Exclusive: 'Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance' castoff Abi-Maria Gomes talks (Part 2)

Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance's Orkun tribe snuffed Abi-Maria Gomes' torch during Season 31's Wednesday night episode on CBS.


Abi, who previously competed on Survivor: Philippines, became the thirteenth castaway voted out of the game and the season's seventh jury member.

Abi was ousted via a 4-2-1 vote against Tasha Fox and Keith Nale respectively at Tribal Council on Night 35 of the game. Tasha wanted her gone because Abi was unpredictable and could screw up her game at any point.

In an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Thursday, Abi talked about her Survivor experience and blindside. Below is the concluding portion. Click here to read the first half.

Reality TV World: While you were still in the game, was there one person you were thinking, "If he or she makes it to Final 3, there's no beating that person?"


Abi-Maria Gomes: [Kelley Wentworth] and [Jeremy Collins].

Reality TV World: So obviously those are the last people you would've liked to sit next to in the end.

Abi-Maria Gomes: I would have loved to sit next to Wentworth, but that was just me making a stupid, dumb move, like [Yung "Woo" Hwang] did when he sat next to [Tony Vlachos]. I love the girl, but I don't think I would've had a chance of beating her. I would've had to work really hard at the Final Tribal sitting next to her to try to explain to the jury why I deserved to be sitting next to her.

Reality TV World: That surprises me a little because a few of your fellow castaways have referred to Wentworth as a goat. Not that I agree with them.

Abi-Maria Gomes: I mean, the girl has found two hidden Immunity Idols. She has won Immunity, she [helped me out]. She's doing a great job. There's no goat there! At all. Mm, Mm, no. I think the pre-game alliances are working very well this season.


Reality TV World: Could you elaborate on that for me? Which alliances formed before the game?

Abi-Maria Gomes: I mean, [Spencer Bledsoe] and Tasha obviously. They played Cagayan together.

Reality TV World: It seemed like Tasha wasn't sure for a while whether she wanted to work with Spencer though. Maybe she just played that up for cameras?

Abi-Maria Gomes: Yeah, maybe.

Reality TV World: Did you start thinking about what your speech would be like if you made it to the Final 3?


Abi-Maria Gomes: Constantly. Constantly.

Reality TV World: They typically ask what your biggest move was. What would you say?

Abi-Maria Gomes: I survived Takeo. I was the target since Day 1. I survived the second vote, got to Angkor, initiated an alliance with Tasha and [Andrew Savage]. I thought that was a huge move. And, you know, just being the target from Day 1 but still being there as far as I did go. And people seeing me as the goat, I think that would've made a brilliant speech for me at the Final 3.

Reality TV World: Why do you think they viewed you as a goat? Was it just because of your personality or really your strategy and gameplay?

Abi-Maria Gomes: I think that I am just not liked in the Survivor community. Period.


Reality TV World: Well that's unfortunate. (Laughs)

Abi-Maria Gomes: (Laughs) I would have to agree with you.

Reality TV World: Heading to Ponderosa, were you imagining Wentworth and Keith would be the next targets or did you actually expect someone would attempt to break up the foursome.

Abi-Maria Gomes: I was hoping that after sending that message to keep women strong by voting a guy, that people would notice I was there to play the game. That was my move.

Reality TV World: You entered the game not wanting to be "old Abi," I guess you could say -- brazen and argumentative. There were points when you lost sight of that, but overall, looking back on things, how do you think you did with that? Were you pleased with how you handled yourself?


Abi-Maria Gomes: You know, I think that I can be my own worst enemy. Let's put it this way.

Reality TV World: Any regrets about the season, even going as back as far as the Shirin Oskooi vote? She at least thought she was your ally.

Abi-Maria Gomes: No, she wasn't an ally. She had to go when she had to go. I don't regret how I voting. I think I showed people I was very loyal in voting with them, and when I had to flip, I had to flip in order to stay in the game. So, no regrets.

As far as how I socialized, yeah, that's my biggest regret. My social game wasn't on point. But it had a lot to do with me having such a stigma, people viewing my social game as a villain, so I guess it just all comes with the territory.

I'm disappointed with myself for not having been so lenient and not have controlled my emotions and my game better, but it's all, like, a big puzzle. And towards the end, I just couldn't find the piece.

Reality TV World: Because of how you were treated out there and having to deal with your own disappointments, would you ever be open to playing Survivor again?


Abi-Maria Gomes: Oh, man. That's a longshot. I'm still dealing with being blindsided, so I do not have an answer for that question yet.

Reality TV World: Okay, well what would you do differently if you opted to try again?

Abi-Maria Gomes: I would have to work on my social game.

To read the first half of Abi-Maria's exclusive Survivor interview with Reality TV World, click here.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski