Joe Hunter talks blocking ‘Survivor’ players online and ‘Joetation’
βSurvivor 50β castaway Joe Hunter has made it to the final tribal council of the grueling competition show twice, but walked away with slim to none when it came to jury votes.
On Wednesday night, four-time βSurvivorβ player Aubry Bracco was crowned sole survivor and won the not $1-million but $2-million prize (thanks to a twist that involved a coin toss and MrBeast), and Jonathan Young came in second. Hunter, a firefighter and fan favorite, lost on an 8-3-0 vote.
According to Hunter, jury members had made up their minds before the remaining three castaways even had a shot to sweeten their chances at the final tribal council.
βI sit down in that chair for final Tribal, right? Iβm thinking alright, here we go,β Hunter told βEntertainment Weekly.β βRight away, the second before any word was said, I went, βOh, that one hates me, this one hates me, hate me, hate me, hate me.β And I thought, βThereβs zero chance.ββ
Hunter was somewhat optimistic leading up to the tribal council and said that he thought some of the jury members had come with an open mind. βIβll give credit to Emily, Rick Devens, Christian, Dee,β he said.
βI just felt it was very transparent based on the questions and responses that, before this thing started, I think it was a wrap.β
During the series finale, βSurvivorβ legend Cirie Fields put Hunter on blast, saying that castaways felt like they had to babysit him and jokingly calling it the βJoetationβ when it was a playerβs turn to sway Hunter to vote alongside them.
Hunter chalked up the babysitting remark to his own naivete when it came to being vulnerable with other players he thought were his friends on the island. βI just put that vulnerability in the wrong hands,β he told the outlet. βThatβs really what it is. And thatβs part of the game.β
Hunter also spoke with βEntertainment Tonightβ and admitted that yes, heβd blocked a select few βSurvivorβ players on social media. βSo, 751 players,β Hunter said, βyeah, thereβs two.
βIβll tell you this, each one of them is not random,β he said. βActually, thereβs three. It is not random. … All of which I would love to talk to and solve it, and have tried.β
Last week, former βSurvivorβ players Kelley Wentworth, whoβs been a castaway three times, Savannah Louie, who won Season 49 and was on the same tribe as Hunter in Season 50, and Tiffany Ervin, who competed on Seasons 46 and 50, all said theyβd been blocked by Hunter.