Paulie looks back on playing from the bottom and the ‘snake oil salesman’ image that ruined his game.
Reflecting on his time on Survivor, Paulie called it “the biggest journey” of his life.
From the highest highs to the lowest lows, it was just such a dramatic, theatrical experience which is really fitting because I feel like I’m quite a dramatic and theatrical person in life so it was a really honest portrayal of how my life is,
he told 10 Play with a laughAdvertisement
As a longtime fan of the game, Paulie knew he would lean on his social skills and ability to quickly build connections—something he had refined through his work as a paramedic.
Early on, his strategy was paying off. His bonds with the OG Brawn tribe were so strong that when AJ introduced his ‘take hostages’ plan, they were willing to throw challenges to keep Paulie and Noonan safe.
When we got to the tribe swap, AJ recognised me as a massive threat from the get-go, He saw my social skills, my ability to connect with people quickly, and saw I was a challenge threat. So the only thing he could do to beat me was to take away my power.
Paulie explained
AJ and Kristin were fanning this narrative of me being untrustworthy, snakey, because that was the only thing they could do to bring me down, And it worked! I became an easy target for everybody.
Nobody wants to work with someone who has a reputation of being untrustworthy… I didn’t do anything specifically that was super snakey or manipulative but they kept saying it and saying it, and eventually people started to believe it,
he said
Paulie explained that the mix of hunger, exhaustion from the elements, and heightened paranoia made it easy for his fellow players to accept what they were told rather than question it. Unfortunately, this left him playing from the bottom for most of the second half of the game.
“It was the hardest thing I have ever dealt with,” he said.
There was a brief moment of hope when Myles used an advantage to steal Kristin’s immunity idol and play it for Paulie.
I thought, this is the moment where my game is about to change, I’m going to be seen as a valuable player, I’ll be involved in conversations… I saw this as a new lease on life,
he said
But that hope was short-lived. Jonathan LaPaglia soon announced a twist that split the tribe between the Barren and Bounty beaches. Paulie was immediately chosen—by everyone, including Myles—to go to Barren Beach.
Read More: Australian Survivor’s Myles: ‘I love being called Jungle Rat’
It was a total betrayal. I was given this glimmer of hope and it was all taken away from me, I had to spend the next 36 hours with these people who I felt, at the time, really disliked me and didn’t want me around, and that was evident in the way they were playing the game.
Paulie said
I had to suffer with that, suffer on the barren tribe with the weather and no food. It was just the most isolating and lonely experience that I have ever been through and I hadn’t felt like that in a really long time.
he continued
After making it through his time on Barren Beach, Paulie knew his fate in the game depended on the next immunity challenge. The winner wouldn’t just secure their own safety but also immunity for their four beachmates—whether on Barren or Bounty. Clinging to his last chance in the game, Paulie was the final member of Barren still holding on.
I learned how resilient I am, Even though my name kept coming out of the urn I took it on the chin… they pushed me down but I kept getting back up and I kept fighting to the very last moment.
he revealed
Every single person on that Barren tribe stepped down willingly… I just couldn’t let go. I couldn’t give up no matter what, I only came down because I fell off. To learn that about myself, to have that discovery has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve taken away from Survivor.
Paulie said
When the tribe merged, Paulie was once again targeted. Despite his efforts to shift the vote, his tribemates refused to work with him.
It’s absolutely infuriating and I feel like, at that point in the game, people were really complacent in their gameplay. People were unwilling to make moves and they just didn’t want to change the trajectory,
he admitted
Frustrated by their safe gameplay, Paulie felt a sense of peace heading into his final tribal council.
I really felt a sense of peace waiting for those votes to come out… in a way, I felt like I could breathe again. I could take a breath and I didn’t have to fight anymore with these nine people who really just weren’t on my side.
Though his game ended, his role continued as he joined the jury alongside Laura. Now, he could enjoy Jury Villa, proper meals, and more opportunities to showcase his style at tribal councils. Looking back, Paulie saw Survivor as a journey of self-discovery that came at the perfect time in his life.
I had gone through a lot of ups and downs in my life but I had never really been challenged before and putting yourself on the game of Survivor is the ultimate test of who you are as a human being.
he said
I think the way I played the game, the way I’ve been portrayed, really warms me to the person that I am, I passed the test for myself and I’m really proud of that.
Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn II airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 7 PM on 10 and 10 Play.
Source: 10 Play