Just one move could have saved Ciandre “CeCe” Taylor’s game — and flame — on the Wednesday, October 19, episode of Survivor.
Invited by Michelle Schubert to turn on her original Gen X alliance, Taylor instead chose to stick with the numbers and keep fellow Gen-Xer David Wright. Unknown to her, Wright concocted a plan of his own to send her home.
“I didn’t want to be that Gen-Xer to flop,” Taylor, 39, tells Us Weekly. “I didn’t want to be that person. We had a talk about this on the Gen X tribe that we were going to try and keep our numbers until the merge. I’m not going to say I’ll do something and then turn around and stab you in the back. My loyalty is a strongpoint.”
Which also led to her demise. “I regret not going with Michelle’s plan because then this wouldn’t have happened,” says the insurance adjuster, based in Granada Hills, California. “I should’ve just went for it and dealt with the consequences after that.”
The superfan, who has applied to the show 15 times, tells Us more.
Us Weekly: As someone who knows all the ins and outs of this game, how would you rate your gameplay from a viewer’s perspective?
CeCe Taylor: Oh, my goodness, my actual gameplay totally sucks. When you’re watching it from home, you see the whole picture. You see this person finding the idol, this person talking to this person and them lying to this person. But when you’re on the actual island, you only see from your perspective. You’re also not eating. You have a minimum two to three hours a night and then you get up and trying to play this mental game and do these physical challenges. At home, you’re watching the game with pizza and beer and you’re like, “What’re you doing?” It’s totally different.
Us: What was your biggest weakness?
CT: People don’t understand that this was my first time ever being in the ocean ever! I am deathly, deathly afraid of deep water. I had just learned to swim. To be honest, most of the cast, they had six months of prepping. I had 30 days. So the only thing I had time to do was learn how to swim. You can’t become a real comfortable swimmer in 30 days. I was still working, so I was going to swim lessons about four days a week. There’s only so much you can do in 30 days!
Us: When Michelle approached you about voting out Dave, did you even consider going with her?
CT: I did consider it because I thought it was a good idea. But I was like, we have have the numbers so it would be a stupid move for me to vote out Dave. I was thinking more numbers because that’s what the biggest talk was about. I didn’t want to be the person responsible for Dave going home and then later on the rest of the Gen-Xers looking at me like, “Hey, what did you do?”
Us: Did you have any idea you were on the chopping block?
CT: None whatsoever! It wasn’t until we got to tribal that I realized, “OK, Dave is going to flip.” I was not shocked Chris [Hammons] flipped because he had a target on me from the beginning. I was definitely shocked that Dave flipped on me so soon. I’m upset and disappointed in him.
Us: Dave has been the man behind most of the season’s blindsides. What do you think of his game plan?
CT: I actually think his strategy is good. He’s not playing in terms of what’s going to happen in a couple days, like I was. He was playing by the day, which is smart. He’s always been flipping and he’s been that way since day one. He’s always about being with the majority and he’s going to go with the numbers if it means he’s not going to be voted out. He’s trying to save his behind and maybe I should have played more like that.
Us: Who do you think is the biggest threat in the game?
CT: Chris and Michaela [Bradshaw] because they’re physical and really good in the challenges. Dave, I would say he’s a threat mentally. You never know with him. He lies. I can trust you, but then again should I trust you?
Us: Who will take home the million: a Millennial or a Gen Xer?
CT: Well, right now, the Millennials have the advantage because they have the numbers. It’s the Millennials who got me voted out. They have the numbers and a more versatile tribe.
Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X airs on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
