CBS Boston Rob on Survivor: Redemption Island
One of the biggest advantages when playing Survivor is when a seemingly innocuous player can act as a spy or a snitch for another player — and it turns out that’s exactly what was going on during “Redemption Island.” Read on to find out who confessed to being a snitch for Boston Rob Mariano, which is one of the contributing factors for how he finally won the show.
Natalie Tenerelli Was Boston Rob’s Tattletale on ‘Redemption Island’
In an interview tied to “Winners at War,” Tenerelli was asked all about her thoughts on Boston Rob Mariano, with whom she played the game on the “Redemption Island” season. The two of them made it to the final Tribal Council together and a large part of that was due to Tenerelli’s spying capabilities.
“Anyone who toyed with the idea of voting him out was soon to be voted out. He used fear to control the tribe. I actually used this to stay safe in the game. Anytime someone would mention voting him out, I’d tell him. I’m a huge tattle tail! Haha! He trusted me, and I trusted him,” Tenerelli told Inside Survivor in an interview, adding, “I thought about voting him out many times, although I believe what stopped me was everyone’s love for Rob.”
She also does not agree with the common fan assessment that “Redemption Island” was set up for Mariano to win. She just thinks he had played so many times that he had a huge built-in advantage.
“I believe that everything lined up perfectly for him on ‘Redemption,’ although he was absolutely deserving of the title,” said Tenerelli. “I do think most of us on the Ometepe tribe had an incredible amount of respect for him and his many attempts at this game. There’s no doubt that his experience playing a fourth time showed tremendously. Most of the challenges he was well equipped for which was an advantage.”
Tenerelli also revealed that the way she got in good with Mariano in the first place is that she didn’t try to impress him. Instead, she used his veteran knowledge of the game to help herself.
“I could sense everyone on my tribe showboating a bit when we first hit camp, we were trying to build shelter, get firewood, and become acclimated. Rather than acting like I knew what I was doing, I told Rob, ‘Hey, I know you have done this many times, so please, just tell me what I can do to better the camp.’ I think this was crucial in building my relationship with Rob,” said Tenerelli, adding that they developed a “brother/sister connection in the game and outside the game.”
But Their Connection Wasn’t So Strong That Tenerelli Looked the Other Way When His Sister Tried to Cheat
However, in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tenerelli revealed that Mariano’s sister Heather “snuck a peanut butter and jelly sandwich [in] for Rob,” but the plan went awry when Tenerelli’s mom “caught her in the act.”
Those Marianos! Such scamps.
Tenerelli also revealed to Entertainment Weekly the people she keeps in touch with the most.
“I keep in touch with Rob and Andrea most. Rob is like a brother to me! We don’t talk too often, but I know he always has my back. I feel the same way about Andrea! I love that girl! I always love seeing Phillip [Sheppard] at different Survivor events. He always has a positive energy and brings a smile to my face! Julie Berry wasn’t on my season but deserves a shout-out because she is one of my dearest friends and I can’t imagine not having met her,” said Tenerelli.
Survivor season 41 begins filming soon with an expected premiere date of late September 2021.
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