Exclusive: 'Survivor: San Juan del Sur -- Blood vs. Water' castaway Baylor Wilson opens up (Part 2)

Survivor: San Juan del Sur -- Blood vs. Water castaway Baylor Wilson finished the 29th season in fifth place, losing the $1 million grand prize to Natalie Anderson, during the live portion of the finale broadcast on CBS.
 
Baylor also finished behind runner-up Jaclyn Schultz, third-place finisher Missy Payne, and fourth-place finisher Keith Nale.


Baylor's mother Missy received only one jury vote in the Final 3 and it was from Baylor herself. 

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

Reality TV World: When Natalie played her idol for Jaclyn, your mom immediately turned to you and said she was going home, not you. Why do you think your mom believed that given her injury wouldn't make her a big threat in the final Immunity Challenge?

Baylor Wilson: I guess, I think that we thought Natalie would vote my mom out in that moment basically because she -- Natalie told us that she was threatened by my mom's gameplay, and she still thinks my mom played a great game.


However, I don't know. I think me being physically capable, I could've won that challenge. I think anyone could've won the next challenge, but I could've definitely won the one that they played, and so, I guess that's basically the only reason, is that she was hurt and it was a little bit easier to go up against two and not three.

Reality TV World: I understand why Natalie wanted to keep your mom around. I'm just trying to figure out why your mom immediately thought Natalie would keep you around instead of her since your mom would probably be easy to beat in the last challenge. It would seem obvious your mom would be the better choice to keep in the game.

Baylor Wilson: Yeah, I don't know. Missy and Natalie -- I knew my mom thought she was going to send her home because she was in so much pain with her foot. I don't know. That's the only reason I can think of.

Reality TV World: During the show, you expressed some concern about your mom's relationship with Jon Misch and how you kind of thought it was unhealthy. Could you talk about that a little bit?

Baylor Wilson: Yeah. I saw some, I guess, reoccurrences that kind of mirrored relationships with other men in her life with Jon out there on the island. It's tough to explain because she's very loyal, and that's something that people underestimate. If she's your friend and if she loves you, she'll be loyal. And that's what it was like with Jon.


They had some really deep conversations, I think, out there that you don't see on-camera, and they created a special bond just like her and Natalie did. My mom created bonds with everybody. That's what they didn't really show, and she does that in real life too.

And so, I guess it was frustrating for me because probably: A.) I wasn't getting as much daughter/mother attention that I needed to explain to her, "Mom, play the game." But at the same time, I was connecting it all back to, "Okay, mom, you're trusting a dude that is probably not trustworthy. You're in a game; Don't forget that." That's probably why I had a bad taste in my mouth.  

Reality TV World: During the finale, your mom said she kind of felt "free" as a result of your family's personal issues being exposed on television. But how did you feel about it? Did you feel the same way and has your perspective changed over the course of the season?

Baylor Wilson: Honestly, I was okay with it. I really was. I think that it was like ripping the Band-Aid off. You have to kind of heal really quickly because everyone now knows. So, we never hide it. That's the thing, is whenever I sit down with somebody and they tell me about their family stories, I can relate.

And that's something I think I'm good at, is being able to relate with people and share my experience and be there for them as a role model. So, no, I was okay with it. I really was.


Reality TV World: You cried during Reed Kelly's "wicked stepmother" speech. Could you elaborate on why that hit you so hard and it obviously sounds like you thought he was way out of line?

Baylor Wilson: Yeah, I guess me and my mom are always going to be each other's biggest fans no matter what -- no matter how many bad mistakes she makes or I make. I'm always going to love her no matter what. She's my No. 1, truly. And so, it's funny because when he was doing that, I guess I never had to sit around and watch someone say that to my mom.

I mean, I don't know if any kid has ever had to watch their mom get bullied, you know, that's kind of opposite of how it goes. The mom is usually the one watching their kid get bullied. And so, it was really difficult for me. I mean, I obviously was crying and very emotional, and I couldn't even breathe at one point. But it was also shocking. I think I was in shock a little bit and that's what came out, you know?

Reality TV World: Your mom said she doesn't have much of a relationship with Reed right now during the reunion show, but you didn't get a chance to talk about your side of things. What's your own relationship with Reed like now? Have you spoken at all?

Baylor Wilson: No, no. Reed and I don't speak. I think [Josh Canfield] and I will continue talking a little bit here and there. We really did connect out there even though I blindsided him and he wasn't happy about it.


I think Josh and I will always be a little bit closer than Reed and I. And I mean, Reed and I don't really have anything to talk about, you know? The game's over, he's going to go act some more and I'm going to go sing.

Reality TV World: Could you explain what your relationship with Alec Christy was like during the show? And what's it been like now that the season is over?

Baylor Wilson: Yeah, Alec is (laughs) like a best friend that I've known forever but I hate sometimes. He's like a family friend that you get annoyed of kind of person. We were buds out there. That's what's funny is, I know Alec liked me as a friend, but he couldn't show that because he had to be with the guys and they all didn't like me.

So, (laughs) it was very frustrating because I tried to work with him from the very beginning when he wouldn't have it, which was probably particularly smart on his part. But yeah, we're just friends, we're buds, and we get along great. So yeah.

Reality TV World: How big a role do you think Keith's Reward Challenge hint played in the subsequent immunity win for him?


Baylor Wilson: Oh you mean when he got to go and do it for three hours? (Laughs)

Reality TV World: Yeah. (Laughs) What did you think he was doing all that time?

Baylor Wilson: Oh my gosh, I mean, we knew it had to be something like where you go to go see it or, like, I don't know, get a clue to it. We had no idea it was going to be him practicing for that long.

But he did come back and tell us that, and at that point, I was like, "He's got it in the bag. There's no way we're going to win. Absolutely not." And the more I saw it and it involved balls, me and Natalie both knew Keith was going to win.

Reality TV World: (Laughs) Because it involves balls?

Baylor Wilson: Yes! I'm serious. Everything that involves balls challenge-wise, Keith will win no matter what. He's so good at, like, carnival-style challenges.


Reality TV World: How did you end up on the show? Did your mom apply first and then they brought you in as her loved one, or the other way around?

Baylor Wilson: We actually did not apply. We got a Facebook message through casting that basically said, "Hey, would you be interested in doing Survivor?" And my mom called me that day and was like, "Do you want to do this?" And I said, "Yeah!" And so we just sent a video in and I think we were the last couple cast.

Click here to read the first half of Baylor Wilson's exclusive interview with Reality TV World. 






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski