‘That night broke me’: Here’s how whispering and gossiping forced a ‘Survivor 47’ finalist into a major mental breakdown

In order to be successful on Survivor, you need to overcome a great deal of adversity, and it is safe to say that Sue Smey did exactly that throughout her time on Survivor 47.

Creating a massive mess as she searched for a Hidden Immunity Idol — splattering red paint all over the ground — Sue had a rather rocky start to her Survivor journey, as she was simultaneously “battling severe stomach issues” and “a relentless migraine” in the early days of Survivor 47. Fortunately for the flight school owner, she managed to turn her game around, ultimately securing said Hidden Immunity Idol, winning an Individual Immunity challenge, and becoming the highest-placing member of the Tuku tribe, all while losing her closest allies (Gabe Ortis and Caroline Vidmar) along the way.

Oh, did we mention she is 59 years old? Is there anything she can’t do? Nevertheless, the New York native played a game filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, reflecting on the latter while speaking to longtime Survivor writer and reporter Dalton Ross in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Believe it or not, whispering and gossiping is what sent her into a major mental breakdown — poor thing!

“What was your lowest moment over the first 24 days?” Dalton asked the Survivor 47 finalists — consisting of Sue, Sam Phalen, Rachel LaMont, and Teeny Chirichillo — and Sue’s response was arguably the most gut-wrenching of them all. “My lowest moment came after a long night filled with whispers between Kyle [Ostwald] and Genevieve [Mushaluk],” she prefaced, prior to delving into the details of what actually occurred:

“What people don’t realize is how sensitive you become to every sound in the dead of night — whispers feel as loud as full conversations. I couldn’t be certain they were talking about me, but the signs from the day before made me believe they were. They had just blindsided me by voting Gabe out, and I’d heard from others that Kyle was rallying hard to target me, even calling Caroline and me names.”

Sue was livid when she found out Kyle had been calling her and Caroline “Tweedledee and Tweedledum,” remember? Nevertheless, the flight school owner admitted that “the weight of betrayal was suffocating” that evening — being the only castaway on the wrong side of the vote during Gabe’s untimely elimination — ultimately concluding the conversation:

“It had been a day of constant lies and shifting alliances that left my head spinning. When you’re exhausted, losing your closest allies, and constantly on edge, the cracks start to show. That night broke me. It was the lowest point of the game for me, a moment when everything felt like it was slipping away.”

Contrary to popular belief, everything was not “slipping away” that evening, as Sue has coasted her way to the final four, fighting for the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar prize tonight (Dec. 18). To see the “tremendous finish” to the show we know and love — and to see if Sue emerges victorious — catch the second part of Survivor‘s two-part finale at 8pm ET/PT via CBS, with next-day streaming via Paramount Plus.