“I actually liked kind of having the Fabio edit, because I can’t be mad at that.
It’s how I looked while I was playing out there.”
Survivor 41claimed its fifth victim, as JD was unanimously voted out of his tribe.
Jairus ‘JD’ Robinson of ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
So how is the superfan dealing with his early exit?
Does he have any clarity now on why he was cut loose?
And how does JD feel about Shantel humming her evil theme song while crushing his dreams?
Jairus “JD” Robinson on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
We caught up with one of this season’s breakout personalities to find out.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, how are you doing?
I know a lot of people struggle when their results don’t match up to those expectations.
So what has it been like for you over the past six months?
That’s a really good analogy, and that’s really how I feel.
It sucks, and watching it back sucks.
The living everything all over again was hard.
I remember messing up the sandbag challenge.
And then to see the fan reception to it is just terrible.
And yeah, giving Shan my extra vote it sucks to see, you know.
You asked why you got voted out and they didn’t really give you an answer.
How much was that rattling around your brain in terms of figuring out why you were cut loose?
I know it doesn’t look like I was ever strategizing, but I was strategizing so much.
I was always trying to figure out, what was the optimum move?
The problem was I didn’t have the social capital to be able to make those optimal moves.
And so I gave Shan my extra vote and they voted me out with it.
She was throwing things and cursing at people.
And we were like, “Oh my gosh!”
So I’m thinking this chick is so obviously not with you.
I’m giving you this side of trust, so why get rid of me?
Because I really wanted to work with Genie to get out Ricard.
So why not take a stab at make the play there to take out Ricard?
Or maybe you did.
Contrary to what people may believe, I was always trying to flip the game.
I did not want to work with Shan and Ricard.
And so as soon as we got back from the challenge, I wanted to flip the game.
I’ve been in a position where I’m just Shan and Ricard’s puppet.
And I don’t like doing that.
I think it showed a little bit of the conversation.
I’m like, “We can flip the game and be on top.
After that, we are in a position of power and can win this game!”
It worked before."
Or did it just seem like she was paranoid and needed to be calmed down?
I’m going to give a little kudos to Shan here.
That was not the first time she did that.
Almost every Tribal Council, she would freak out.
And I thought it was real.
I thought, “This chic is paranoid.”
I’m with you.
Even though originally Ididwant to play it here, but I had changed my mind.
So I thought Genie told her that I wanted to get out Ricard with my extra vote.
So that’s why I was like, “No, I’m with you.
Don’t worry about it.”
Then she asked if I’d give her my extra vote, and I ended up doing it.
How do you feel about her humming her evil theme song as she crushed your dreams?
Honestly, the whole theme song thing, I’m like, “That is so cool.
Why did I not think of it?
Why did I not do something like that?”
I could hear her hum on the beach and was like, “What is wrong with this chick?
Why is she always humming?”
I thought she was hummingLooney Tunes.
You know what I mean?
Turns out she was humming my demise.
So all his happened because of the advantage sticking out of your pants.
There’s really no explanation.
There’s just poorSurvivorplay on my part.
And how can I make the most optimal decision?"
I needed to be more vigilant out there.
And so I had the extra vote sticking out of my pants.
I didn’t even put my shirt on.
There were some logistical reasons why I didn’t have my clothes on in that scene.
I can’t deny that it was just terrible.
Shan called your game sloppy at one point.
I wanted to be underestimated.
The problem was, I was doing worse than I actually thought!
I thought that would actually end up helping my game, but it still got me voted out.
Let’s get into the challenge stuff.
Shan called you out for showboating with the “Money!”
shot, as it were, and you were attempting some weird NBA layupstyle sandbag throws last week.
Were you too focused on style points, as some alleged?
I don’t think so.
The reason I did the sandbags was not because I was trying to be super cool.
Brad is 7-foot-7, and Shan is 6-foot-6, and I’m like 5-foot-8.
So that’s why I jumped.
It’s not that big a deal.
No one else on my tribe landed a ring at that challenge.
And we switched it.
They didn’t show a switch, but other people were throwing rings.
I was the only one who could get it.
And then they’re like, “JD blew the challenge for us.
He said ‘money’ and should have said ‘Tribal.'”
You went on that first hike with Xander and Danny.
Do you think you might have worked with them later at the merge had you all made it there?
Me and Xander were boys on that hike.
We had so much in common.
And so we made a deal with each other, right?
Xander named his two people, and Danny named his two people.
I won’t say theirs, but mine were Brad and Shan.
That conversation was like an hour, and it showed you like 15 seconds of it.
I gave us more options.
If y’all keep me around, we’re together.
I’m proving my loyalty to you right now."
And that’s why Brad goes to bat for me at that first Tribal Council.
That’s why Shan doesn’t vote for me at that first Tribal Council.
And so I thought that was a good move.
It wasn’t shown, but it happened.
So much does not get shown.
Is there anything else we didn’t see that you wish had made it on air?
I really felt like I had control of that first Tribal Council.
It didn’t really show a lot of that.
I got up to say, “Brad,” right?
So I get up and I’m like, “Getting rid of Brad’s a terrible idea.”
You see me whisper to Shan.
You see me say, “I’ll do whatever you want.”
Like, you have to say that.
But in all actuality, I was not ready to write Brad’s name down that night.
Obviously, that didn’t happen, but youwerea breakout character.
Because while not all of it was flattering or positive, they were using your confessionals all the time.
I think I have the record for most confessionals in a premiere episode, with 11.
So that’s awesome.
I actually liked my edit.
I actually liked kind of having the Fabio edit, because I can’t be mad at that.
It’s how I looked while I was playing out there.
I’m not bitter about my edit.
I think it was great.
It pretty much shows why I went home.
I made a lot of mistakes.
I just wish it would have shown a little more of my strategic play.
