Survivor host Jeff Probst has shared his take on Liz Wilcox unleashing her rage at the Reward Challenge that aired on the latest Season 46 episode.
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Liz, a 35-year-old marketing strategist from Luther, MI who currently resides in Orlando, FL, had an emotional outburst, which some people may call a temper tantrum, on Survivor's May 1 episode over an Applebee's Reward that she couldn't have.
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Liz, who is allergic to coconut and other fruit, ate much less than any other castaway on Survivor 46, and so when Q Burdette won a food Reward on Day 18 and didn't ask Liz to join him -- after she had begged to be selected, both for nutrition and because the restaurant holds a special place in her heart -- she cried and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"My reaction on the day was very similar to the reaction I had just now hearing it again on this podcast," Jeff shared on his "On Fire with Jeff Probst" podcast.
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"It's obviously upsetting. That's real emotion and absolute vulnerability."
Jeff is well aware Survivor fans have probably been laughing and gossiping about Liz, but he challenged viewers to put themselves in Liz's shoes.
"This is the kind of moment on Survivor when a lot of people will make fun, and there will be memes," noted the longtime Survivor host.
"But imagine that's you, and for whatever reason you've been triggered in the same way. I mean, that is proof that you forget about the cameras because there's no facade going on there."
Jeff went as far as to say that he has "a lot of empathy for Liz," who was clearly having an extremely tough time in the game.
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"But it is also part of the adventure that comes with playing this game because it is designed to push you," Jeff reasoned, "and sometimes it does push you so far out of your comfort zone that you break down in some way."
And Jeff suggested that Liz, being at her lowest moment in the game, had an opportunity to rise above the adversity and reach her full potential.
"I have not yet talked to Liz about this moment, so I'm only going on the history of other players. But when you reach that bottom and then you realize, 'You know what, I'm still standing. I'm still here' -- that's where the growth comes," Jeff explained.
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Jeff also assured Survivor fans that castaways' meltdowns and breakdowns are authentic moments, especially when comfort and a feeling of "home" is on the line.
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"You saw it with Liz. She said, '[My child and I] go every Wednesday night,' and she had a photo of herself and her daughter at Applebee's," Jeff said.
"So when I'm out there and I say 'Applebee's' to the players, I just want you to know those are not prompted reactions. We're not holding up big cards saying, 'Applause, Applebee's!' That's legitimate."
Jeff added, "And I think it's one of the very best partnerships we've ever had on the show for that reason. It's a win for Applebee's, it's a win for Survivor, and it's a win for the players."
Liz shared on Survivor how her "Wednesday night ritual" was to pick up her young daughter, dine out at Applebee's, watch Survivor together at home, and then have a sleepover. That outing each week apparently meant the world to Liz, and having an Applebee's Reward was going to make her feel connected to her child.
But when Q won the Reward Challenge, he asked Tiffany Nicole Ervin to join him "to make things right," and then Liz started to cry and beg to be chosen. However, Q asked Maria Shrime Gonzalez to join him since she had genuinely checked on his well-being after a chaotic Tribal Council.
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And finally, while Liz was sobbing and desperate to eat, Q invited Kenzie Petty on the Survivor Reward in order to bring his original Yanu allies back together.
Q apologized to Liz, and then Jeff asked Liz to share how she was feeling.
Liz didn't hesitate to speak out -- and what happened next was jaw dropping.
"I'm pissed!" Liz screamed, her voice at its highest pitch. "Y'all said you've gone without eating! I see you eat every day!"
Liz continued to yell, "Q you almost blew up my whole game! You overshadowed everything I was trying to do, and I said it was cool! I didn't say nothing! I don't even want to be around y'all! Q, you blew up my whole freaking spot and I didn't know about the whole split vote last night!"
Q calmly responded, "But, Liz, you voted for me last night, so," before adding, "I made decisions based on where my head is right now in the game. I'm sorry."
Liz ultimately composed herself and declared how she was "over it" and that she was sorry for "exploding." Liz joked about how viewers could now return to their regularly scheduled program.
Jeff told Liz it was okay to express her emotions, and then Liz explained how she had eaten zero calories since the merge and hadn't screamed that loudly ever before -- even when she was going through a divorce.
And when Liz returned to camp without food, she vented to the Survivor cameras about how she had nothing to do except sitting in her "disgusting feelings."
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The Survivor episode ended with a Tiffany blindside, and she was voted out of the game with a hidden Immunity Idol in her pocket.