Exclusive: Chris Hammons talks 'Survivor' -- Bret LaBelle and Sunday Burquest are in big trouble, I don't feel sorry for Jessica Lewis

Chris Hammons and Jessica Lewis were eliminated from Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X during last week's back-to-back episodes on CBS.


Chris, a 38-year-old trial lawyer from Moore, OK, was voted out of the merged Vinaka tribe during Episode 10 on Night 28 of Survivor's 33rd season.

Chris said in his final words he was "completely blindsided" because he thought the majority of the tribe was voting out Jessica with him. He was disappointed about not making it further in the game, saying Jessica outplayed him, but she was eliminated him at the next Tribal Council due to a random drawing of rocks.

During an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Monday, Chris talked about his Survivor experience. Below is the concluding portion. Click here to read the first half.

Reality TV World: Had you stayed in the game, what would your ideal Final 3 have been?


Chris Hammons: I would've stayed tight with [Zeke Smith] as far as I could, but there would've been a time when I'd have to gun for him. I think he'd be way too good. He's very, very smart and very slick at Tribal.

And I don't know that I would've stuck with [Bret LaBelle]. As much as I hate to say it, Bret and I probably would have gunned for each other eventually because I'm certain he would not have wanted to go with me to the end, because it would've looked like he just got dragged to the end.

And I didn't really feel comfortable with him either. He was very tight with everybody, and everybody just kind of loved him, and loved him in a way in which maybe they'd actually vote for him. Usually that doesn't work in my Survivor mind -- just because he's lovable -- but he was really loved in that show.

Reality TV World: We saw Bret telling Zeke that he was fine with your vote-off because you were a big threat to win the game. I was wondering if he was just trying to get back on Zeke's good graces or being honest he would've taken a shot at you at some point. So it sounds like the latter?

Chris Hammons: Well, not at that point. I think at that point he was just saying it to get back in the good graces. Part of him probably said, "Well that's good, Chris is gone and I don't have to worry about it at this point," but that tour -- I mean, that opened -- exposed Bret and [Sunday Burquest] to big-time trouble heading forward. I think he would much rather have had me in there until the Final 5 or 6 for sure.


Reality TV World: There was an ongoing debate after your vote-off that David Wright or Zeke was the bigger threat to win the game. On what side would you have fallen if you were still around?

Chris Hammons: Dave! Dave. Dave is the biggest threat. I think he's playing a really amazing game up to this point.

Reality TV World: When Jessica Lewis drew the black rock and had to go home, did you sympathize with her and feel horrible watching it on TV, or did you think, "She deserved what she got since she didn't write [Hannah Shapiro]'s name down on the re-vote?"

Chris Hammons: I was not in the camp of feeling sorry for her at all. I felt like I would rather go out -- I thought it was cool! I'd rather go out in a blaze of glory, saying, "Hey, I'm going to draw a rock and go out," than get blindsided by a buddy, quite frankly.

I would've rathered draw a rock in an epic Tribal Council than getting stabbed in the back by somebody you thought was your friend and your ally. So, I didn't feel sorry for her.


I felt like she should have held her head high and said, "Hey, I stuck with my guns and went out." Now, if I would've been sitting over there, I think I would've just written somebody else's name down on the re-vote.

Reality TV World: (Laughs) Yes, I was going to ask what you would have done had you been in Jessica's shoes.

Chris Hammons: Yeah, it's hard to say, but I probably would have flopped and tried to write it in different handwriting and then (laughs) just lied -- went to the death saying, "I didn't swap!" (Laughs)

Reality TV World: An interesting dynamic that played out in the double episode was Hannah talking about her relationship with Ken McNickle and how she thought there was a little romantic spark. What are your thoughts on that? Did you notice something brewing between them while you were on the island?

Chris Hammons: You know, I can imagine that just most any girl and maybe some men (laughs) might fall in love with Ken just looking at him! And he's very slick; he's very well thought out. He speaks like, well, he's very intelligent and poetic. He's a romantic guy!


So I can imagine she may have felt that way, whether Ken felt that way or not, I doubt it, but that's something that we all thought, that Ken would go there and woo everybody that was a female or maybe even Zeke. (Laughs) You know, so, yeah. I could totally get her buying his vibe.

Reality TV World: Was there talk about Adam Klein's Reward advantage after Taylor Stocker spilled the beans? He seemed to be a big target when Taylor went home but then drifted under the radar after that.

Chris Hammons: Sure, I mean, after the Taylor vote-out and Taylor blowing up his advantage at Tribal, there was lots of talk about his advantage -- openly talking about the advantage with Adam, and just the pros and cons of it.

Me, personally, I felt like I would have just either announced it right off the bat, "Hey, I'm going to use it this next one, sorry, and I'll take the winner with me anyways," something like that, or I would have just given it away and traded it away. Because it really is a dangerous advantage to have, I think.

Reality TV World: Based on previews for the next episode, it appears Adam's advantage will be played during the loved ones' visit, which I'm sure everyone was anticipating.


Chris Hammons: Well, you know, that's probably what everyone would anticipate. So, we'll wait and see!

Reality TV World: When you were in the game, what did you think of Justin "Jay" Starrett and Will Wahl's dynamic? It's surprising to me other people have emerged as bigger targets right now, like David before Jay?

Chris Hammons: Well, I think Will definitely drifted under the radar. Jay, I think, has appropriately drifted under the radar because he's kind of dodged a few things. Taylor should've written (laughs) Jay's name down and they would have at least had a tie there at that vote.

So Jay is really on everybody's radar, but he's doing a good-enough job of keeping his mouth shut and working around that. He's done a really good job of staying [away from] getting voted out. So, it'll be interesting. But with me out though, he's got to be one that you're gunning for.

Reality TV World: How were you cast on Survivor? How did you end up on the show?

Chris Hammons: Well, you know, you just try out and I sent in this crazy video, and then you hope to get a callback. And then I got a callback from a producer and they basically said, you know, "Hey, we saw your video and you're either going to make it on Survivor or we're probably never going to speak to you again." (Laughs)


So, I thought I made some shock waves with that. And it's a long process! You've got to kind of make the cut, so to speak, each time you go to finals and all that. So, it's a long, drawn-out process, but when you finally get that call that you're a contestant, man, it's great.

Reality TV World: Is it safe to say you'd love to play again if given the opportunity?

Chris Hammons: Yup! I've said it many times. If Jeff Probst called me right now and said, "Drive out to the airport, I'd drive out to the airport right now." I'd call my wife on the way and say, "Sorry, I'm heading out again!"

To read the first half of Reality TV World's exclusive Survivor interview with Chris Hammons, click here.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski