{alltv} 'Survivor: Redemption Island's' Krista Klumpp: Zapatera chose comfort over strategy

Free Ground Shipping on all orders at DuracellDirect.com!

After a hot start, Zapatera's numbers are dwindling on "Survivor: Redemption Island." Krista Klumpp tells Zap2it she thinks it has a lot to do with throwing the challenge and getting rid of Russell.

Are you glad you did "Survivor," was it everything you expected or wanted it to be?

"Yes, I am very thankful for having the opportunity to be a part of this amazing experience. It was everything I expected and more. I don'' know if it was everything I wanted it to be, but that's because I'm out of the game. In 15 days out there, I experienced and put myself through more than I could ever imagine putting myself through in any other part of my life. So yeah, I'm very thankful I did it. I wish that things could've been different, but how ti happened was how it was supposed to happen."

Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

"I don't feel like I could do anything differently with the tribe and the cast members and all of that in this season. I just don't feel like there's anything I could do differently if I could go back to the beginning of this season. Given a different opportunity with a different group of people, would I do things differently? Probably. There's a lot that happens in the beginning that's crucial and I may reconsider how I come out of the gates and so that's really the only thing I would change or do different."

Were you surprised Zapatera voted out you instead of Stephanie?

"Yeah, sort of. Stephanie has such a strong personality and she doesn't hold anything back. A lot of times she doesn't think before she speaks. She does that honestly, she would tell you that too. [After they voted out Russell], we were still confused and disappointed in their game play, so neither one of us went back in with this apologetic attitude, so maybe they expected that from me. Maybe they expected me to come back in and give them the intention that they wanted, and I didn't. What I did do was have conversations with them and try to form some kind of connection and it just, it didn't happen. Maybe they looked at Stephanie as being a bigger asset to the tribe, I don't know. I honestly can't give them credit for any strategic play in making that decision, it was a coin toss."

Why do you think Zapatera went from dominating to falling apart? Is it solely because they threw a challenge and voted out Russell?

"I like to think it is. [laughs] Any time you try to go with comfort over strategic play in this game, you're going to come out on the bottom at some point and I think that's what they did. Throwing the challenge to get Russell out, they weren't thinking strategically. They were thinking let's make life more comfortable for us out on this island ... They couldn't relax with him out there. It's not a surprise that you get rid of someone strong in challenges like Russell, you come out on the bottom."

Who were you hoping would make it to the end after you were voted out?

"I was hoping Stephanie was going to pull it through last night and stick around on the tribe, but once I realized they were sticking with Sarita - for what reason, I don't know - now I'm torn. I got to know Matt and I had such a strong connection with Matt and when I left the game, I felt like he could really make it to the end. But now finding out Stephanie is about to meet him at Redemption Island and I know how much of a fighter she is ... whoever wins the duel next week is who I want to make it to the end and I think whoever does win could do that."

What do you think of Phillip?

"Oh my gosh. I've been waiting and waiting on that explosion he had last night and waiting on one of the girls to give it back to him 'cause I know that they've probably been biting their thumbs for a really long time. Part of you like really thinks, 'Is this guy for real?' and being a part of the game and knowing how mentally tough it is just to be yourself, there's no way he's making this up. This is really how he's got to be, this is really his personality. I don't know."

"Rob's smart, Rob is so smart to want to keep him around, to have him create so much tension between the others and take the attention off of him. That's what I keep thinking about the experience Rob has. How annoying is Phillip? He has to be way more annoying than Russell was and Rob is like, 'I have to keep him around.' But my tribe couldn't keep Russell around and now they're falling very fast. Phillip is a character and that's who he is and as annoying as it is, it's quite entertaining. It's the shock factor, you can't wrap your mind around how he is behaving."

Any messages to your fans?

"I know that it's hard to see, but I really gave everything that I had. I felt like a strong part of my alliance with Stephanie and Russell and a voice of reason for them. I felt like I had so much more to offer to the game and it was cut short, unfortunately, but I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity."