After holding her cards close to her chest, and being brought into an alliance against her will, Ursula was on the outs with the OG Brawn tribe, especially Noonan.
When it came time for the tribe swap, the pair were obviously less than thrilled to be on the same beach once again, and unfortunately were unable to mend bridges.
“My Survivor experience was totally wild and I’m hoping that I’ve come across as a bit of a challenge beast,” Ursula told 10 Play following her elimination. “I mean, that’s what I wanted to achieve going in there and I think I have.”
In one of the most jaw-dropping challenges so far, Ursula and Karin clashed in a wrestling match for the ages. And Ursula told 10 Play that the challenges were a major reason why she applied to be on the show.
“Fitness has been my lifestyle now for 15 years, I’ve watched every season and that’s why I wanted to go into the show as a challenge beast. I knew I could do that.”
But Survivor is not all just about strength, and Ursula knew that the strategic side of the game would be the thing she would struggle with the most. “I knew I would struggle with the social aspect, being with people who I wouldn’t necessarily cross paths with on the outside,” she explained.
Going into the game, Ursula’s plan was to keep a low profile and hold her cards close to her chest. Hoping that her strength in challenges would make her an asset to the tribe, but it backfired when her other tribemates didn’t trust her for being too quiet. On top of that, Ursula found herself swept into Nash’s ‘alliance’.
“It was myself, Kristen, PD and Nash, he didn’t give us a choice to see where else we could fit into the tribe, he just said these are my people and we went down with him,” Ursula said. “I did struggle a little bit because Nash and I did get along really well, he’s actually quite funny, so [the rest of the tribe] did see that as me being his little sidekick I suppose.
“Once Nash left, I was able to come out of my shell more… I did make an effort after that first tribal council because my name was on the chopping block,” she continued.
“I just thought, you know what? Stuff it. What I’m doing is not working, so I’m just going to lay all my cards on the table and if people don’t like me, what else can I do? I’ve already tried this strategy of being quiet and reserved and that put me on the chopping block.”
And while she was able to win some of her tribemates over, there was one who never fully trusted her: Noonan.
“She had it out for me from day one, Ursula said.
“I don’t know what it was, I don’t think it could have only been me being quiet, I think my physique alone, my strength, could be intimidating.
“She can’t just want someone out because they’re quiet, there has to be something else. I think she and I are quite similar… she also likes to sit back watching and reading the room and she would always look at me doing the same thing.”
While she knew that Noonan had it out for her, Ursula also wasn’t privy to every conversation, so watching the episodes, she realised just how much Noonan wanted her out of the game. BUt it also meant that last night was the first time she realised there was a sliver of a chance that Noonan had wanted to work with her.
“Noonan had written my name down every single tribal council prior to that, so my only gut feeling going into that tribal council was, well, she’s done it before… she’s going to do it again.
“After seeing last night’s episode, I mean, I was a little bit shocked. Had I known she was willing to work with me, would that have changed things? I’m not too sure.
“Probably not. I still think Noonan’s very sneaky. She’s not trustworthy. Yeah, I still feel the same.”
For a brief moment, it seemed as if Noonan and Ursula were going to draw a line in the sand and begin working together. Paulie proposed a plan that the four OG Brawn work together, splitting the OG Brains votes, and blindsiding Karin.
Ursula was on board. Noonan said she was on board. Then, she immediately told the OG Brains the plan.
“She did everything I expected her to do,” Ursula said. “She threw me straight under the bus, which is what she has done every single time I expected her to do that, hence why I never trusted her from the start.”
Their rivalry was one for the Australian Survivor history books, but where do Ursula and Noonan stand now?
“I mean, she was at my house last night watching the show with me,” Ursula laughed.
“She was with my family, watching last night’s episode where we blew up at each other so, listen, if we can come together, if she can sit here with my family and be comfortable enough to watch while we both blow up at each other, that just shows you that we’re all okay at the end of the day and the love is there.
“I know Noonan is a true Survivor fan, and I’m a true Survivor fan, I’ve watched every season and have been applying since my eight-year-old was one. I have that respect and love for the game so we both went in there wanting to be big players, wanting to be controversial, and I would never hold that against her.”
Despite burying the hatchet – or machete in this case – Ursula was still devastated when it was her name drawn from the urn. ‘I had so much more to give,” she added.
“I really just wanted to make the merge, that was my goal. I feel like I showed enough of myself to be a challenge beast, I just think I still had a little bit more to give in regards to the game, not just the challenges.”
Put in the difficult position of playing from the bottom from the outset, Ursula said it was a tax on her mental health.
“You have to go back to tribal council and you’re just like, shit these people don’t like me. Half of them voted for me, I have to sleep with them, I have to eat with them, I have to help cook for them and win challenges for them,” she said.
“But I lasted 18 days, so that’s pretty good. I’m proud. I don’t have any regrets I just want to be back there. I know I had more to give.”
As for her and Noonan, Ursula is already planning on their rematch.
“I said to her listen, we haven’t finished whatever is going on. Whatever is going on between us, the show is not over. Get us back on as a duo. We’re ready to tear it up.”
Australian Survivor Brains V Brawn II continues Monday - Tuesday at 7.30 pm and Sundays at 7pm on 10 and 10 Play
