On Sunday night, Alex made a desperate plea to his tribe mates, topple who he believed to be the strongest player and vote out Kirby. Knowing that his back was up against the wall and he’d be a likely target after a failed attempt at wooing Kirby, Caroline and Rianna into a spa alliance, Alex went all guns blazing.
“As soon as I lost the immunity challenge I was like, far out this is going to be tough,” Alex told 10 Play following his elimination. “I knew I had Mark, Mark and I are really close, we were trying to do something big and get a big player out, but I just don’t think everyone else thought it was the right time.
“It was fun to shed the light on [Kirby] and some of the other players as well, I just couldn’t sway the votes the right way.”
Calling her out as the strongest player in the game, Alex went so far as to promise that his jury vote would go to Kirby if the others didn’t make a move. Continuing his pitch against her, Alex called Feras delusional, and pointedly told Caroline she had “done nothing” in the game.
“The strategy was to throw some grenades and try to get some people to realise now is the perfect time as any to get [Kirby] out,” he explained.
“Unfortunately it just didn’t happen. Looking back, there could have been another strategy, start some whispers and things like that — go the sly way and cause some confusion — I think the person that I am, I took the right option.”
Sadly, Alex’s pleas for a big move only resulted in the tribe turning against him and voting him to become the fourth member of the jury.
“I was gutted, absolutely gutted. It felt like 39 days of wasted time — I know that’s not the case but, in that moment, I was devastated.
“I really had high hopes to go a little further and take home the $500,000, that would have been amazing, but my life is amazing as-is and I’m very grateful so it didn’t take me long to realise it had been an incredible experience,” Alex said.
“As soon as you put me in front of that jury villa feast I was like ah, it’s not the end of the world,” he laughed. “But the initial moment I was absolutely gutted, I really was. I just wanted to win.”
Making it to the jury, Alex said he felt an instant relief finally being able to let go of the intensity of the game and reunite with the other three players who had left before him. “You’re constantly thinking about it and there are no life luxuries, no way to escape, and to just be able to hug your friends and see what they’re thinking without any hidden agendas was a really nice, relieving moment.”
From the very first Tribal Council he attended, the Survivor rug was pulled out from under Alex’s feet when his close ally Peta was blindsided. From there, he struggled to find another alliance and was labelled a “floater” by Kirby multiple times.
“I certainly felt like I never found a real home,” he noted, adding that any time he felt like he was making steps in the right direction to forming a good connection or alliance, the Survivor gods had other plans.
“I got a couple of unlucky things in that regard, but it is what it is, that’s Survivor! You have to learn and adapt and I felt like I did that for the most part of the game. “In terms of being a ‘floater’ I didn’t really have any other option,” Alex continued. “I was on the tail end of any alliance I was in and I felt like I needed to be that guy that floats or adapts.
“I also called Kirby out in that Tribal saying what’s the difference between flexible and floating and… I still don’t know! I think she was just looking to cause a bit of frustration on my end,” he said.
Looking back at his game, the major difference Alex would make if he were to play again would be how he observed other people’s relationships, taking some tips from the person he called out as the strongest player still in the game.
“I think what Kirby actually did really well, and why she’s playing so well, is she understood where everyone else sat and where everyone else’s relationships were so much better than I did.
“I felt like I was really focused on the people that I was talking to at any given time, and I felt like I was trying to build my relationships… If I was playing again I’d make sure I’m watching other people from the get-go and understanding where the alliances are rather than just thinking I know where the alliances are.”
Coming into the game, Alex said he had a little bit of an upper-hand advantage after meeting former player Locky Gilbert, who encouraged him to apply for the show and gave him some helpful tips about what to expect.
“In terms of gameplay it was sort of the basic stuff,” Alex said. “Don’t go out too hard, being a bigger male, try and lay low a little bit. But I’m not sure I actually did that as well as I could have, I tried to throw a challenge pretty early on,” he said, laughing.
“I went in there with the intention of making it an exciting time, trying things and having fun… it was equally as challenging as it was fun,” he continued. “It was tough being hungry, cold, and tired for near on 40 days, that’s for sure.
“It was an incredible experience and I’d love to do it again if I’m honest.”
Australian Survivor: Titans V Rebels continues Sunday - Tuesday at 7.30 on 10 and 10 Play
