Exclusive: Colton Cumbie talks about quitting 'Survivor: Blood vs. Water' (Part 2)

Survivor: Blood vs. Water witnessed returning castaway Colton Cumbie quit the game during Wednesday night's third episode of the CBS reality series' 27th edition.


Colton, who had previously competed on Survivor: One World and got medically evacuated from the game mid-season, opted to leave the show because he couldn't become his Galang tribe's leader nor could he handle the way his tribemates were playing the game. His fiance and "loved one," Caleb Bankston, is still competing on the Tadhana tribe.

In an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Thursday, Colton, a 22-year-old student teacher from Collinsville, AL, talked about his experience on Survivor: Blood vs. Water and his reasons for quitting.

Below is the concluding portion of Colton's interview. Click here to read the first half. 

Reality TV World: Last night's episode showed you saying you were diagnosed with a bacterial infection, and that was what you had told me when we talked back after One World, but there have been other stories over the years about castaways who played the entire game and came back having to receive antibiotics or medications for similar conditions. So do you think Jeff Probst -- who said you faked appendicitis -- just thought you could've continued through it or something?


Colton Cumbie: Well, I mean, my thing is that my blood pressure doubled and, you know, obviously that's not something that you can feign. That's kind of what the doctor kept saying too, like, "I don't understand where he gets off saying that you feigned this, because I mean, your blood pressure doubled just by touching you."

Clearly the doctor, Doctor Ramona -- you saw her wade in the water to check on [Tyson Apostol] -- she's amazing. She actually still thinks that it was appendicitis. She just thinks that when they treated me for the bacterial infection, that my appendix went back to normal. Because she says that that can happen when they treat it with antibiotics, like the inflammation will go down.

Reality TV World: So you're saying that after Jeff kind of flipped out on you, the doctor offered up her opinion and said she didn't understand why Jeff was accusing you of quitting, like she told you that she was totally onboard with the idea you didn't fake it?

Colton Cumbie: Exactly.

Reality TV World: Jeff and Tina Wesson both basically accused you of being the "I'm going to take my ball and go home!" kid -- the kid at the playground that decides to take his ball and go home and end the game for everyone when he doesn't get his way or starts losing.  How do you respond to that?


Colton Cumbie: Well, first of all, I never played with balls. (Laughs) That's a recent development! Whatever. It is what it is. Sorry, [I'm] having way too much fun. Are you enjoying this interview?!

Reality TV World: Yes, I'm enjoying it. (Laughs)

Colton Cumbie: Ok good. [I] just wanted to make sure you were happy. (Laughs) But you know, I don't know. I mean, honestly, I did what I did because I wanted Caleb to be in a better position in the game. I want to win. Like I said, I want to better myself by winning a million dollars. And so, at that point, you know, no one else would talk strategy with me. So I had no one to talk to but myself.

Reality TV World: How do you think quitting puts Caleb in a better position? Wouldn't a better position be you sticking around, so that if Caleb got voted out of his tribe, you could potentially switch places with him on Redemption Island and allow him to re-enter the game?

Colton Cumbie: Because I'm so good at challenges. I mean, that would be so effective for me to go into Redemption Island.


Reality TV World: Well you don't know if you don't try, Colton, right?

Colton Cumbie: Well, you know, as they say, "If at first you don't succeed..." No, I'm just kidding.

Reality TV World: When the game first began, you gave that speech to your tribe in which you said you wanted to be a different person this time around and, I'm paraphrasing here, but I think you said the person you were on One World wasn't really who you are. Did you really believe that when you said it or was that just strategy?

Colton Cumbie: No, I really did mean that. I think during One World, I was a very angry person on One World, like I went into that season with a lot of built-up anger and frustration and insecurity. I was definitely happier this time, and I'm still a happy person.

I still joke and carry on and all that kind of stuff, but as far as like -- I don't know. I'm just, like, content. That's why I can kind of laugh in these interviews and be just like "whatever" about it, because I'm happy. People who say quitters never win, well, I did win, because have you seen my fiance?


Reality TV World: Were you aware that a five-person alliance had already formed on your tribe and was that why you were so confident you were going to be the next one voted out, or what had happened there in the first six days that left you feeling like you were being targeted?

Colton Cumbie: I had an alliance with everyone. I tried to point that out to people. They then went back to [Aras Baskauskas] and told him, so Aras like -- I think I became public enemy No. 1, which previously was [Kat Edorsson] or Laura Morett, one of the two. And so, you know, my big mistake in the game was opening my mouth and trying to get Aras out too soon.

And I wasn't even aware of that five-person alliance. Aras and Tina had just basically told me that I was going home. And, you know, it infuriated me, because Aras went as far as to tell me, like, "You're not out of the game. Caleb's going to take your place. You know he's going to trade with you."

And that's kind of when I started thinking, "You know what? I don't even want Caleb in that position. I don't want him to even have to sit there and go through what Tyson had to go through."

I think Tyson was actually very fortunate because [Rachel Foulger] told him, "No, I don't want you to." But I know how Caleb is, and he's like always the hero and he's always going to ride in on his horse and save me. And so I know that even if I'm sitting there saying, "No, no, no," he's going to be saying, "Yes, yes, yes."


Above is the concluding portion of Colton's exclusive interview with Reality TV World. Click here to read the first half. 






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski