Juror number six — the one and only Andy Rueda — has finally entered the ousted castaway conversation, and it’s safe to say he is spilling some serious Survivor 47 secrets…
For those who need a refresher, Andy was eliminated from Survivor 47 on Wednesday (Dec. 11) during the first part of the show’s unprecedented two-part finale. After pouring his heart out to obvious frontrunner Rachel LaMont — after she accused him of being a “nothing burger” — he was then viewed as too much of a threat by the Michigan native, causing her to use both her Hidden Immunity Idol and her “Block a Vote” advantage to not only guarantee her safety, but to also guarantee Andy was sent to Ponderosa once and for all. Poor guy!
She might have been the sole reason Andy was eliminated on on Wednesday, but is there bad blood between the two tribemates? In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, the ousted castaway gushed about what his relationship with Rachel really looked like throughout Survivor 47. Keep scrolling for the nitty gritty details.
Andy and Rachel had a “sibling relationship”
Instigating a conversation about his relationship with Rachel, longtime Survivor writer and reporter Dalton Ross asked Andy, “We saw that scene on the beach where Rachel was telling you that the jury viewed you as a ‘nothing burger’ and that your superpower was moving around the world ‘a little careless.’ What was your reaction to hearing that?”
“I understood exactly what she meant when she said those things,” the New York native replied, telling Dalton (as well as readers) that he and Rachel “developed this sibling relationship” that didn’t quite translate onto our television screens, furthermore explaining that they “had this closeness on a personal level where [he] understood exactly what she meant when she said those things.” He confirmed that he was not offended nor upset by any of her comments, as that was the type of relationship they had throughout Survivor 47.
Having an open and honest relationship with one another, some Survivor superfans saw this as more of a feud, taking to Reddit to accuse Andy of “talking down” to Rachel just moments before his untimely exit. “Rachel is a rockstar. I’m halfway through the episode right now. Andy talking down to Rachel and then getting voted off was beautiful. Andy went out in the most Andy way possible,” one Reddit user stated to kick off a conversation.
Naturally, numerous Survivor superfans were in agreement:
“It’s really poetic to me that after craving the respect and validation of his fellow players for so long, he couldn’t help himself to wait just a couple more days and told Rachel his game and his final pitch. And suddenly, he gets exactly what he wanted. She realizes he’s a threat, and he’s immediately voted out for it lol. Be careful what you wish for! 😂”
Regardless of how the relationship between Andy and Rachel was interpreted, for those who need to catch up, you may stream the entirety of Survivor 47 — as well as previous seasons of the show — via Paramount Plus.
Additionally, to see which of the final four castaways — Rachel, Sam Phalen, Sue Smey or Teeny Chirichillo — take home the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar prize, the second part of the show’s unprecedented two-part finale will air Wednesday (Dec. 18) via CBS, with next-day streaming via Paramount Plus.
With longtime host Jeff Probst promising a “tremendous finish,” be sure to mark your calendars!