Redemption, his ‘hapless’ legacy and getting in on the joke

When it was announced earlier this year, Australian Survivor: Redemption It felt tailor-made for Simon Mee. The Brisbane chippie had been subjected to ritual humiliation in the previous two seasons. In 2021, he became the first actor in the history of the series to be sent home with two unused immunity idols. In the words of a fan, it folded in 2023 “one of the most consistently embarrassing runs of all time“against his formidable on-screen foe, King George Mladenov. He was primed for a comeback.

Even though this sweet superfan has been mocked as the “most unlucky” actor and the “unluckiest” actor the show has ever seen Surviving The “new version of Wile E. Coyote” fans have grown to love, and he put up a terrific fight this season before being sent home in a dramatic vote Wednesday night.

Deputy television editor Meg Watson He spoke to Mee about the triumphant end of his life Surviving After a total of 100 days spent in the game lurking in Reddit threads, my career to cryand I’m joking.

MW: Hello! I’m so excited to talk to you because you’re one of my favorite players, but I’m so sad because this means you’ll be out of the game!

: It’s a bit sad, but I don’t think I can complain. I definitely overstayed my welcome there! And, you know, I’ve accomplished so much in this game and throughout my career, like getting to 100 days to get my redemption and prove that I can actually play this game. Not completely.

But I’m definitely not the worst player. So it’s nice to have that under my belt.

This is a hilarious benchmark to aim for! It’s not the worst.

Look, I never really thought I was the worst player in the world. Australian Survivorhis past… but it was a fun thing to delve into. Stumbling, clumsy Simon is a likable character to root for, especially in Australia where tall poppy syndrome is so big. It’s so fun to cheer on the underdogs and see someone who’s been through so much misfortune actually pull it all together! It hasn’t been an easy journey for me. There were fights every day. I think that made the 100 days even more special.

How do you feel about the way you go out? The rocks were an exciting tribe with possibilities [which would be a first in Australian Survivor]. But getting killed by Brooke isn’t a bad way to go, right?

It would be so poetic if it was my style Surviving The end of his career was at the mercy of the rocks. That would be great. But it didn’t have to be that way. To get out of Brooke’s mercy? Look, it’s a bit disappointing. We worked hard to hit bottom there. For [her and Keeley] It is very difficult to fall into the minority again. I want to see Brooke do one of two things here. I want to see him continue to win, so this was the right decision for him. Or I’d like to see him come home next. It’s a bold strategy to try and win every challenge! It’s hard to go out in a way that may not even be the most appropriate move for the person doing it.

You said in the release that you felt like you had well and truly achieved your salvation. Did you have a specific goal in mind heading into the season?

I really thought that salvation for me would be to find and play an idol correctly. This is how my journey started and this is how it ended. But I quickly realized that there were more important things to me in this game. I just wanted to show that I could play well. I’ve become a challenge fiend. But socially I had missed the mark a few times before. And then strategically I wanted something to happen for me. I have never made a move that was entirely my own.

I strongly feel that Aisha’s blind side was planned by me. But also getting Jackson to do a flip was a really big moment for me. I’ve seen this before. I knew where I needed to be and I put myself there. I made this happen. At the end of the day, yes, it’s his move, but it can’t happen without me.

Many of those who became famous as “stumbling, clumsy Simon” Heroes and Villains season. It was a landmark series, it received worldwide acclaim, but you more than made up for your mistakes. WWhat was your relationship like with the show’s fandom?

It was really good. The support from the fans was great. I like to see some of the comments on the internet: “I can’t believe that after cheering for Simon so much, I find myself cheering for him.”. I didn’t expect to become a somewhat iconic character. But I’ve always said, if I don’t win this match, I want to leave a mark on it.

I love diving into the deep, dark depths of Reddit. I read them all and try to engage. I value the opinions of the fans. But at the same time, armchair critics have no idea what it’s really like out there. After the tribe a lot of people called me stupid [where] I vote for Brooke – “Simon is up to his old tricks again” – and “Wait until you watch the next one!” I said. I know I had to enter my “wimp phase” by fawning over Brooke and Keeley, but I was very much in control of what I did.

People being jerks to me online…this is not new territory for me. I can only laugh about it now.

Another thing you are very well known for among fans is Being an “unintentional gay icon”. I’m sure you’ve seen the memes. there is also a huge YouTube compilation all the funny moments and sound bites. Is this something you play with?

I don’t go out looking for those moments, but I rely heavily on them when they’re there. JLP and David always throw it out insinuations This is so much fun. Very cheeky. That’s what I’m for. It was really great how the community welcomed it and supported me. As someone who is seen as the alpha male, it’s also nice to show this softer, more connected side. I think this is really important and can help change the conversation.

I love how open you are about your feelings in the game. This This season is not new.but we have seen how quickly he cries on many occasions. Are you like this in real life, or is this something the game takes out of you?

Everything in the game has definitely been increased Surviving. But I always wear my heart on my sleeve. I don’t take that point lightly because I’m so invested in the game. I care about this very much and I want to do good things. It’s very raw and means a lot to me.

It is very difficult to see the points where I would be upset, where I would cry, or where someone would question me. “Is he just getting dressed?” like. Just like Aisha saw me crying saying goodbye to Harry… this is my best friend and I ended his dream. Some beginners cannot understand this.

Did leaving your little girl behind change your experience playing there as a first-time dad?

Colossal. It was very difficult to know the sacrifices of those you left behind at home and the burden I left to my wife. Very big. He’s home with my toddler and I can wander around the beaches of Samoa. But this really fired me up even more. I wasn’t going to go out easily. I was shooting from the bottom, I was making noise, I was putting thoughts into people’s heads and I was uncomfortable making them think and move. It was really annoying. But I wasn’t going to just roll over and die.

When you finally logged out, you said you were going to turn off your Buff. Surviving In fact, the career is over. Are you determined about this?

It’s definitely over.

Even if there’s one more season Australia v World?

No, that’s it. I’m retiring. I tried my luck. I played three times in five years. I don’t want a divorce! I put my wife through a lot and she supported me a lot throughout this process. I’m turning off the buff. I’m done.

It’s also quite comforting in a way. This means that my relationships with alumni and players who reach out to be friends with me from this point forward will be friends with me for real reasons, not pregame. I’m so tired of this. People are keeping up appearances in case we ever play again.

Are you still talking to George? How is your relationship today?

George and I are acquaintances. You know we’re not friends. But we share a common love for this game. I haven’t heard much from him this season. A few sassy sandpipers came from the sidelines. It was nice to sack him and get 100 days out of 99! It’s nice to get into that club. But we share a very good mutual respect.

We will always be twin flames. There is no George without Simon and there is no Simon without George. It was a poetic journey for both of us and witnessed wonderful moments. It was pretty cool to go head to head with one of the best.

And you made some incredible TV! Therefore, I thank you on behalf of the audience.

Yes! It’s not lost on me [our showdown in Heroes v Villains] let alone it was one of the best reality TV episodes of all time Australian Survivor. And then having a front row seat to some of the other incredible moments, like this season with Keeley and Brooke’s idol bluff… I was there for some of the best.

Now our live finale is approaching and it will also be a very exciting reunion special. Is there anything you would like answered or want to go directly on the record? What are you dying to talk about?

I really want to see how it all ends. There’s a lot left of this game. I know what will happen because I was there, but I don’t know who will win and I didn’t tell anyone who I voted for. I think I did a pretty good job of telling the jury what I needed to say. But I can’t wait to see people come together. I think this will be, above all else, the last moment for me to share a huge career and a huge part of my life.

Australian Survivor It continues on Sunday night on Ten and 10Play.

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