In this week’s Survivor 47 deleted scene from the season finale, Sam Phalen breaks down in tears as he talks about the end of his journey after 26 days on the island. Watch the video above. The 24-year-old sports reporter from Nashville made it all the way to the final tribal council, but lost to Rachel LaMont in a jury vote of 7-1-0; Sue Smey was the third-place finisher.
“Never did I think I could eat grubs and make fire, and I’m really, really appreciative of the privilege I’ve had to play Survivor,” Sam tells the camera just prior to arriving at the final tribal council. “It has been everything a kid dreamed about and more.”
After Rachel won the last immunity challenge of the season, she decided to take Sue with her to the final three. That left Sam and Teeny Chirichillo in the precarious positions of competing in a fire-making challenge in front of the jury. Teeny took the early lead in that head-to-head match-up, but then the wind kept blowing her flame away from the twine it had to burn through. Comparatively, Sam seemed to have the luck of the island on his side, because the wind kept blowing his flame directly into his twine, and he successfully advanced to the final three. At the last tribal council, Sam only received a single vote to win, from his buddy Kyle Ostwald.
SEE Survivor deaths: Full list of castaways we’ve lost
Also in the video clip, “Chef Sam” makes breakfast for Sue and Rachel on the morning of Day 26. “The final breakfast is symbolic of the joy that is at the end of battle in this game,” Sam states in a private confessional. “It’s a simple breakfast. It’s a breakfast we did at home. It’s bacon and eggs and bread — things that you take for granted. But out here, it is symbolic of victory … and you get to share it with two people who have very different stories than you.”
Sam adds that he feels “so fulfilled” by his experience on Survivor, even though it was “out of [his] comfort zone.” Remember, this is the guy who had never eaten a pineapple or a watermelon before coming to the island. “I would do this again in a heartbeat,” he proclaims. “This was a blast.”
Season 48 of CBS’s Emmy-winning program will debut on Feb. 26, 2025 — watch the trailer. Until then, sound off with other Survivor fans in our forums, and let us know who really deserved to win Season 47 by voting in our poll below.
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