The fan favorite also says his wife can post whatever she wants about him on Twitter.
Naseer Muttalif was living theSurvivordream.
He was on a tribe that absolutely dominated the pre-merge portion of the season.
Naseer Muttalif on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
He found a clue that procured him a hidden immunity idol.
And we enjoyed watching every single minute he was there.
(Also confirm to read ourexit interview with Evvie Jagoda.)
Naseer Muttalif on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
Does that pretty much sum up your experience?
NASEER MUTTALIF:Absolutely.
So that’s obvious, right?
Naseer Muttalif on ‘Survivor 41’.Robert Voets/CBS
you could see how I enjoyed my game.
I really played hard.
I appreciated every single moment.
How surprised were you when you saw your name come up three times at Tribal?
I’m like, “Okay, my day’s gone.”
Because they had to revote because me and her [Heather] had the same number of votes.
So I’m like, “Okay, done deal.”
So at that point why are you thinking it all went wrong?
But I’m thinking the other way, right?
I wasn’t naive.
I know exactly what’s going on.
But on that day, I got maybe a little overconfidence.
You will never get too confident onSurvivor.
So maybe a little more trusted?
Anything can happen at any time, right?
You have to have thick skin and face it, be happy, keep moving forward.
Let’s get into some of the other stuff that happened.
How was your right hand feeling after that immunity challenge?
Well, I couldn’t feel it completely for at least a week.
I had to go for therapy until a couple of weeks ago.
So now I’m fine.
I can start to do pull-ups and push-ups totally fine.
I used to do push-ups nonstop before I go onSurvivor.
Then, when I came back, not a single push-up I can do, but now I can.
I’m already getting back to my normal routine.
Wow, so it took six months for your hand to get better.
Yeah, but now it’s fine.
I can do pushups.
I can do pull-ups.
So that told me no fractures or anything in my bone, tendon, muscles.
But it was pretty bad.
Did you tell anyone about that?
First of all, I don’t know what does it mean either?
So the producers asked, “Do you know what does it mean?”
I’m like, “I have no clue.
Come on, teach me.
I know goat, but AstroTurf?
I never heard that word.”
Then they told me and I’m like, “Wow, this is so interesting.”
Did I tell anybody?
That was my dream: One day I will be onSurvivor, and I’ll find an idol.
I will keep it as secret to the entire tribe, because you know what?
Everyone says that if I found an idol, I will keep it for secret.
There are some great players.
I would say they did not disclose to anybody.
I’m like, “Yeah, I’m a great player.
I’m not going to show them.
I know exactly what’s going on.
So if I tell them that, there’s another opportunity for them to vote me off earlier.
So I’m not going to tell.”
I never told anybody until I told the phrases right before the challenge.
Instead,theywere confused as a goat.
[Laughs]They don’t know what’s going on.
So the only problem was you’re able to’t hide the idol right after that.
He said Shan has it.
She said the phrase.
And Xander has it.
I’m like, “We are already merged.
We are going to go back.”
Now I had to open it up.
Xander already told his tribe.
Shan and Ricard, they’re very close.
Those are the only two left in Ua.
So I had to bring it up.
I can’t keep hiding anymore.
Everyone needs a partner in this game.
Danny and Deshawn have each other.
Shan and Ricard have each other.
Even Erika and Heather seem to have each other.
Who was your partner?
Let’s wait for the boys to come after the challenge.
Then we talk."
But, of course, we are onSurvivor, right?
The minute you go onto the island, the minute you started playing…
I would say the minute you are on the plane, you start playing the game.
So I told them, “Hey, this is what’s happening.”
So that backfired on me.
But am I going to show that?
No, I ride the act like I’m the happiest one.
And Iwasthe happiest one.
I do everything possible to have a go at keep it.
They were so close.
But at the same time, I can’t trust them.
I know I can’t trust them because I saw what they did on the first day.
I couldn’t find an ally immediately in my tribe.
So I’m like, “I work hard, keep providing them.
I’m not going to throw a tantrum over there.
I’m not going to say that I’m not going to provide you.”
That can hurt you more.
I’d rather provide everything and show them I get everything on that island without anybody.
So everybody is thinking, “What is this dude doing?
He’s on the bottom.”
But [they started] thinking a lot.
Like, “Maybe he has an idol he can play after the votes are read.”
You know what I mean?
So I created that atmosphere.
So they’re confused as a goat!
She talked about religion a lot.
So I’m like, “You know, that is how I grew up.
Religious leaders sometimes have to have a little bit of [loyalty].”
So I’m like, “That’s a great person to trust.”
But I think that was the biggest mistake.
But we are onSurvivor.
Anybody can do anything, right?
So you had to take it as fun, enjoy, and keep moving forward.
Even before we went to Ua, Erika came and talked to me on the beach.
Cause she was always on the bottom too.
Like Danny and Deshawn wanted to throw the challenge.
Not only once, but twice!
Literally, I saved her.
So then after the challenge we went to Ua.
I pulled Heather and Erika and said, “Okay, let’s vote for Ricard.”
Erika and Heather were not giving me a clear vote.
But still, I tried to get Ricard out.
Then I’m like, “No, finally I have someone I can trust.
We can work together.”
Because I know I have a target on my back because I’m a huge threat over there.
But I have an idol in my pocket.
I was thinking, “No, they’re not going to blindside me.
I want to stay one more day, so then the next day I can play my idol.
Then I can work my way up.
I can just maneuver that way.”
So what was your reaction when you heard Heather putting your name out there at the Tribal last week?
I’m like, “Heather, what are you doing?”
Heather and Danny, they were not really good friends either.
Of course, Deshawn was really close to Heather.
Erika [was] very close to Heather too.
So when she threw my name out there, I’m like, “Heather don’t do this.
Then I was ready to play my idol too.
Let’s go back and vote Heather out.”
Then she became quiet.
Then I asked Shan again.
She was really playing good with me.
But Danny and Ricard kept saying, “You play your idol.
They make a run at flush it.”
So I did not play it.
[Danny and Ricard] were still trying like, “Do it, do it, man.
They’re still writing the name.”
I’m like, “No, I’m okay.
I want to try one more day to see if they are going to really put my name.”
Heather told you she didn’t vote for you, but you didn’t seem to believe her.
Did you know it was actually Xander?
I know this now I know she threw my name under the bus.
So much doesn’t make it on air.
What’s something we didn’t see that you wish could have made it into an episode?
Brad, Tiffany, and Sydney went.
I knew exactly what’s going on.
On that night, I didn’t sleep.
Then I know Danny and Deshawn know that she’s going ‘cause they were so close.
I know Danny knows, but I want to tell him thatIknow what’s going on.
“Hey, something wrong.
Sydney’s going out.
She’s disappeared.”
So on that night, I walked through the entire island.
Where did you go?"
She’s like, “What the F?
I was sleeping on the beach.”
I didn’t see you."
The beach is pretty open and clear.
It’s white sand.
I’m like, “All right, thank you so much.
And I want you to know that I know you [didn’t go] missing.
So definitely you went on a journey.”
I wish that was there!
Well, now people will know, Naseer!
I know exactly what happened!
I know exactly what’s going in my tribe.
Your wife, Diana, has been low-key trolling you on Twitter.
How do you feel about her sharing stories about you on social media?
Everything she said, it’s true.
And so she’s having a great time.
Happy wife, happy life, right?
I don’t get offended.
She’s the love of my life, so she can tell anything she wants.
She’s not going to throw me under the bus.
She’s going to make me more happy.
Well, I have a feeling we may see you again on the show.
If Diana lets you go do it, that is.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
