It was the Tribal Council to end all Tribal Councils when Brains Vs Brawn alumni George Mladenov and Simon Mee faced off in an epic showdown on Australian Survivor: Heroes Vs Villains.
Viewers loved it, and many declared it one of the best Tribal Councils across all Survivor franchises.
Jordie Hansen, on the other hand, was “disappointed”.
Chatting to The Latch over the phone following his elimination from the game, Jordie explained why he didn’t enjoy it.
Jordie “Couldn’t Believe” the Events of That Tribal Council
The Joker had a front row seat to the explosive evening, and got burned by George along the way. After flipping on his alliance with Simon, George revealed Jordie’s deception to Simon at Tribal Council, leaving Jordie on the bottom of two alliances.
Jordie explained that it wasn’t that George burned their new alliance that disappointed him. Rather, it was the personal jabs that George and Simon were making at one another that left him with a bad taste in his mouth.
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“I just couldn’t even believe I was surrounded by that kind of thing,” he said. “You know, to see two grown men speak to each other in that way; it was astounding.”
He laughed.
“I know I sound like a dad,” he said. “But to see people get so wound up, so wrapped up in the game, I was actually really disappointed.
“I was disappointed for the game,” he elaborated.
Jordie said that watching it all unfold, he felt like “the game lost some of its purity” as the night devolved, and as a long-time Survivor fan, it didn’t feel fun.
“Survivor’s about strategy, it’s about social game, and it’s about fun,” he said. “It’s supposed to be about fun, and when the fun’s sucked out of it, it loses its purity when it gets personal. It’s not MAFS, it’s Survivor. We’re supposed to be strategic and have fun, but not get nasty.
“I get there’s half a million dollars on the line, but let’s just have a think about the way we’re speaking to one another,” he said.
Related: Jordie Hansen Reveals What’s Next for Him (and Fiancée Sam Frost)
Jordie Addresses Shay’s Comments From Blood Vs Water
It’s an interesting choice of words from Jordie, who was called out by Blood Vs Water finalists Shayelle Lajoie for being “really nasty” during last year’s Final Tribal Council.
“They were really nasty, to be completely honest,” Shay said of the Blood Vs Water jury at the time. “A lot of it was coming from Jordie and Jesse [Hansen] and you could feel that they were fuelled by a bit of spite or anger that they weren’t sitting in those seats.”
Asked if he’s spoken to Shay or fellow finalist Chrissy Zaremba, who shared similar sentiments, Jordie said they “chat all the time”.
“There was never any beef there,” he said.
Jordie put the whole situation down to an unfortunate misunderstanding.
“They were disappointed because neither of them had actually watched Survivor prior to coming and playing, so they didn’t understand how a final Tribal worked,” he said. “And in a Final Tribal Council, you get grilled! People pick apart your game, that’s the point of it, and I don’t think they were really expecting that.
“It never got personal, it was always about the game,” he added.
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What Jordie’s Learned From Australian Survivor
In Blood Vs Water, Jordie played a chaotic, guns blazing game. Returning for Blood Vs Water, the Joker of Heroes Vs Villains played with a notably more even-keeled approach to the game, most of which he puts down to “situational” differences between the two seasons.
Jordie exits Heroes Vs Villains mere weeks away from welcoming his first child with fiancée Sam Frost. With another season done and dusted, Jordie said that he’s learned the importance of perspective.
“The second time around, my whole experience, not only with Survivor but with Sam and the baby, it’s good to have perspective,” he said. “That’s what I’ve learned. Make sure you try and see through all the emotion and the chaos and the drama. See through that, see through to the other side of what’s actually real, and what’s important.”
He paused.
“I think reality TV can suck people in, you know,” he mused. “Not just the audience, but its contestants. It can suck people in and they get so out of whack with what’s actually real in this world. Very quickly, a baby can change that, I think.”
Australian Survivor: Heroes Vs Villains airs at 7.30pm, Sunday – Tuesdays, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
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