Kat Edorsson, a 22-year-old timeshare representative from Orlando, FL, was eliminated from Survivor: One World's merged Tikiano tribe during Wednesday night's twelfth episode of the CBS reality series' 24th edition.

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Kat was voted out of her tribe at the season's twelfth Tribal Council session, the sixth session for the tribe since the merge, after her all-female alliance and potential Final 3 tribemates completely blindsided her and sent her packing.

On Thursday, Kat talked to Reality TV World about her Survivor: One World experience -- including what she called her million-dollar mistake, why she defended her "selfish" castaway picks after winning the Reward Challenge, who she admired in the game to the point where she wants to be just like her, what she said was "the worst thing that ever could've possibly happened" to her while on the show, and why she bluntly referred to the family visit as "death."  

Reality TV World: It seems pretty obvious that you were completely blindsided by your vote-off, but why was that? Even if you thought Kim Spradlin and Alicia Rosa were in your Final 3, you were shown saying you did realize there were four other people that were probably going to be upset with you and you probably hadn't made the best strategic choices following your Reward Challenge win. So why wasn't that possibility still in your mind by the time you got to Tribal Council?

Kat Edorsson: It wasn't still in my head because I was pretty sure that my alliance was very strong and I believed in Kim. Mind you, you have to trust in somebody when you're out there, and I trusted Kim. Don't get me wrong, my million-dollar decision that I threw away was the fact that I chose Alicia for my family visit.

I'm telling you right now, the family visit is death -- I repeat, is death. You don't want to be the picker -- you don't want to be the chooser. You don't want to be the picker. You want to be able to go on the family reward, not choose who goes on the family reward. Because ultimately, no matter what you decide, your decision is going to be wrong. Someone is going to be upset. 

Reality TV World: Regarding that, there's been some speculation that Kim intentionally slowed down at the end of this week's Reward Challenge and kind of let you win -- possibly because she didn't want to be in the same position again that she ended up in last week [when you got upset she didn't pick you]. What are your thoughts on that -- do you think she might have intentionally thrown the challenge at the end and done that type of strategic thinking?

Kat Edorsson: (Laughs) That speculation would be totally false. Kim and I are very much alike where she's old and I'm not, (laughs) no, I'm kidding. But she -- her and I have heart. We have heart for the game, which means there is not one bone in our body that would ever let each other win just because it was strategically.

Kim doesn't do that. She didn't have to win that one. She didn't have to win the reward. She didn't have to win the Immunity Challenge either. She didn't have to. She does it because that's what she loves to do. I do it because that's what I love to do.

And the fact that I didn't win the Immunity Challenge, even if my head was on the chopping block, I still would have held on just as long as I did when I didn't know my head was on the chopping block. So ultimately, me and her, she would never just give me the Reward Challenge ever. I won that fair and square because I was the best and had good communication with my cousin.

Reality TV World: So if Alicia was your million-dollar decision, who do you think you should've taken on the Reward with you instead to change the outcome of the game for you?

Kat Edorsson: The whole time -- ultimately, it was a really hard decision. I really hated the fact that I had to make that decision. I was fighting between Alicia and [Chelsea Meissner]. I knew that the girls were really upset because everyone was asking me, "Kat, are you kidding?! Why wouldn't you take [Greg "Tarzan" Smith] and his wife? Why wouldn't you take [Christina Cha] and her sick father?"

Don't get me wrong, everybody saw my true colors on the show. I sympathized with everybody, so I completely understand that it would have been less selfish of me to take Christina and Tarzan. However, they would not have benefited me during the game at all. Honestly, they wouldn't.

I told Christina -- if we told Christina, "Vote this way or sit down and stay," she would sit down and stay. If we told Tarzan, "This is what we're doing," that's what we're doing. They didn't make those decisions on their own, so ultimately, I was always going to pick Kim.

My decision was between [Sabrina Thompson], Chelsea and Alicia. Alicia was the worst choice I could have ever chosen, but I was fighting in between Sabrina and Chelsea the entire time when I was making that decision.

It was like, if I took Sabrina, she would not have anything to complain about, and I guarantee if I took Chelsea, she would not have anything to complain about. And the fact that I didn't, they were sour and they were upset, and they made me look like I was selfish. And the day before that, we were all talking about not being like that. (Laughs)

Reality TV World: One of the main reasons the women seemed to vote you out is because they said they were tied of your "childish" and "selfish" behavior and tendency to blame everything on the fact that you're only 22 -- which came across a little weird to viewers, especially since Alicia is only 25, Chelsea's only 26, and Kim and Christina are also still in their 20's. So could you elaborate on that a little bit and share your thoughts?

Kat Edorsson: Well, I mean, I'm the cute and sweet and goofy one, and if someone's going to blame something on me, you might as well blame it on Kat. Like, "What is she going to do? She's going to be upset for a second and then she's going to smile the next." So, elaborating on the fact that they were upset that I kept blaming it on that I was 22, I don't know.

I think they just needed something to say, honestly. They needed something to say, because honestly, there had to be a reason of why they were eliminating me that day. And ultimately, in the game, they're playing all for themselves. Sabrina was thinking in her head, "Oh, I probably have to get rid of Kat because her relationship with Kim, I don't like it."

And Chelsea felt the same way and Alicia felt the same way. So ultimately, they're going to have to make up a reason why they have to be negative about me, and the only thing that's negative about me is sometimes I can be immature and sometimes I can be naive. But again, I don't think that should've been disclosed as bad as it was last night, but it was. So I just take it and run with it.

Reality TV World: It surprised some viewers that you thought you had a Final 3 alliance with Kim and that the third member of the alliance was Alicia and not Chelsea, who's been presented on TV as being Kim's closest and most obvious ally out there. So what was your take on Chelsea while you were out there and why didn't you seem to recognize that she was Kim's closest ally? Because all the guys that I've talked to that are on the jury have pretty much said it was obvious Chelsea was Kim's "right-hand man" of sorts out there.

Kat Edorsson: Right, and it is kind of baffling because of how we can watch it on television right now and I can see it clear as day, but I didn't see it while we were in the game -- very, very easy. Chelsea -- let's see. Kim, we had our Final 3 since Day 1, like Sabrina said.

I thought ultimately it was going to be a better chance for me to win against Kim and Alicia because no one really cared for Alicia at the time because she was being like -- however she was acting, it was Alicia.

And Kim, I had this idea that Kim played hard enough and everybody was so mad at her, that maybe I could win against her. People would think I was sweet. So I thought that was my better option. I would have never took Chelsea. Chelsea, from Day 1, was always my hero. It's hard for people to understand, but when I first met this woman, I was just completely just thrown back by her.

She was someone that I just could imagine -- I would love to be someone just like her when I'm 26 years old -- or that's who I want to be when I grow up. She was just a very inspirational person, but when it came down to the game, we need it really clear not to speak about Final 3, Final 3. Because last night, Kim made it very clear that her best option was me.

Her best option was me. She believed that 100% percent since Day 2. There was never a change. And the whole time, we talked about getting rid of Chelsea and Sabrina all the time, because we could not win against -- I mean, how could I win against Chelsea? She's amazing. Sabrina is amazing. How could I win against them? Kim was my best chance.

Reality TV World: One of the other reasons the women gave for voting you out was because they felt you had close relationships with the men on the jury. It seems like they picked up on that because of Troy "Troyzan" Robertson tapping you on the shoulder and telling you to "do it." Do you feel that was actually the case? Did you have a close relationship with them or were the women just, again, reaching for things in your opinion?

Kat Edorsson: That was the worst thing that could ever possibly happen to me. I love Troy. He's a silver fox, but he definitely put death on me. That was not a good strategic plan. Everybody saw that -- all the men, yeah they all loved me.

They all thought I was sweet and genuine and I never hurt anybody's feelings. I just kind of went with the game and played as hard as I could. So ultimately, that was him saying from the inside out, "I believe in you. I want you to win." And everybody would vote with Troy, which would ultimately make me the winner.

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

Kat Edorsson: I was at the right place at the right time and I've always been looking for a challenge like this, and I couldn't ask for anything better than the most incredible game that I could ever play. So I was kind of looking for adventure.

It was one of those times in my life where I was just like, "I need something. I need to do something. I want to make something -- a huge change." And so, it just happened to fall right into my hands.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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