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Caroline Vidmar, the fifth jury member of Survivor 47, was voted out during a Tribal Council. Despite facing repeated votes at Tribal Councils and holding her ground amidst a web of shifting alliances, Vidmar’s journey came to an abrupt end in what she called “Operation: Italy.”
In an exclusive post-elimination interview conducted by Entertainment Weekly on December 5, Vidmar revealed her reactions to the blindsides, her decision-making process during the game, and her reflections on pivotal Tribal Council events.
"My gut was worried about this. It was a total blindside." she said.
Caroline Vidmar reflects on her Survivor 47 journey
Caroline Vidmar’s reaction to her blindside
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During the interview, Vidmar admitted that Tribal Council marked the first time she experienced a bad feeling in her gut, although she initially believed she was safe on Survivor.
“While I was feeling confident throughout the Tribal Council, my confidence decreased to 70 percent,” she noted.
Vidmar’s elimination stemmed from a series of decisions by her allies and opponents, many of which she encouraged during gameplay. She acknowledged her role in the choices leading to her departure, such as advising her allies not to use critical advantages like the idol or Block-a-Vote.
“I was the biggest advocate to not use those advantages,” Vidmar explained.
She added that these choices were with strategy in mind, intended to provide her ally Andy with a feeling of empowerment.
“I wanted him in this vote to feel like he had total control and agency. I wanted to be the one helping push his agenda,” she stated.
Ultimately, Vidmar admitted that while her intentions were strategic, the result was an unexpected betrayal of Survivor.
“Turns out the agenda was flipped, and it was against me,” she concluded.
The decisions that shaped her game
Reflecting on the events leading to her elimination on Survivor, Vidmar discussed the pivotal role of ally Sue Smey and the immunity idol. Smey had an opportunity to play the idol on Vidmar but ultimately chose not to.
“It’s crazy looking back because we knew it in the moment, but really when you watch the episode, there were so many things in our toolkit and opportunities we could have used to have this vote not happen,” Vidmar said.
Vidmar further explained that her reluctance to use these tools was tied to managing relationships, particularly with Andy.
“Andy wanted to make a big move. He wanted to do something that really felt like his,” she noted.
By not disrupting Andy’s plan, Vidmar hoped to solidify trust, though this choice ultimately contributed to her blindside. She also admitted that her ability to make decisions also involved managing her connections with allies such as Smey. Vidmar acknowledged that she felt assured in her capacity to mend her relationship with Smey if needed.
“I kind of knew how to speak Sue,” she said.
However, she opted not to inform Smey of her plans to vote out Gabe, fearing that Smey might play the idol on him instead.
Life after Tribal Council
Vidmar expressed a deliberate effort not to dwell on her elimination on Survivor, even though it involved second-guessing critical decisions.
“The main thing I kept telling myself is, ‘Honestly, do not beat yourself up over this,’” she shared.
She explained that her viewpoint was influenced by the conviction that her choices were based on her most informed understanding of the game at that moment. After her elimination, Vidmar reunited with Gabe Ortis and the rest of the jury at Ponderosa. She described the reception as warm and welcoming.
“He was the first person to give me a huge hug,” she said of Gabe.
Despite any lingering game-related tensions, the atmosphere at Ponderosa allowed Vidmar to reconnect with her castmates. In terms of her ideal final three, Vidmar revealed that Sue was her preferred ally to sit with.
“She actually told me, ‘If I go to the end, I think you should win,’” Vidmar recalled.
Catch Survivor season 47 on CBS every Wednesday at 8 PM ET.
