So far in "Survivor" we've seen one Fan and one Favorite get their torches snuffed. I had a chance to interview both Mary and Jonny Fairplay. Here's the result of the more recent conversation. I'll put up the Jonny Fairplay interview hopefully tomorrow.

MSN: Sorry you got booted off "Survivor" last night. I was hoping you could tell me what had you try out for the show in the first place?

Mary: I've always been a big fan of "Survivor." I actually tried out originally for "Survivor: Fiji" and made it all the way to the finals. I'm very thankful I got on the show this season, "Fans versus Favorites."

MSN: Now when did you watching the show?

Mary: I started watching the show from day one, from the first season, Borneo. I've been a fan ever since. I watched the show religiously. Pearl Islands I watched probably three times. So I'm a big fan.

MSN: How did being out there and competing on "Survivor" differ from watching it at home?

Mary: Oh, you can't get the same experience in terms of watching it on the couch. It's a whole other world out there. You really don't know what to expect till you do it. You're out there basically fending for yourself.

MSN: So what do you think most led to your downfall?

Mary: Basically, what I think led to my downfall was I aligned myself with somebody who was taking a little bit of control, and Joel didn't like that. Joel wanted all the control.  He saw Mikey call some shots and I think Joel was feeling a little bit paranoid. I don't think there's anything I could have helped, anything I could have smoothed over with Joel and Mikey. Joel really just went behind our backs and made different arrangements. Joel was being a little too paranoid, overplaying to game a little bit too much.

MSN: What does it feel like to be backstabbed like you were?

Mary: It's a game for a million dollars, so I don't have any ill will towards anyone. If it came to it, this is a game of strategy, a game of backstabbing and lying, sometimes it's just doing whatever you can. ... That's what I was out there for.

MSN: How far were you hoping to go?

Mary: I was hoping to win a million dollars. I didn't want to kill myself out there, starve myself to death and go sleep-deprived for nothing. But it actually worked to my advantage. If I didn't get voted off early, I wouldn't have met my future husband and my fiance, Ryan [Opray] from "Pearl Islands." I was introduced to him by someone who was an early boot. If it wasn't for that, we probably wouldn't have met.

MSN: How did that happened exactly?

I was introduced to Ryan through a friend of his that I played "Survivor" with, he introduced us, and the rest is pretty much history. Ryan proposed to me two weeks ago, and we're getting married in September.

MSN: Well, congratulations.

Mary: Thank you. We've got a lot of stuff on the burners. We're looking to produce a TV show and doing a whole bunch of stuff together along with planning a wedding.

MSN: What's the TV show going to be about?

Mary: I really can't say what it is. You'll have to wait and see.

MSN: Is it weird being engaged to another "Survivor " alum?

Mary: No, it's totally fitting. We've had similar experiences, and I think that that's really what bonded us. We had a lot to talk about. I believe in love at first sight I got my million dollar prize. I'm happy.

MSN: Did you have sort of a crush on Ryan when you were watching him?

Mary: You know what? I thought he was a really good player.

MSN: Besides Ryan, who's your second favorite "Survivor" player?

Mary: I've got a few. If I had hours I could tell you. Of the ones I played against in the game, there's Ozzy. I think Ozzy's a great player. I was rooting for him to win.  But this season, now that I'm out of the game, who I would like to see win is a Fan. I'm rooting for Jason.

MSN: Why Jason?

Mary: He's an honest and upright Survivor. I like his strategy and his personality. He loves the show. He's a selfless Survivor.  I think I think he'll go far. 

- posted by Raoul