early show episode 8

Brandon Bellinger's Early Show Interview
Survivor: Guatemala Episode 8 Boot
(SurvivorFever.net 11.04.05)

Transcript by James Barber

Video:

Harry Smith: Last night on Survivor: Guatemala, the newly merged tribe got off to a rough start - it was even rougher for Kansas farmer Brandon Bellinger, who couldn't overcome the numbers game and was the first to be put out to pasture.

(clips of Brandon unhappy at camp, and Bobby and Stephenie talking about Bobby staying and Brandon going)

Harry: Were you surprised by that little bit of conversation there last night between Stephenie and Bobby Jon?

Brandon: I was a little surprised, yeah. Bobby Jon...he's a good buddy of mine and everything, and you see him kind of cut that deal with Stephenie. At first you see him talking and he's like, "Oh, I can't stand Stephenie.  I can't stand being around her 10 minutes," before the thing even starts, but then the next thing you know he's hugging her. (Harry laughs) But I don't...Bobby Jon was trying to further himself in the game, and I can't blame him for that, I guess. I mean you gotta do what you gotta do.

Harry: Go ahead and take off your hat, so people can see what you look like in real life.

(Brandon takes off his hat and runs his fingers through his hair)

Brandon: By God, I actually have hair!  See, it's there, it's there.

Harry: We watched that merge come. Did you know your goose was cooked as soon as the merge happened?

Brandon: Oh yeah, I knew a long time ago. I mean, back when Amy was voted off, when we lost that puzzle challenge, I was like, "We gotta win this, Amy might go off." and God, I don't know. I was so sad seeing Amy going off, and I was like, "Dude, I'm going off right after that, cause I've played too strong a game."

Harry: What was the mood like in that camp? It did not look like - those guys did not exactly welcome you with open arms.

Brandon: Oh yeah, you're right. We got there, back to the Nakum camp, and they were just kinda down and depressed...

Harry: Sounded like they were complaining about everything.

Brandon: Yeah. They were complaining quite a bit. That was life out there. Life in Yaxha was really good. I keep thinking back to when it was me, Gary, Danni, Bobby Jon, Amy. We had such a good time, it was so great, and then we go to the merge and it's just...a little bit down.

Harry: Well, there was all this fireworks last night, because there's always food after the merge, you're all given the option to eat or not eat, and Jamie's over there - I mean, it sounded like there was a potential for the whole thing to break apart. Like Jamie might have been voted off. Did you think there was a chance?

Brandon: Yeah, I was really thinking, "This is Survivor, things change just like that, man", but deep down inside, I knew it was me. They had all their ducks in a row and I didn't have enough time to work my way into whatever, and then they voted me off. And the deal is...

Harry (watching clip from immunity challenge): Well, let's take a look. You and Gary are neck-in-neck running up the temple with the pots on your head. I mean, you needed to win that immunity.

Brandon: I know, I know. It was do or die at that point, and Gary beat me; it was simple as that. And that's alright; at least I never got voted off by my own tribemates. I had my friends sticking by me, and I got voted off by the other guys. I was a victim of a minority, and that's alright, I can walk away with some good from that.

Harry: It looked to me - and it's hard to tell from the screen - it looked to me last night like you were running out of gas a little bit. Kind of the energy...you were starving out there.



Brandon: Oh, you know. You always run outta gas, but you got a little extra petroleum to kind of kick it into gear, get after it, man.

Harry: Sounded like you were trying to game yourself up there a little bit.

Brandon: Trying to work yourself up a little bit, psych yourself out a little bit.

Harry: We've got a secret scene we're going to show.

Brandon: Oh, secret scene, huh? I wanna see this.

Harry: You'll love this.

[SECRET SCENE]

(Brandon at night, in Nakum)

Brandon: Just dealing with the amount of stuff, trying to get through the day. Things are starting to get a little bit tough. Almost lost hope to tell you the truth, making it any further in this game - it's like this is the end and I can feel it coming up on me. I almost just want to quit, I want to lay down and die, I guess. Part of me does, but the other part of me says fight on, and never give up.

Harry: Never give up, wow. That was pretty dramatic with the moon and everything - don't you wish they had used that on primetime last night?

Brandon: Yeah, that was a great moment. That's what I really thought too, I was preparing myself for the whole deal.

Harry: How about this thing with this immunity idol? What was that like? There's this immunity idol out there hidden somewhere in the jungle. Did you spend a lot of time trying to find it?

Brandon: Oh yeah, that dirty sucker, man! That's your ONE LAST CHANCE. Find this immunity idol, hidden somewhere around 10 acres or so of jungle, little 6-inch figure. You're running around all over the place, looking up, down all around for this dang thing.

Harry: Was everybody hunting for it pretty hard?

Brandon: Oh yeah, they all set out right at once like they were gonna find it. I realized, dude, it's gonna be like a needle in a haystack. It's gonna be really hard to find this sucker.

Harry: One of the guys got chased by hornets.

Brandon: (laughs) Rafe. I never knew that, man. They chased his butt down.

Harry: They did, they did indeed. Pleasure seeing you here this morning, sorry you didn't make the jury, buddy.

Brandon: Yeah, well, what're you gonna do.

Harry: Good to see you. Brandon Bellinger, thanks.