Welcome to Road to Reality, a limited series where I, Kellen Bechteld, go on a conversational

journey with fellow survivor contestants about their real lives.

In this 10-part series, we invite you to listen in on unscripted conversations that, crazy

enough, aren't really about playing Survivor, but about being a person who was on Survivor.

These are deep dive conversations, not into post-game strategy, but into the lives of contestants

before and after survivor, and the experiences that shaped them into who they are today.

So sit back, relax, and join me as we take a ride down the road to reality.

Hey everybody, welcome back to Road to Reality, episode 8.

Today I am talking with my friend, Wendell Holland, winner of Survivor Ghost Island season

36, and contestant on season 40 winners at war at a great time catching up with Wendell.

Our relationship goes clear back to casting the same week that Dom and I talk a lot about

in episode 2 of Road to Reality, where Wendell and I were on the shuttle bus together as

well, at some point, and I remember being on the same dinner schedule at some time, so

I would see him in the hotel lobby having his dinner and in my notes at casting, saying,

I love him, I really want to work with him and work with him I did until he didn't need

me anymore.

Anyway, we had a lovely time catching up, talking with Wendell all the way back to his first

audition tape in 2013.

It was a full 10 year buildup between that and our conversation this week.

He sent in five videos, multiple casting attempts, he goes on to talk about what it's

like to win Survivor and the emotions of playing winners at war in 2020 and all the backlash

he received at that time.

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