Castaway Interview: Candace Smith - Comcast Survivor Blog Inside Survivor

Being an attorney, a former Miss Ohio, and an actress who has appeared in feature films doesn’t mean much when you’re squaring off against Coach’s Cult. Candace Smith learned that the hard way last night when she was voted out of “Survivor: Tocantins.” Not one to go out without a fight, Candace dropped some verbal bombs on Coach, Erinn, and others in this exclusive interview.

Gordon Holmes: Hi there, Candace.
Candace Smith: How’s it going?
Gordon: Terrible, they voted my girlfriend out of “Survivor” last night.
Candace: (Laughs) Get out of here! That is complete crap!
Gordon: I had this idea for a new rule where super hot people should get immunity until the merge.
Candace: I love it! Do you know what? They couldn’t handle it. They couldn’t handle the hotness.

Gordon: So, were you completely blindsided last night?
Candace: Yes, I was blindsided. It seemed as though it should have been obvious, but there’s a lot America doesn’t see. 120-degree weather, and I’m working my butt off at camp. And then, up to the minute we walked to Tribal Council, I was working. I was cooking food for everyone. I guess I didn’t put enough energy into strategizing or manipulating. I had no idea.
Gordon: Was there anything in hindsight that you could have picked up on?
Candace: Yeah, like maybe them asking me to make enough food for the next couple of days.
Gordon: Did they want you to put it in Tupperware and stick it in the fridge?
Candace: Right, I made my own Tupperware and stuck it in the river to keep it cool, but I still had no idea.

Gordon: Were you surprised that Erinn voted for you?
Candace: No, see, that’s the thing, what you saw last night probably gave you the impression that she was an ally of mine, but she hated me. And it was so obvious to me. And, even at Tribal Council she made a comment, “When we vote this person out tonight it’s going to make our tribe so much better.” It’s like, get out of here. I was hands down one of the strongest people, period. I’m not even going to say one of the strongest women. Cause, I’m stronger than Coach, physically. I was one of the hardest working people. I was all about making Timbira strong. And Erinn was intimidated by me from the very beginning, and I could see through her insecurity.
Gordon: We didn’t see that at all.
Candace: Don’t get me wrong, we were very cordial, but I knew the minute she could get a knife in my back she’d stick it in there. I’ve met girls like her a million times in my life that are kind of semi-obsessed with me, but kind of hate me. Like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe you look like that without make-up. Oh my God, Look at your body. Oh my God, you were Miss Ohio.” She was out there to be on TV and be a star, and she couldn’t have had a brighter star next her.
Gordon: I can understand her frustration, because it takes me a long time to look mediocre.
Candace: (laughs)
Gordon: And if you’re looking good with no effort, I’d probably vote you out too.
Candace: Oh, I love you. Thank you! But, she had the benefit of extensions in her hair and I didn’t so…you know for me to still look hot, that’s a big deal.

Gordon: OK, you need to reaffirm my faith in the intelligence of “Survivor” contestants. You’ve got to tell me, what’s a pace?
Candace: A pace is like a step with your leg straight out forward.
Gordon: Well done.

Gordon: Last night you said you would break Coach down if you were in real life. Now that we’re in real life, break Coach down for me.
Candace: He’s a misogynist, he’s self-absorbed, he’s delusional, he’s perverted, slightly sociopathic, physically weak, he’s tacky. I’m definitely more of a man than him, I’d challenge him to duel at any time.
Gordon: I think you and I are buddies. You can tell me how you really feel.
Candace: Well, kudos to him for brainwashing the entire tribe and getting them to call him “Coach.” I give him props for that. I’m telling you, if that isn’t a cult, I don’t know what a cult is.

Gordon: How’d you feel last night when you saw video proof of Debra ratting you out?
Candace: Don’t even get me started on Debbie! She was so scatterbrained the entire time. I believe she has Attention Deficit Disorder. And, the way she ran around the camp all the way up Coach’s butt was disgraceful. It was disgusting. Every two minutes, “Coach! What do you need, Coach? You want me to get you some food, Coach? You want me to wash your boxers, Coach?” And it was like, is this your strategy? Really? Now, I see that her strategy was to kiss Coach’s rear until her lips were numb.

Gordon: So, you’re an attorney, a former Miss Ohio, you’ve appeared in feature films; did any of that ever come up?
Candace: Yeah, it came up after Erinn interrogated me for hours. She was so obsessed with my life. I didn’t tell her half of my accomplishments because I was afraid while I was sleeping she’d try to steal my oxygen like a cat. The thing is, I’m a hardcore competitor, so why is any of this relevant? There’s a challenge tomorrow, we should go to sleep. Maybe if I’d mentioned all the celebrities I know, then some people would have kept me around like the wannabe stars like Erinn and Sierra. But, I didn’t name drop like other people did.
Gordon: It seems like Taj got a bit of a backlash by saying she was married to NFL star Eddie George. Were there any worries that your accomplishments could come back to bite you?
Candace: Yeah, but I think it can go one direction or the other. On one hand they’ll think you don’t need it, but on another, some people are like groupies. They want to know befriend someone who knows people. If I had named the people that I’m friends with, I would have stayed longer. Cause some of the people on my group were like groupies.
Gordon: If you were a name dropper, what kind of names would you be dropping?
Candace: (Laughs) I’m not a name dropper! That’s so obnoxious! Sierra walked around saying how she was friends with Jack Osbourne.
Gordon: If you wanted to drop my name, I’d be OK with that.
Candace: I appreciate that.
Gordon: In the future, just an FYI.
Candace: I’d definitely drop your name. I’d be like, “I know Gordon Holmes, how about that?!”

Gordon: Did you know Brendan was lying about Exile Island?
Candace: I knew Brendan was lying, you could see it in his eyes. Either he was lying, or he’s a sociopath…that glare he has. Just like when they were digging that hole and stupid Debbie comes back and is like, “They’re building a camp fire for us!” I said that didn’t make any sense. Why would you build a fire over there when we have to maintain a fire here? That’s called logical thinking, Debbie. Let me introduce you to it.

Gordon: OK, could you give us a brief description of your tribemates starting with Brendan?
Candace: Very granola, no pun intended.
Gordon: Debra?
Candace: Scatterbrained cougar with A.D.D.
Gordon: Erinn?
Candace: Insecure, delusional, overweight wannabe.
Gordon: Jerry?
Candace: My uncle.
Gordon: Tyson?
Candace: Eccentric, highly intelligent…special.
Gordon: Sierra?
Candace: Sheltered, spacey, flighty, again wannabe Hollywood.
Gordon: Coach?
Candace: (Laughs) I’ve said so much! To sum it up, I really feel he’s a perverted, highly deluded, egocentric (expletive deleted).

Gordon: Now last question…
Candace: Wait, can I say something about myself?
Gordon: Please do.
Candace: (Laughs) I’m just kidding.

Gordon: What do you take from your time in Brazil?
Candace: I take a lot as a person. I did things I never thought I could do. I take from it some acclimation that I am truly a strong individual. I’ve never had to be involved in the outdoors or socializing with people of this nature. And now I know that I can, and it really affirms how I feel about myself. I grew as a person.

Gordon: OK, the real last question; if Tyson doesn’t win, would you lend him a Miss Ohio tiara?
Candace: Hell no. I have some other things I’d lend him like stockings or tube tops, but not my tiara.

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