The third-place finisher also reveals where his potential tiebreaker vote would have gone.
In one respect,Ben Katzman’sSurvivorexperience was a nightmare.
Multiple nightmares, actually.
Ben Katzman on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
But Ben also achieved glory onSurvivor 46.
How does Ben feel about being shut out in the end?
What about his game did we not see in the final edit on TV?
Ben Katzman on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
And who would have voted for to take home the $1 million had he been the tiebreaker?
We give the shredding guitarist the solo (interview) he so richly deserves.
Let’s turn this one up to 11.
Ben Katzman on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
CBS
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How were you feeling about your chances walking into that final Tribal Council?
BEN KATZMAN:My whole story isn’t shown.
So before Tribal, the reason I really picked Charlie he was my best friend.
Ben Katzman on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
It’s even alluded to by what other people say.
And then Kenzie was also my friend from the merge, so I knew my chances.
I can read the room.
Maria Shrime Gonzalez and Ben Katzman on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
You know what I mean?
So yeah, that’s what I have to say about that.
Did any votes surprise you?
The Siga tribe on ‘Survivor 46’.CBS
I’m going to sound so bitter in this press.
I mean, personally, we didn’t have a great friendship out there.
I comforted Maria the two times we lost on Siga and she was going through it.
I just tried to be human.
I don’t know what it was, but that one really made no sense.
Q made total sense to me.
I mean, he literally wrote, “Yanu 1.”
I think for him, he just wanted Yanu to win.
And that’s no disrespect to Kenzie either.
She was a threat.
Who are you handing $1 million to?
The jury management I did was 4 to 4, and it could have gone both ways.
I don’t think Maria knew how close Charlie and I were.
I don’t think Q knew.
I think they were like, “We don’t want to deal with that” which is fine.
I didn’t want to be a burden.
But that gave me and Charlie a window to hang out completely unbothered.
So Sam carried Frodo, and I’m going to carry Ben."
And he threw me on his shoulder and marched me back up the stairs.
Me and him talk about that moment all the time.
And that’s no disrespect Kenzie too, she was also there for me.
And he played hard.
So that’s where my vote would’ve gone.
Well, it’s no secret the jury was bitter.
Nobody asked me questions.
Tiff said, “Time!”
And Q goes, “That actually happened.
I can corroborate, Ben did do that.”
But you see them laughing when I’m talking in the edit, so it is what it is.
And regarding the after-show, I just wanted to eat.
And then now I have to raise champagne with them?"
And that’s why I’m grateful for the friends I did make on the jury.
I mean, I’m friends with mostly everybody now.
We’ve all talked about it.
I’m not trying to have those feelings for the rest of my life.
But Hunter was really nice out there.
I think Venus asked good questions.
It was a lot.
But you see how dazed we were.
Yeah, the Q smoke screen.
you’re able to put the two together, but Q sunk my game.
He wanted me out a few times.
People are over it.
I’ll work with him in a bizarre capacity."
Everybody knows I dislike you the most.
You’re kind of working with him in this Nicolas Cage, John TravoltaFace/Offdynamic.
So that one was cool.
And also even at the Tribal where he goes home, everybody’s wearing my clothes.
Kenzie has my vest, Charlie has my bandana, I’m wearing the Q Skirt.
Maria’s wearing my overalls.
And also those two never talked strategy to us.
They only ever told us what to do.
They can’t even see that."
And I was pretty proud of the fact that we just totally disarmed them with this fashion show.
We need to talk about the mistaken vote for Kenzie.
It was like the most backhanded compliment to be invited to that pizza party.
We should write Kenzie in case somebody plays an idol tonight."
And I wasn’t supposed to write it.
And as I put it down, it was like, “Oh f—.”
It just was like a total slip of the brain.
So it kind of worked out great.
Let’s talk about that final immunity challenge.
I don’t know.
“Pinball Wizard” started playing in my head, and it just became a rhythm thing.
It was like playing music or something.
I don’t know what came over me.
I grew up playing pinball in arcades.
My parents worked long hours and I was good at puzzles.
Even two challenges prior.
And I just took myself out of it and went for it.
And it was very rhythmic.
And Charlie got into the pipe twice.
Liz threw her ball over, Kenzie did too.
I had no mistakes in that one.
And I was dazed when Jeff put the necklace on me, I was seeing double.
It was bad, but to wear that necklace at least once was likeSurvivorbucket list.
What about your game did wenotsee?
I was a social player.
The edit shows everybody saying that about me.
And I got thrust into the bottom.
She only talked amongst the secret six.
And you see it in the Hunter episode.
I’m like, “She’s willing to flip.
We can get Tiff out, but act surprised when she comes and tells you.”
And that’s why we went for Hunter that day and Tiff the next day.
We knew the idol was there and it was the one time to get Hunter out.
So two votes in a row, the swing vote really did matter.
