Hayden Moss and Laura Morett (CBS)
Quick Note: Thank you for joining us for our “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” coverage. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news on February’s “Survivor: Cagayan.”
You know why I love “Survivor”? Because if you showed someone a picture of Hayden Moss and Laura Morett and said, “One of these two is great at challenges, and the other has a really amazing social game,” most people would guess wrong as to which was which.
I spoke with the two Redemption Islanders who found no Redemption the morning after the “Blood vs. Water” finale and had a chance to ask them about Ciera’s shocking vote, Hayden’s amazing scrambles, and why “Survivor” is head and shoulders above “Big Brother”…
Gordon Holmes: Laura, is Ciera out of the will?
Laura Morett: (Laughs) No, are you kidding me? That child has done worse things to me in her life than vote me off.
Holmes: Yeah, but that’s the worst thing she’s done in front of a national audience.
Morett: That’s true. But, there’s nothing that girl could do to get voted out of my will.
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Holmes: Hayden, you had a hell of a run at the end there. I was crazy impressed with the way you got Ciera to flip and almost got Monica to flip. I spoke with Monica, she said she was pretty solid with the Bandits, but do you think she was leaning even a little?
Hayden Moss: That last Tribal, I thought we were really close. I thought we had a real shot at it. But, for whatever reason she decided to stick to her alliance. I would say I thought there was like a 33% chance.
Holmes: And was the scariest moment of your life the second where you realized you’d have to face Laura at Redemption Island?
Morett: (Laughs)
Moss: (Laughs) It’s not Redemption Island, it’s Laura’s Island. When I saw the challenge I knew I had a chance, but Laura and Tina crushed it.
Morett: It was that darn drop of sweat that came down Hayden’s face. It got in his eyes and if you get distracted for one second, that’s it. And I think it was like 120 degrees that day. He was not moving. I could see him and Tina out of my peripheral vision and they were solid. I was so shocked when his vase fell.
Moss: It was one of those things that’s super unfortunate. Literally one drop of sweat got in my eye, I went to wipe it and I lost my balance.
Holmes: Now that you’ve played “Survivor” and “Big Brother,” are you prepared to say that “Survivor” is way better?
Moss: (Laughs) I am…no…not prepared to say that. I love “Survivor” and I love “Big Brother.” Clearly “Big Brother” is my roots, and “Survivor” was amazing. The experience was unreal. But I love both shows.
Holmes: Laura, you’re prepared to say “Survivor” is way better, right?
Morett: Absolutely. “Survivor” is way better. On “Big Brother” you’re in a bed, you have a refrigerator full of food. But, you do have to stay there 90 days.
Moss: It’s apples and oranges, two totally different games. “Survivor” physically is way harder, I don’t know if that makes it better.
Holmes: It’s like comparing amazing, outdoor apples to not-as-good, indoor oranges.
Holmes: When Ciera voted the woman who brought her into this world out of the game, you said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.” Did you not get that that was the opposite of what Ciera wanted?
Morett: (Laughs) It’s really funny watching it back now, she must’ve been like, “Stop saying that!” I’m thinking my daughter needs me and she’s like, “Woman, you are ruining my game for me!” That conversation on the beach was by far the hardest day. It was a strict heart-to-heart and her saying, “This is where your game sucks” and me saying “This is where your game sucks.” It was hard as a competitor to hear my name brought up. And then to hear it from my daughter? I didn’t feel betrayed so much as it was panic of how do I get back into the game. But, I was so proud of her.
Holmes: Hayden, on the other side of that vote, when you see Ciera make that move are you thinking, “Sweet, she’s on our side” or “Oh crap, this girl came to play”?
Moss: It’s like, she’s a gamer. If she’s willing to vote out her own mother, she won’t bat an eyelash to vote me out. That’s everybody’s mindset. She was in my alliance and she said she was going to prove to us that she was loyal by voting her mom out.
Holmes: I’m not a Redemption Island fan, I don’t like idea of someone winning the entire game after they’ve been voted out. If Tina had run the table with those last two challenges and gotten to the final three, would you have voted for her?
Moss: I would’ve voted for Tyson still.
Morett: Up against Tyson and Gervase, as much as I love Tina, I still probably have given it to Tyson. But, it would have depended on what Tina presented. But, based on what we know, Tyson.
Moss: Yeah, it’s hard to give a million dollars to someone who has been voted out. And Tyson played really good.
Holmes: Monica had a rough, rough final Tribal. What was it about her that made the jurors feel like they didn’t know her?
Moss: Monica is a very selfless person. And every question she got she gave a perfect answer. We’re thinking nobody is this nice of a person. So, we all thought she was a little fake. But knowing her outside of the game, she’s legitimately an amazing person.
Morett: I agree. I think for me the frustrating this is I wanted to have a close relationship out there and bond with her, but she wasn’t very open out there. She kept me at a distance. It’s hard to get personal with someone when they don’t open up.
Holmes: Hayden, you came on like gangbusters at the end, you’re a strong player, you’re a really nice guy. Is it hard to stay in a relationship with someone who didn’t make it to the merge?
Moss: (Laughs) Believe it or not, Kat’s next to me right now. And no, our relationship is great. We’re long distance, so it’s a little tougher. But no, just because she didn’t make the merge doesn’t mean it’s hard to be with her.
Holmes: You know I love Kat. But, man…
Moss: (Laughs)
Holmes: Back me up on this, Laura. If your significant other had been out there and he didn’t make the merge, he’d be a goner, right?
Morett: Oh, absolutely. Twenty five years is nothing. You don’t make the merge? Papers are filed.
Moss: Give him the axe!
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
Tags: Hayden Moss, laura morett, survivor, survivor blood vs. water
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