Although his time on Survivor Heroes vs Villains finished months ago, reliving his elimination on television was equal parts ”traumatic” and enlightening for Benjamin Law.
Speaking with TV Week the morning after his torch was snuffed on screen, Ben said he loved watching the drama unfold both within his own tribe, and the villains.
”I loved watching it back because you hear so much about what is happening on the other tribe, but you never really get a clear picture,” Ben says.
”So, from that perspective, I’ve been thrilled to see how those stories have been playing out because whilst you are there it really is a mystery what is happening on the other camp.”
Ben has been all smiles watching his time on Survivor play out on television.
(IMAGE: Ten)
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As a writer by trade, Ben also said he had been wrapped up in the storytelling taking place and the larger-than-life characters that he was competing alongside.
”It’s magnificent storytelling. Even though I played the show, I’m just being completely swept up in the drama and the Greek tragedy and the kind of operatic narrative tension of it all.”
”Everyone is a big character, especially George… I think his character is actually bigger than Shaun is physically,” Ben laughs.
Speaking of excellent storytelling, Ben said it was a hilarious twist of fate that the idol Flick tried to use at tribal council to save Matt was in fact not an idol (we can thank Simon for that).
”Just think about the way I met my demise. It started with a fake idol stuffed in Simon’s lovely butt that ended up in Flick’s hands,” Ben says.
”But if Flick had trusted me more, I could have been the one and the only one who could have told her that what she had wasn’t an idol because unbeknownst to her, I had already found something like that which I used to then find a REAL idol.”
Ben springing into action a tribal council.
(IMAGE: Ten)And whilst Flick trusting Ben more and showing him her ‘idol’ wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the tribal council, Ben says it was quite shocking to see how little his original heroes’ tribemates mistrusted him.
”I knew I was on the bottom, but it was eyebrow-raising to see how little they trusted me right from the start. In my mind I hadn’t given them [the original heroes tribe] any reason to distrust me up until I threw Sharni under the bus,” Ben says.
”Even when I was making a fake idol, one of the things that I don’t think was conveyed well and didn’t translate to screen is that it was a group project. Paige found the skull; Sharni was braiding the necklace and we all agreed that we could make it a great weapon once we made it to tribe swap.”
Ben then admits that his fellow hero (and Survivor royalty) Nina Twine has since told him ”you just seemed too smart out there man.”
”They thought I was smart but in reality, I was desperate and basic. I was like ‘I know I’m at the bottom, I know I need to build trust, please don’t hurt me, have some rice, have some more coconut,” Ben laughs.
The meat tray analogy has been one of the funniest moments of the season so far.
(IMAGE: Ten)The ”snake” of the season also gave us one of the funniest moments of the season so far with his meat tray analogy of David, Sam, Shaun and Matt.
”I was just looking at these four specimens and I just felt like I was at a butcher. Let’s face it, men like THAT just need to be treated like pieces of meat….JOKES,” Ben says.
”But yes, it’s so funny that the four white shredded dudes would band together, it just felt inevitable. I thought their alliance was dangerous and I had to give that danger a name and it happened to be a funny one that stuck.
”In fact, it’s stuck so much that I have it on very good intel that one of the partners of the meat tray alliance uses the name I gave her partner in private.”
Ben says his money is on Nina Twine to win.
(IMAGE: Ten)So, who does he think will take the title of sole survivor?
”There’s still a lot of strong players here but I would love it if someone like Nina won. She’s smart, knows the game well and has an incredible story to tell.”
”Liz is also so strong out there. I was drawn to her after every challenge, and I would just stand in front of her saying ‘you are amazing.’
”To see her athleticism on display is just remarkable and who doesn’t love an underdog story. Don’t write her off just yet.”
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