out (and has really studied it like some of us) would be the one to do this. Not some regular fan. It’s disgusting how far up Russell’s behind Dalton is.
He is thinking too much like a tv critic/viewer and not enough like someone who has met all these people and has seen the conditions they are living in for the game.
Hey, if you are tired of Dalton’s “insider attitude”–cause he’s cool like that and gets invited to tour shoots pre-season and thinks his views and opinions are more valid then the readership, check out Huffington Post’s recaps of Survivor: http://tinyurl.com/yh47u2d
Comedic gold.
Dalton is the best.
I wouldn’t go that far and say Dalton disgusts me (I love reading Dalton’s recaps. Come on, it’s Dalton!) but you do make some valid points. When this season started, there were a bunch of posts saying “Oh, I hate Russell, he’s so mean! I will stop watching the show!” and now they’re all “I love Russell, he is Survivor God!” (those posts are probably written by the same people who threatened to stop watching the show) Yes, I do realize Russell was the most entertaining player to viewers – he made some bold moves. But, guess what, fellow Survivor fans? You’re not on Survivor. The members of the jury make the decision, not you. So get over it. I’m sure they have their reasons for voting Natalie. You only got to see what the producers wanted you to see. You didn’t spend 30 days in Samoa with Russell, and maybe if you had been there, he would have annoyed you, who knows? Oh, and another thing? If you were on Survivor, would you have played like Russell? I bet you wouldn’t. I bet you would fly under the radar and keep the target off your back because it’s easier. So stop attacking contestants that play like that, it is a legitimate strategy.
IF EVERY SURVIVOR PLAYED LIKE NATALIE WHAT A BORING GAME IT WOULD BE (EVERYBODY IS FYING UNDER THE RADAR)
Well said Ashlyn. BTW ..cool name Ashlyn. Apparently the producers tried to portray Russell in a better light than they would have if not doing a lot of editing of scenes that would have shown viewers that he is an even bigger jerk than was seen in the show. None of the contestants believed the portrayal he gave of himself in business. ou think he would play fair in business? A jerk like that! The only way he would be fair and caring to others would be when his business is going well. He is a typical ***hole!
You know what else didn’t happen until this week? ANYONE (including all the commenters) predicting Natalie would win. Seriously, you’d think if she played “a great game” a few people would have come out predicting she’d win but look back at the last few TV Watch recaps comments….very telling.
I agree with you 100%. Can’t we just get another journalist covering Survivor than this lame-o? I’m sick of his one sided opinions and irrational thoughts. Dalton along with the many sheep out there fell into the editing trap and rooted for Russell. I saw an a hole from the beginning and never changed my view once because once an a hole always an a hole. Dalton is a disgrace really.
Natalie is a class act and explained herself well. I am convinced she fully deserved her win. Well done, girl!
Dalton- you are not very good of hiding your feelings of disgust as Natalie is discussing her strategy. I am wondering about her objection to the prayer editing though…does she think they should have shown more of her praying before that point in the game so that it didn’t come as a shock to the viewers?
I agree. Natalie kept her composure with Dalton after all the bad press she’s been getting from this skumbag, I would of tore this man-child a new one.
Glad Natalie got a chance to re-state her case. The winner of Survivor is the person who gets the most jury votes. Not who Jeff Probst or Dalton or all of America “thinks” played the best game. The objective is to get the most votes, and Natalie did that. She picked up on Russell’s over-confidence and let him run with that, knowing that it would grate the jury members.
For those who say Russell played the better game, think about it this way. Russell didn’t win immunity the whole time he was there, except for the last challenge, which he called “The only time it mattered.” Well, Natalie didn’t out-wit, out-play or out-last Russell until the last Tribal Council…but that’s the only time it mattered.
Jeff is waaay too subjective. Natalie played a good game. Just because she wasn’t the most entertaining person out there doesn’t make her less deserving. Whether you like it or not, likeability is a major factor in winning Survivor. It’s just human nature. I mean… come on, you’re giving a million dollars to someone, you want to give it someone you like, at least a little bit.
In the end, you can get all the airtime you want and all the butt kissing from the host you want, all that doesn’t matter when you can win it all. Natalie stands victorious with or without good editing. That’s all that matters really.
Ridin coat-tails! Hahahahahahahaha!
Most pitiful jury yet!
It’s cool how nobody thought she was playing a great game until after she won. Look back over the old recap comments. NOBODY predicted she’d win–that’s how great her game was!
Excellent points! totally agree.
She played the best game. I knew it even before she stated it, that letting Russell’s ego inflate and have him take all the bullets would make her look better in the eyes of the jury. It was a brilliant way to play the game.
Yeah, everyone knew she played a great game AFTER she won. Funny thing is, nobody knew it up until then. Look back over the old comments in the recaps. Nobody thought she’d win, presumably because she hadn’t done anything.
If the troll had a tiny bit of humility at tribal council and at least pretended to feel bad about what he did he may have won
I’d love to know why Russell acing the strategy part of the game and Natalie acing the social part, Russell somehow gets a tremendous edge in both respect and applause. Natalie PLAYED Russell and played into his egotism. Russell thought he was dragging them along, does ANYONE stop to think for a second that they all knew he’d be the perfect goat?!
she did NOT play him, playing him requires knowing what you are doing, she had no clue, she just followed him
sorry but her speech and mick’s speech were embarrasing, for once shambo was RIGHT on.
Shambo was the most useless contestant ever – and the most ignorant person ever. he thinks she is a role model because she served! What a horrible example of a soldier – disgusting personality. Is it any wonder that her team had no use for her!
Seriously, does anybody listen to that fodder-worthy ex-Marine?! How sad she didn’t go to the Finale though, ‘coz if she did, she’d be ripped to shreds by the jury and Russell would be golden.
I totally agree! She had not one clue what she was doing. If she did, when she talked to the cameras during the season, she would have at least hinted at a little strategy. But not a word from her. She lucked into it and she knows it.
I think Russell lost for one reason and one reason only. He was alreadyt a millionaire. Obviously this was discussed in the jury and was pointed out in the final tribal council that none of the people were broke so they should vote on other reasons.
He also sucked at the social part of the game. This is the most important part. Guess all you Russell fans will try to find any reasons for your idol to lose the game. He got outplayed, bottom line.
Whatever–if Natalie’s game was so great how is it NO ONE in the comments until this week actually thought she’d win? Look back at the old comments in the recaps–nobody predicted her to win.
That had to be one of the WORST survivor results show i’ve ever seen. I could’nt believe when I saw Natalie’s name on the slips of paper. I understand maybe why ppl didn’t like Russell but what was wrong with Mick? That jury was a bunch of sore losers ! And I agree with the person who said they thought Erik was drunk and I think Shambo was too. NO ONE asked any intellegient questions for the remaining 3 contestants. The people are the jury ALL seemed a little off. I still don’t get what question Brett asked Mick ?? What did that have to do with the show? Watched all season for one of THE WORST results shows ever !!
Don’t you get it? They already made their decision before the jury questions. Natalie winning was the best outcome. And I loved this season’s jury.
Yeah I did get it. That’s why I said it was the worst jury ever. A bunch of sore losers. The men on it didn’t want a man to win because it wasen’t one of them. Jaison was terribly in the challenges. And most of the girls on the jury remindered me of Natalie so that’s why she won, with the exception of Shambo. I couldn’t figure out where she belonged. Maybe, mulletville ?
Excuses excuses. As always the morons that cheer for Russell will always blame the jury if it wasn’t them it would of been something else. Get a life!
Leo I wasen’t cheering for Russell. If you read my post correctly, I said what was wrong with Mick ?? So maybe it is you moran who needs to get a life ! Excuses, excuses
some were out of it IN SAMOA on that juice….the pictures of monica that make her look stoned, imo, are her very zonked on that sedative.
You sound like a low life. You’re opinions don’t mean much here and probably nowhere at all.
Why don’t you try convincing that jury to vote for you if you were Russell? Let’s see how that works for you.
Go Betty,Joe thinks he knows it all!!!!
If Natalie’s criteria for voting Brett over Russell is immunity challenges, where does that leave her? Russell, you are the sole survivor!
Natalie is the sole survivor, she said it on part 4. Or are you too dumb to notice.
I don’t blame Russell for being pissed. I would be too, if I worked my ass off strategizing and scheming and playing the game as hard as I could, and instead someone else won it for being “nice” and riding my coattails all the way to the top. Of course, the jury is also to blame for being a bunch of bitter, sore losers who voted with their emotions because they couldn’t get over the fact that Russell outwitted them.
Even though I couldn’t STAND Russell, he played a great game…it must have been the ultimate in gall to see that coattail riding blondie bee win!
Natalie who?