Sue Smey might have received no votes at the Final Tribal Council of Survivor 47 — falling short to Rachel LaMont and Sam Phalen in a 7-1-0 vote — but that does not mean she did not play an exceptional game on the shores of Fiji.
Largely remembered for her dirt-covered face, Sue made multiple game-changing moves throughout her Survivor 47 journey, despite “battling severe stomach issues” and “a relentless migraine” to begin the game. Finding a Hidden Immunity Idol, winning an Individual Immunity Challenge, and securing her seat at the Final Tribal Council — despite losing her closest allies, Caroline Vidmar and Gabe Ortis, along the way — the 59-year-old made Survivor history by becoming the oldest woman to win an Individual Immunity Challenge, as well as the oldest woman to secure her seat at the Final Tribal Council.
There’s a reason why Survivor host Jeff Probst deemed her an inspiration to women all across the globe. He said in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly:
“I loved Sue. I hope Sue inspires other 50+ women to apply. She really showed that if you have the drive, you can amaze yourself. Sue competed against people nearly four decades younger than her. Just take that in. It’s a massive accomplishment! If there was an issue with Sue’s game from the jury point of view, I think it would be the lack of risks she took. It speaks to what I just said about how you get to the final three. Being loyal is commendable and finding an idol is impressive, but it’s what you do in the gaps that wins you a season of Survivor.”
Because of her impressive feats, Sue entered the Final Tribal Council as confident as can be, but given how extraordinary Rachel’s game was — with Jeff deeming her “one of the best overall players to ever compete on Survivor“ in the same interview — it was not enough to secure the New York native the million-dollar prize and the title of “Sole Survivor.”
Reminiscing on the moments leading up to the Final Tribal Council, Sue delved into her deepest thoughts and emotions in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly.
As one may recall, Sue infamously told her tribemates that she was 45 years old rather than 59 years old, hoping to “hide [her] age from the kids” and drop a major bomb at the Final Tribal Council. While she did drop said bomb, the flight school owner ultimately fell flat. Poor Sue!
In the exclusive interview, she delved into the details of her thought process at the time:
“If I told them I was really 58 — I knew I was turning 59 — if I made it to the end, they’d already have me in the grave, so I figured if they’re not going to really pay attention, I’ll I say I’m in my 40s. Nobody really cared, they just knew I was older, but I didn’t want them to know how much older I was.”
The New York native continued:
“I really thought between my performance of finding an Idol, winning an Immunity Challenge, and coming in second place twice behind Kyle [Ostwald]… I felt like I influenced a lot. I did stick true to my word. I stayed loyal to the people I was loyal to, and I helped them, and I wanted all of my alliances to go as far as I could. I really hoped that they would see that as well, and I really felt like once they saw that I was sort of badass at 58, 59, they’d be impressed by that and be like, ‘Wow, maybe she does deserve that million.’ So, that was my whole thought process.”
Sue said that while Rachel was “a beast”— and subsequently, an incredibly deserving winner — she was disheartened to be “shut down” by the jury during the final discourse, as well as not receiving a single vote. After all, even her closest allies, Caroline and Gabe, voted for Rachel…
Nevertheless, while she did not emerge victorious in the end, to see Sue slay from start to finish, you can stream the entire season of Survivor 47 on Paramount Plus. The other 46 other seasons of Emmy Award-winning series are also available to stream on the platform. We recommend checking out Survivor: Cagayan!
Published: Dec 23, 2024 01:04 pm