‘Survivor: Philippines’ Pre-Game Interview: Peter “Pete” Yurkowski

by

Peter “Pete” Yurkowski (CBS)

XfinityTV.com sent me deep into the wilderness on a mission to bring you all kinds of “Survivor” stuff including behind-the-scenes tidbits, pre-game interviews with the cast, insights from “Survivor” host Jeff Probst and Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer, a look at the first Tribal Council, and much more. I’ll be cranking out this goodness daily, so be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates on all of this season’s “Survivor” fun.

Name: Peter “Pete” Yurkowski
Age:
24
Home: Holmdel, NJ
Occupation: Engineering Graduate
Tribe: Tandang

Gordon Holmes: I’m confused, what do you do?
Peter “Pete” Yurkowski: I’m a model by occupation and an engineer by education.
Holmes: Oh, another one of those model/engineers they’re always casting.
Yurkowski: (Laughs) Yeah, I know. Someone came up to me and said “Do you want to model?”
Holmes: I get that all the time.
Yurkowski: Here’s a contract, let’s go.
Holmes: What do you model?
Yurkowski: Different stuff. Sports and fitness mostly.

Holmes: It says here in your pet peeves that you don’t like “ditzy girls.”
Yurkowski: Yeah, I’m pretty intelligent, so I don’t like girls that are always “like, like, like.”
Holmes: Do you know which show you’re about to appear on?
Yurkowski: I know! But this is a situation where they’re going to be my friends. It’s going to be a Russell (Hantz) situation where I’ll get into a big power couple and then see what you can do with that.
Holmes: Being part of a couple didn’t work out to well for Ozzy (Lusth) and Elyse (Umemoto) in “Survivor: South Pacific.” Is that a concern for you?
Yurkowski: No, because I’m making more than one power couple. They’re expendable.
Holmes: It’s like “Survivor” polygamy.

Holmes: You’re a handsome dude, you’re in good shape. Do people ever underestimate your intelligence?
Yurkowski: Yeah, and I think in this game it’ll work for me. They’ll just see somebody they don’t have to worry about. I’m going to let someone else be in charge. They’re going to think they’re this shepherd leading all these sheep, but I’m going to be the black sheep. I’m going to make chaos.
Holmes: So you’re not afraid to make some big moves?
Yurkowski: It’s the big moves train. I’m the conductor. I’m definitely playing a Russell game. The second I get out there I’m going to be super aggressive. I’m going to go to as many people as possible and say, “Hey, me and you, let’s go to the end.” Obviously this is all going to be tentative because I’m doing it with multiple people. Russell was just way too cocky. You have to be under-the-radar aggressive.

Holmes: It also says you want to be an alpha male. “One World” taught us that that doesn’t always work out so well.
Yurkowski: The last one I saw was when they did that stupid move and they voted out the guy with the roosters.
Holmes: Matt (Quinlan).
Yurkowski: He couldn’t count. He thought he had the majority and he clearly didn’t.
Holmes: Well, I think he thought Colton (Cumbie) was on his side.
Yurkowski: Colton was the dangerous one. He’s the one I would’ve partnered with right off the bat.

Holmes: What are your first impressions of the cast?
Yurkowski: I like the cast so far. I’ve already picked out who I want to make alliances with, but that’s all temporary until I get to talk to them.
Holmes: Who are your early alliance picks?
Yurkowski: Well, the blonde girl because she doesn’t seem all the intelligent. She doesn’t seem all too there and I think she’ll be looking for someone to follow. I’ll approach her and say, “Me and you, do you want to do some damage?” And I think she’ll be on board.
Holmes: So it’s safe to say you have no problem flirting in this game.
Yurkowski: No problem. Single and ready to mingle.
Holmes: Any moral problems lying?
Yurkowski: I’ll be lying all game. I won’t be ashamed of it. It’s necessary. People who don’t lie get screwed. We’re not going out camping and drawing straws to go home.
Holmes: OK, you get to the end and the jury calls you out for lying. What’s your counter?
Yurkowski: Do something about it. (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs) Why don’t you step out of that jury box and try me?
Yurkowski: They’re always so upset, and the reason they’re upset is because they’re not next to you.

Holmes: If you could align with any former “Survivor” player, who would it be and why?
Yurkowski: Russell would be a mistake because he’d kill me.
Holmes: He wouldn’t like someone young and good looking around his harem.
Yurkowski: Parvati (Shallow) would be a good one. Her big moves with the two idols, that was amazing. Nobody saw that coming. She’s intelligent, she’s dangerous. And she won that one right?
Holmes: No, she won Micronesia.
Yurkowski: Plus she’s hot.

Holmes: What are your plans for the million bucks?
Yurkowski: I really want to go on a little Euro trip. I have friends who live out there. I have a friend from Turkey who’s going to be on the Turkish Olympic sailing team. Apparently he has a palace in Turkey. His dad is a doctor there. Probably the only doctor with fire there.
Holmes: Great, now you’ve offended an entire country.
Yurkowski: (Laughs) We give him a lot of (expletive deleted). I have a friend in Italy. Pay off my engineering bills. Buy a lot of lottery tickets.

Don’t miss the premiere of “Survivor: Philippines” – Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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