‘Survivor 51’ First Boot Reveals Cut Brady Scene Pre-Tribal Council

Survivor 51‘s first Tribal Council was a memorable one. After being split into two tribes of 10 players — with one contestant, Lewis Kelly, tribe-less in exile — Toka (yellow) lost the first immunity challenge and was forced to choose the first boot. The two names on the chopping block didn’t go down without a fight. Both played their Shots in the Dark to try to save their skins to no avail after a live Tribal Council. During those chaotic talks, the player who ended up being eliminated refused to betray their alliance to save themselves, even though they knew elimination was a strong possibility. Warning: Survivor 51 Episode 1 spoilers ahead!

Here, Survivor 51‘s first boot, Aaliyah Puglia, explains why she kept her alliance with Devin Way and Angelica “Jelly” Loblack a secret. Plus, she reveals her conversation with Brady Booker before Tribal Council that was cut from the episode during which she tried to explain that making note of his “aggressive” personality didn’t mean she was trying to vote him out.

How much did Patt Canaday saying your name in Tribal Council shock you, and where did you think the vote was going before that?

Aaliyah Puglia: It definitely shocked me that she said my name openly, but I knew I was hot on the block before she said that. It was a shock, but it wasn’t like, this is the first time I’m hearing my name, kind of thing.

When was the first time you did hear your name?

At camp before Tribal.

OK, you looked a little shocked at Tribal. You seemed blindsided.

Yes, yes, because there was also an underlying narrative that me, Dev, and Jelly were super close. So, in my head I’m like, they did me a solid by tipping me off before Tribal. I was not about to like blow up their game even further by alluding to the fact that they threw me a bone in that way. I very well could have been like, well, Devin and Jelly told me I can’t because I already knew it, but I wasn’t going to do that because to me, you didn’t have to have my back like that, and you did against your own game.

So during the live Tribal, when everyone was whispering to each other, what were you advocating for?

I feel like Patt was a little bit in that moment of swing vote for me. I feel like she could have maybe pulled in Mike [Pinsky]. I feel like she could have pulled in a couple other people. So I’m like, Patt, I really want to work for you. She was like, “I feel like this is showing how close you, Devin, and Jelly are. I’m nervous about that connection.” I’m like, I didn’t even know I was going home before Tribal, so how is that a close ally if they’re not even telling me that I’m going home before Tribal? That’s my pitch, because I’m like, you’re trying to say we’re all so close, yet I’m blindsided at Tribal. So how does that correlate to the same thing?

That’s a smart lie. Do you think Patt believed it?

That’s what I was trying to sell at Tribal. Ultimately, it didn’t work, but I was trying. I was trying, trying.

Had you not played your Shot in the Dark, you were going to vote for Jenna Doore?

Yeah. It’s so funny because Mike comes to me during Tribal. He’s like, “Aaliyah, who are you voting for?” I’m like, Mike, it’s between me and Jenna. Who do you think I’m voting for? I’m like, Who are you voting for? Don’t ask me why. You know where my vote’s going to go.

And Jenna was your plan going into Tribal anyway, right?

Right, but not initially, which is so crazy because even that thing with the pool, I did terribly in the challenge. But even though we lost, she did decently in the puzzle. So even we took a step back, it’s like, hey, maybe we can keep Jenna. Maybe we save someone else. It kind of like worked adversely. For me, it gave people a little bit of a nudge where I didn’t perform as well in the challenge. But for her, I think to a lot of people, it showed a little strength.

So clear this up for me: You were saying you noted that Brady’s behavior was kind of aggressive, but did that mean you were trying to get him out?

No, and I think you see that in the pool. I said afterwards, “I’m not trying to go after him.” Before that point, he was just very happy-go-lucky, positive, super-high energetic. For me, seeing that different side of him at the challenge was just polarizing. It was just an observation. I’m like, wow, this is just a different side of him we had not seen in those first couple of days.

I’m assuming you heard that he got mad that you said that, because he assumed it was putting a target on him, right?

Mhm.

How did you feel when you heard that?

Well, I had a long conversation with him before Tribal.

That we didn’t see?

No, we didn’t see, but I think it’s because ultimately, it did no good. I don’t think I could have said anything to that man at that point that would have changed his mind. He felt attacked. He was going to stand on it, you know. I wish I actually didn’t spend as much time talking to him and talked to other people. That’s one of my things [I regret]. I wish I would have talked to more people, but you don’t know people at that point. It’s three days. I don’t know you like that.

Who do you think you should have spent the time talking to before Tribal instead of Brady?

I wanted to talk to Patt before Tribal, and that’s why you see me gravitating towards her during live Tribal. [I wanted to talk] a little bit more at everybody.

How did that conversation before Tribal with Brady go? What did you pitch to him?

Looking back on it now, he just played in my face the whole conversation. I was actually upfront with him. I said, hey, I did say you were aggressive during that conversation with Jenna. For me, there was no reason to lie on it, because that’s what I said. I was like, but I was saying it more in what I’m telling you right now, not in a way to ever throw you under the bus. Because before that point, we were in a way working together, like in a mid-level [way]. So had Jenna not said that [to save herself, Jenna told Brady that Aaliyah was coming for him because of his “aggressive” behavior post-challenge], I don’t think my name would have been in his mouth, even after not performing well at the challenge.

So when you were talking to Brady, was it like, “You’re friends with Devin, I’m friends with Devin, we can work together,” kind of thing?

I didn’t want people to know how close I was with Devin, so I would have never said it like that, because also they’re tipping me off. No way do I want to allude that they’re tipping me off to Brady, because they’re trying to throw me a bone here to try to do as much as I can and do as much work as I can to turn the tide. So, no, I wouldn’t use that pitch.

Totally. And what were some things you heard being whispered during live Tribal? At one point, Jelly, Mike, and Brady were all sitting right behind you. Could you hear them?

I couldn’t hear them. I don’t know what they were saying, but I knew that any conversation that Jelly or Dev [were having was] in regards to fighting for me. So, that’s why during live Tribal, you don’t see us in a lot of the same conversations together because I know they’re doing what they can. So, I’m going to do what I can over here.

Did you feel that people were willing to engage with you during the live Tribal, or did you feel like you were really on the outs?

No, people were willing to engage me at live Tribal.

And what was the deciding factor in you playing your Shot in the Dark? Did you decide before the live Tribal happened?

Before the live Tribal. I was very nervous going into Tribal. I was like, depending on how Tribal went conversation wise, but I was leaning towards playing it. But then before we all had to sit down, everyone told me they were voting for me and Maggie [Nestor] told me to play it. So, at that point I was going to play it. There was no other way for me out of it.

Before you sat down when Tribal started or before you sat down after the live Tribal?

No, before we sat down after live Tribal, when it’s like, OK, enough talk.

When the dust settled.

Yeah, right, exactly, but it was great. I mean, [the edit] does not show how crazy that live Tribal was. So, I’m just grateful. Look, Tribals don’t go live on a first Tribal. Rarely do we see that. That’s like a day 20 tribal that we saw first Tribal. For little old me to get a live Tribal like that, I can’t be nothing but grateful for that kind of exit.

It’s a great exit. You got to have like a really lively Tribal for your first and sadly last one.

I just didn’t get to vote. I never got to cast a vote.

You’ll have to come back and play again.

You said it. God’s ears.

Would you? Do you want a second chance?

Yeah. I don’t know, who says no to Survivor? Rarely do people get to play a first time. And I’m just so grateful to be chosen for such a genuinely great cast. I am just so excited to be a fan, and watch it all play out. It’s a monumental season. It’s following a monumental season. It’s a new era, so I’m excited. I’m super excited to be a part of such an amazing group of people.

Survivor, Wednesdays, 8/7c, CBS