After winning individual immunity in a challenge last week, 43-year-old ER doctor Jill Behm, from Erie, Pa., survived tribal council at last week’s double- elimination on Survivor: Nicaragua. But with individual immunity gone, and the tribes competing for tribal immunity at a cannon ski-ball challenge, it was a loss by Jill’s La Flor tribe that saw her return to tribal – this time unprotected. And after the votes were cast, Jill was informed she’d be the eighth contestant voted off the show.

Despite playing a good game, Jill tells In Touch she did make some mistakes and by no means played a perfect game. “I did so much wrong,” she says. “To win Survivor you need an incredible amount of luck, or play a perfect game. I had neither.” And while Jill was not rewarded with the million dollar prize, she does feel rewarded by the game in other ways. “I do have some dear friendships that I hope will last the rest of my life,” she reveals. “No one understands what you went through on Survivor besides those that were there.” In addition to meeting new friends, Jill tells In Touch Survivor made her more appreciative of life’s little luxuries. “I never want to take anything for granted when it comes to the smallest luxury that we have in America,” she admits.

Unfortunately for Jill, she didn’t make it to become a member of the jury who will vote for this season’s winner. But if she had, and her original Espada tribe mates Marty and Holly were in the running, it’d be a tough choice. “I’d like to see Marty go to the end, as he was my team,” she says. “But if I were on the jury I’d vote for who was playing a good game. I think Holly has come around. She made friends with the kids, she’s not seen as a threat and she’s put herself in a good position.”

For more with Jill, click here.





Name: Jill Behm
Age: 43
Eliminated: October 27

Q: How are you feeling after watching last night’s episode?
Jill:
I feel okay. I’m not relieved it’s over and there is a feeling of angst and annoyance. It’s hard, but I’ll get through it. I had a small viewing party with my family last night, but last week it was a big party with friends, knowing I’d win individual immunity and food for the tribe. I wouldn’t have had as big of a party as I was getting voted off. So last night it was just my husband and children and I sat in the corner sucking my thumb.

Q: Do you feel you played a good game, as you really didn’t do anything wrong?
Jill:
I did so much wrong. To win Survivor you need an incredible amount of luck, or play a perfect game. I had neither. I had the worst luck in the tribe swap, with Jane being really against me. I made mistakes, too. I basically gave the hidden immunity idol clue to Marty and that cost me a spot in the game.

Q: And Marty gave up the idol last night to Sash. Was that a mistake?
Jill:
He had no choice. People have said Marty was pulling the strings when it came to me. It was not like that. We were an equal partnership, there was give and take. Marty asked what he should do with the idol and I told him to give it to Sash, because if he played the idol he’d lose it and it may never come back into play and he might win favor with the others. I didn’t think it was that bad of a move.

Q: If you had to compare the Survivor experience to anything, would childbirth be a good comparison?
Jill:
That’s close. I tell people it’s like childbirth and POW camp. It’s like childbirth in that after it fades you say, “Yeah, I could do that again.” But the POW camp where you are systematically tortured… that’s what I tell people. It rained every night and it was miserable, but misery and pain both fade in time.

Q: Was there anything we didn’t see that you wished had made it on air?
Jill:
Well, besides NaOnka giving me a big kiss after the water polo challenge (laughs). One move was Jimmy Johnson bluffing Marty by telling him he overheard Marty say he had the hidden immunity idol. He totally bluffed him with that. Marty fell for it and we had to tell everyone that Marty had the idol. Oh, and we found a sea snake, but they wouldn’t let us eat it — I think maybe the poison is all through them.

How bad was it for you out there?
Jill:
It was miserable. I am a tough chick and Survivor brought me to my knees. I tell people if you want to do Survivor, do this: Do your job all day and don’t eat. Once it’s dark, get in the shower fully clothed and then go lay on your floor. Get up every two hours and get back in the shower, then go back to the floor. Do that for a week and see how you feel. But I do have an appreciation for the little things in life now. Like soap, water from the faucet and a salt shaker.


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