Survivor: Blood vs. Water eliminated returning castaway Candice Cody from the game after she lost the season's fourth Redemption Island duel during Wednesday night's fifth episode of the CBS reality series' 27th edition. 
 
Candice, a 30-year-old physician and anesthesiology resident from Washington, D.C. -- who finished in eighth place on both Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, which aired in 2010, and Survivor: Cook Islands, which aired in early 2006 -- lost the duel to her husband and "loved one" John Cody and Monica Culpepper's husband Brad Culpepper.

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In an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Thursday, Candice talked about her Survivor: Blood vs. Water experience -- or rather, unfortunately, her Redemption Island experience.

Below is the first half of Candice's interview. Check back with Reality TV World on Friday for the concluding portion.

Reality TV World: So obviously losing the Redemption Island duel had to be frustrating and disappointing, but is it safe to say the fact you lost it to Brad Culpepper made things even worse?

Candice Cody: Yeah, definitely. I was so vocal wanting Brad to come to Redemption Island. I was like, "Come to my island! This is Coney Island! We must protect this house." And then I get bounced out by Brad, so it was definitely, yeah. That was definitely a tough way to exit. And then knowing that John is there with Brad, I'm just like seething over it. (Laughs)

But he's a tough competitor, you know? I knew that you got to be careful what you wish for because I wanted Brad out, but then I had to beat him myself. But that's what makes this game so fascinating, and definitely this season with the twist of the "loved ones," there's so much emotion wrapped up in it.

There's so many different layers of the game and you don't -- you're not thinking strictly strategy. Your emotion gets involved and makes you do crazy things. And so I think that's part of what's making this season so fun to watch as a fan, because there's just so much going on.

Reality TV World: Like Jeff Probst suggested on last night's show, you seemed to have a remarkable level of animosity for Brad given you never even spent a moment in the game with him -- and much of that seemed to exist even before he turned on John. So can you just talk a little bit about that and explain how you came to have such strong negative feelings?

Candice Cody: Well you know, 30 seconds into the game, Brad's wife [Monica Culpepper] votes me out. And I absolutely love when people write your name down and put a little heart by it, you know? It's like, come on dude! You're writing my name down, get rid of the heart over my name!

But then, when people would come to Redemption Island -- [Rachel Foulger], [Marissa Peterson] -- they would say things about how they weren't allowed to have an opinion, nothing that they said was taken seriously, Marissa wanted to learn how to do the fire and go fishing but she wasn't allowed to do any of those things.

So she was frustrated by that, and that kind of annoyed me, because here's a 21-year-old girl. Marissa missed walking at her college graduation to come out here, and she only got three days in the game. And not only was she voted out first, but she wasn't allowed to do any of the Survivor things.

I think that touched a nerve with me because I kind of felt on Heroes vs. Villains that I was stuck in a tribe with people who didn't want to play with me, and it doesn't feel good. And so, I kind of felt like I wanted to stand up for her and, you know, I didn't say anything about Brad before John got voted out.

It was Marissa who said, "F you Brad Culpepper!" But once John got voted out and got voted out by Brad, the bolts came off. It's a game for a million dollars and I'm stuck on Redemption Island with very little control over what happens in the game, but what I can do is kind of hit Brad with the stinky stick and try to tarnish his image in the game.

So I mean, that was part strategy and also part hurt feelings. That's something that's different about this season, because your emotions are so into it. I lost my mind when he voted John out, you know?! I just went crazy like a bull in a china shop, whereas normally, I'd be calm just like I was when I was voted out. I was very calm, I was gracious and I didn't say a bad word to anyone on either of the tribes until John got voted out.

And then once John was with me on Redemption Island, you know, I know that at best, one Cody is going back into this game and somebody's got to keep their nose clean and somebody's got to get their hands dirty. So it was kind of a good cop, bad cop kind of thing. I know John's not going to cuss anybody out.

He's basically the person trying to calm me down at times, telling me I'm a truck driver -- (laughs) forget about the one-finger salute. He was telling me, "Be nice. Just be nice." And I was like, "No! I've got to burn him!" So I don't know where I was going with that and I don't even remember what you asked me. (Laughs)

Reality TV World: (Laughs) This was your third time playing Survivor and you came into the game with a reputation of having betrayed your alliances during your first two seasons, and John and yourself were also saddled with being the last-minute alternate replacements for "RC" Roberta Saint-Amour and her dad. We also all know some returning players make pre-game alliances before the game even begins, so were you really surprised to be the first one voted off when they got a chance or had you kind of seen it coming once Jeff announced the twist?

Candice Cody: It was definitely tough for me coming in at the last minute, you know, less than 24 hours before the game started. And then people were sitting around in Ponderosa for four or five days staring at each other, counting their numbers up, trying to decide who they were going to work with.

And my face wasn't there to be part of the numbers that people were adding up in their head, you know? And so, I show up at the very last second and I was definitely nervous about going in and having showed up late.

But I figured, "This is fine. I played this game. I know I have whatever reputation I have coming into it, but give me three days, you know? Give me three days to get to the Tribal Council and I'll explain to people what happened, how i showed up late, and I'll get in just like I always had.

I came into Heroes vs. Villains with a reputation of the mutiny really, and then was placed on the heroes tribe with people who think they are above everything and holier than thou, and I lasted 31 days.

So, you know, yes having a prior reputation in the game can be tough to overcome, but if you know how to play the game and strategize, you know how to get in with people. I kind of felt disappointed that I didn't have a chance to talk to anyone, and I think I was definitely the easy vote 30 seconds in to vote the new person out.

Reality TV World: Out of what we just discussed, what would you say was the primary reason you think your tribe voted you off right away?

Candice Cody: I think definitely coming in late with no explanation. It was just an easy vote, you know? I think that I wasn't in anyone's pre -- Ponderosa, sitting around thinking about who I want to work with numbers[-wise]. And everyone else was thinking, "Just as long as it's not me. Just as long as it's not me." So I think as soon as someone said my name, they were all like, "Yup, new girl! Bye."

Above is the first half of Candice Cody's exclusive interview with Reality TV World. Check back with us on Friday for the concluding portion.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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