Sales and marketing exec and Strongman competitor Nichal Ramchander was voted out of Malaysia last week for lumping around and doing zilch.
I caught up with him for us between then, now and his bodybuilding to see what he had to say for himself:
Tashi: Reality shows always create storylines for the characters in them - there's the villain, diva, brainless stud, laze, etc - what storyline do you think the show wanted for you?
Nichal: What you saw, that's what they wanted and what they showed.
Tashi: What would you say their focus was with you? What role did they cast you in?
Nichal: The thing is I'd describe myself as being a strong person firstly, secondly I came in one day late into my tribe so I was a swing vote always.
Tashi: So you'd say you were the strongman, outsider and swingvote. I reckon they cast you 'cos they thought you'd dominate the challenges. Do you think bulk and size is an advantage or disadvantage in Survivor?
Nichal: It depends on the environment you're put in and whatever's available to you. Food's the main thing if you're big and bulky - I'm used to eating six to eight times a day and not small amounts of food.
Coming from that to eating 200 grams a day is completely way out - after a while your body goes into shock and your mind takes over. The game is in your mind, if you can't control your mind and the hunger then you won't survive. I would say that's the disadvanate of being big and bulky but if you're in a different envirnoment with plentiful fruit it's different.
Tashi: And in challenges?
Nichal: It helps you - obviously the slip and slide, as they said when they gave us the mail - the bigger you are the harder you'll fall. I was the person who said "I don't care, I'll do it anyway, I'm not scared of anything."
Tashi: If you were training someone to go into Survivor - what type of body would you want them to have? Big or small?
Nichal: Both have their disadvantages - when you're small you retain less body fat and your body feeds on nothing whereas when you're bigger your body has more to feed on. Since Survivor it's been a task and half to come back from where I was.
Tashi: Did you do any physical training for the show?
Nichal: Survivor's a reality show, they maroon you on an island to see what you do - I took it as I came so apart from my daily training I didn't do anything extra.
Tashi: How much do you train?
Nichal: Six days a week, two hours a day.
Tashi: In your interview on Go Extra you said that you'd never trust most of the Survivors in the real world. How could you conclude this from being on a TV show with them though? I mean the whole point of Survivor is that you shouldn't be able to trust anybody - how could you have expected them to be trustworthy?
Nichal: That question: would I trust them in the real world? No. I'm a person of principle and ethics and the person who you show me you are, that's who you are. That's what they showed me, who they are and that's who they are.
Tashi: But did they? I mean you guys were on a TV show in a game. How could you have really known who they are when everyone was there to win a million bucks?
Nichal: See the thing is, I was there obviously not only the money but for the experience itself because I make my own money. A million rand is nothing to me so I was there more for the experience than anything else.
Apart from knowing what type of people they are, because I run my own business I'm a fairly good judge of character - I'm a person of principle and I keep to my word and I expect that from other people but if they don't attain those policies, I'm sorry I don't trust you.
Tashi: But in Survivor, if you keep your word with everybody that ... that - you can't do that.
Nichal: I understand - they're willing to do anything for a million rand. How far will you go? But I'm not there to lose my principles and dignity for a million rand.
Tashi: Do you think it's fair to judge people on ethics and principles and who they are when it's a TV show that's targeted at entertainment? Do you know what I mean?
Nichal: Oh 100%. That's my opinion on those people there - I mean I'm sure they have their opinion on me which is perfectly normal if they do but I don't care if they have a negative or postive opinion about me. I have an opinion on them and my word is final - what I think of them.
Tashi: Who did you trust most out of them all?
Nichal: Rijesh.
Tashi: He's such a snake though - how could he have had your trust?
Nichal: When I got back from Exile Island I said to myself: "The first person that comes up to me and offers me an alliance - that person will be the person I will trust, purely trust as such," so he was the first person to approach me to alig with them and these other people so that's why.
Tashi: Was there anyone else that you trusted?
Nichal: No.
Tashi: Who did you trust the least?
Nichal: There's a number of people (laughs). From the old Bajau tribe - Amanda, Angela - although they had an alliance with us - she was always going to be a cat. Hein, Dyke - especially Dyke. From the new Bajau tribe after the shuffle - it was Lisa, Lorette and Grant.
Tashi: So you'd say Mandla was on your list of being trustworthy?
Nichal: Somewhat.
Tashi: What's up with no-one ever talking Lorette? They all only talk to her through Mandla.
Nichal: You see Lorette is a socially imcompetent person.
Tashi: What's coming across is that she doesn't talk to anyone except Mandla - is that how it was?
Nichal: Lorette's in the police force - she's used to giving orders and not taking orders, huh. She's in an isolated place where she works - I think she saw us as criminals and not people.
Tashi: (laughs) And Dyke? You said especially Dyke. Talk about him for a bit.
Nichal: I'd never trust him in the real world. When I came a day late to the tribe, the way he spoke to the other tribe members - straight away I picked up: "This guy here, there's something wrong with him." I'm a gentleman, I respect whatever people have to say to me but if you speak the wrong way and turn me the wrong side I'll turn you upside down.
Tashi: Yes he was ignoring people at the beginning wasn't he?
Nichal: At the beginning, because of his remarks he made to Elise at the first Tribal Council, he started to drift away and people started making their alliances in the tribe and in that way he started isolating himself from other tribe members.
Tashi: What's your most vivid memory of being on the show?
Nichal: The first thing that's in my mind was when I was on Exile Island and there was a thunder storm and I was praying, some of my muntra's from my religion. I was praying for it to stop raining and in 30 seconds the clouds opened up above me and the stars started to shine.
Tashi: Cool - is Exile Island as terrible as everyone always says or is it exagerrated?
Nichal: It is very bad - people ask you: "What would you do if you were on an island alone?" It's something that only you can experience if you dare. Being on the island - there's a palm tree with no coconuts there if you know what I mean - there's nothing else.
Tashi: What did you think about?
Nichal: A lot of things and the things I thought about I've never thought about in my lifetime. It changed how I live myself now.
Tashi: Like what?
Nichal: (laughs) Well marraige is one.
Tashi: So you want to get married now?
Nichal: Nnnnn ... well I'm settingly back into civilization so it's a maybe now but when I was on the island it was a definite yes, saying I never want to be alone in my life. Spiritually I'm more inclined, I know what I need to do now.
Tashi: You obviously want Rijesh to win?
Nichal: Not necessarily. I'm a person of - if you have the ability to do something, then ja. My interpretation of Survivor would be putting a person in any environment using what's available to their advantage and surviving. The most likely candidate I would like to see winning on that basis of surviving and not being conniving and selling your soul for a million rand and bluffing everyone else, which is the game, apart from all that, just simply surviving, would be Hein.
Tashi: Who would you definitely like not to see win?
Nichal: There's a lot of people.
Tashi: Everyone else besides Hein?
Nichal: Mainly who I wouldn't like to see winning is Lorette, Lisa, Angela, Angie.
Tashi: So all the chicks! NO.
Nichal: The thing is it changes my mind of chicks and what they portray, when they start being devious and everything. I understand it's a game - it all boils down how far are you willing to go to sell your soul for a million rand?
Tashi: So you think chicks are more prepared to do it than guys?
Nichal: It would seem to me like that on the show.
Tashi: Interesting that's what you got. "How low will you go?"
Nichal: Below the belt.
Nichal: I just want to put it out there that I am single.
Tashi: You're looking for a wife?
Nichal: Not wife, not wife, don't get me wrong. I just want to put it out there that I am single, one of the FHM models will do.
Tashi: An FHM model? (laughs)
Nichal: I'd be very happy with that, I'd get married and live a happy life.
Tashi: Well I hope you find an FHM model. (still laughing)
Nichal: I will find one.
Ends