Read on for my interview with Romeo, and make sure to check in with Parade.com every day for interviews with this season’s contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 42 premieres on March 9 with a special two-hour premiere on CBS.
Interview with Romeo from Survivor 42
What’s your history with watching Survivor? So I was born in a third-world country. I came to the U.S. when I was five years old. I migrated with my family. And then I spent most of my childhood in South Central Los Angeles, which was a pretty bad neighborhood. So I feel like I’ve been playing Survivor my entire life. And I think that’s what connected me so much to the show. The fact that these people are surviving the elements, and I’ve survived a lot in my life. I want to keep testing myself, because I know I can do this. It’s my favorite show. I am the biggest Survivor fan. I’ve been watching since I was 14 years old. I’ve never missed a single episode. I’ve probably watched every season maybe three or four times. I own every single DVD series. It’s a dream come true to be here. I always knew that I would be here ever since I was 14. I watched the first episode of the first season and said, “I’m going to do that one day.” I know I have what it takes. And so now I’m here. Give me one Survivor winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most. So there are two Survivor winners that I identify with the most. Number one is Todd from Survivor: China, just because we are both smaller and very smart and underestimated. And I think I’m going to play a similar game to his. People didn’t really see him coming, and he was making all these strategic moves. He was one of the smallest persons in the tribe, and in the end, he got to the Final Three and won it all. My second choice and my ultimate favorite Survivor winner of all time has to be Sandra. Sandra is so entertaining. Every season that she’s on, you want to hear her confessionals because she always has something colorful to say. She’s the first-ever female Latinx winner, and I’m going to be the first male Latinx winner. As far as a non-winner, one that stands out to me is probably David from Millennials vs. Gen X. He just overcame so much from Day 1 to Day 38. And I relate a lot to his story, somebody that was so underestimated at the beginning and then just had so much growth within his season. And I’m looking forward to living a similar experience. People at the beginning might underestimate me. But in the end, they will be surprised to see how well I do in this game. What’s one life experience you feel has prepared you most for the game? Growing up as an immigrant to this country, and in South Central Los Angeles, I feel that a lot of times, people don’t expect a lot from people like myself. And so I feel that I’ve been able to overcome all those stereotypes because I feel that a lot of people, depending on where they’re born or where they grew up, feel that they will remain there their entire life. And I believe that your past does not dictate your destiny. And I’ve been able to get out of those situations and go to college, graduate, do a lot of amazing things in my life. Traveling red carpets, or preparing the most beautiful women for the Olympics or pageants like Miss Universe. And now playing Survivor! So I feel like my entire life has been about overcoming stereotypes and proving people wrong. What do you think people will perceive you as? Generally, I think people at first are going to underestimate me because I’m probably one of the smaller people here. But just like in life, I always prove people wrong. I have this larger-than-life personality. I’m a go-getter. I know how to read people very well. So I think once they get to know me and see me in action, they’re going to see what a big person I am despite not being the biggest physically out here. What will the other players dislike about you? I think that players will dislike the fact I’m always reading into things. I’m a very observant person. And I read body language; I read eye contact, and people are speaking to me or taking in what I’m saying to them. So I’m always good at reading people. I think people might find that annoying, that I’m always trying to figure out what people are trying to say when they’re not saying it. What do you desire in an alliance partner? The ultimate perfect alliance in this game is somebody who has my back and is loyal no matter what. Somebody will come to me with ideas, strategize with me, and let me know they’re hearing my name come up before Tribal Council and ultimately sees me sitting next to them at that final Tribal Council. That’s the ultimate alliance member I’m looking for. When you’re at your lowest moment in the game, what’s one happy memory you’ll pull from in your time of need? I’ll be thinking about my family and the time I spent with them. And my dog Dolce, who’ve I’ve had for 15 years. She’s like my daughter. So just being able to cuddle with her in bed is something that’s going to keep me smiling in the lowest points of this game. What celebrity or fictional character would you want to come out for a Loved Ones visit? It would definitely be Oprah. I’m a big Oprah fan, believe it or not. And she always is so inspiring and so smart and always knows the right things to say. So I think if she came out here for my family visit, she would definitely motivate me, put things into perspective, and give me a positive message to carry throughout the game. Next, check out our interview with Survivor 42 contestant Rocksroy Bailey.
