24-year-old Sam Phalen might have seemed like the total package throughout Survivor 47 — serving as the perfect combination of brains, brawn, and beauty (and subsequently ticking off his tribemate, Teeny Chirichillo) — but his palate, when it comes to fruits and vegetables, leaves something to be desired.
#ICYMI, throughout Survivor 47, Sam was notorious for trying new fruits and vegetables during rewards at the Survivor sanctuary. We are not talking exotic fruits, though — we are talking completely and utterly normal fruits (like kiwi, pineapple, and watermelon) instead.
Believe it or not, the Nashville resident had never tried some of the most simple fruits before hitting the shores of Fiji… have you been living under a rock, Sam?
Needless to say, this caused quite a bit of chatter via Reddit as more rewards came and went throughout Survivor 47:
“How has this boy not eaten fruit??”
“He gives big ‘chicken tendies and frenchy fry’ energy.”
“Grew up on processed foods and high fructose corn syrup.”
Given the fact that Survivor 47 finished filming in the summer, where does Sam’s palate stand now, months later after the final episode wrapped up? In an interview with Parade, after the show came to a close — and after the sports reporter fell just a few votes short of the million-dollar prize (yikes) — Sam spilled the piping hot tea.
“People get to experience many new things on Survivor. For you, it seemed to be expanding your palate. How has the fruit and vegetable diet been since your time on the island?” Survivor reporter Mike Bloom asked Sam, and he sang like a bird.
For those who were rooting for Sam and his health, please brace yourself.
To begin his response, the “passionate, stubborn, and ambitious” castaway told Mike that his diet is “not all that different” since Survivor 47 came to a close (unfortunately).
“Mike, I’m not a chicken nugget adult! I eat fruits and veggies here. I don’t change what I know that I like, so if there’s a fruit spread and I see strawberries, bananas and grapes, that’s where I’m going. I don’t need to explore the new ones… I can’t say the palate has changed all that much, unfortunately.”
Sam is still trying, though, adding that he was recently in the Tennessee Titans press box — where he works as a sports reporter — and he “had a little bit of dragon fruit.” Naturally, we cannot help but wonder what fruit is next on his agenda.
“I’m branching out a little bit. I want it on record,” Sam concluded with a smile, and we wish him nothing but the best in his future fruit and vegetable exploration. If he is superstitious at all, perhaps he will try some grapes on New Year’s Eve this Tuesday (Dec. 31).
With fruits and vegetables aside, to see Sam’s Survivor journey from start to finish, fans of the show may stream all of Survivor 47 — as well as previous seasons of the Emmy Award-winning series — now via Paramount Plus. With both Rachel LaMont and Sue Smey making Survivor history, we promise you will not regret this one!
Published: Dec 29, 2024 02:55 pm