When Jacqui Patterson turned her back on her alliance with David, Tarzan, Mo and Sharn, she all but secured her Australian Survivor: All Stars fate.
Rarely does a contestant cross Golden God, David, and get away with it. But Jacqui was willing to take the risk to get rid of alliance member, Zach.
Part strategy, wanting to eliminate David’s shield and part vendetta, constantly at odds with Zach, the 52-year-old took her chance. But, tonight it came back to bite her when she was eliminated from the tribe.
The All-Star contestant chats to Now To Love about why she was so vocal about her age as a woman and how Zach refused her “olive branch” on more than one occasion.
Jacqui proved she could go up against the best of them.
(Image: Network 10)What a nail-biting elimination! How do you feel?
Like any survivor who’s beat out of the game, you’re pretty gutted. You’re watching and those emotions are building as your name is coming up so you know it could be the end. I thought perhaps those three [Shonee, Brooke and AK] may have saved me because that was the talk before we went into tribal, so it’s a shame.
The All-Stars were fighting for your vote at the start of Tribal, did you see the turn of tables coming?
There’s always a glimmer of hope and I was maybe 60 to 70 per cent sure the cards would fall my way and I would be safe. But there’s half a million dollars at stake so I didn’t hold any grudges toward anyone not sticking with me.
The All-Star favourite recently took part in Lee and David’s Towel Challenge.
(Image: Instagram / @jacquipatterson_)The reason you abandoned your alliance was to eliminate Zach, did you clash a lot on the show?
People told me not to vote with my emotions, but… I think after 40 days people can get very comfortable with one another and they can sometimes start to treat you like an old friend or sibling.
I felt that I probably grinded his gears as much as he grinded mine and he then singled me out. If I tripped over his foot it was bigger than Ben-Hur, but if somebody else tripped over his foot it was like ‘Oh, it’s okay.’
Did you ever try to work out your differences?
There were a few times off camera I tried to extend the olive branch but you know, [he’s] just pig-headed and it was never going to happen.
I knew he was a pawn in David’s game, and David wanted him for his end game, so if Zach wanted me out, my head would be on the chopping block next. There was no way I was going to let him get me before I got him.
Jacqui attributes her fitness to body building.
(Image: Instagram / @jacquipatterson_)You were very vocal on the show about women in their 50s being able to do anything anyone else could do, do you feel you embodied that?
I hope so, maybe it grinded some people’s gears when I mentioned my age and what we’re capable of.
I think sometimes when women get married and have a couple of kids they can lose their identity. I think it’s important for them to be reminded of that, you are still who you are, and you are capable to do many things if you want to.
