Host: Hi Richard thanks for being here today. Ready to take some questions?
Richard: Cool.
Q: Rich did you really feel Bamboozled when you were voted off, or did you have an idea it was coming?
Rich: I was totally snookered. I thought Colby was going. Oh well, time to go.
Q: You have always been my favorite player, whose vote against you surprised you the most at Tribal Council?
Rich: Well, all of them voted unanimously, which they would have to do to survive. No individual person surprised me.
Q: Will you make them pay for voting you out?
Rich: No, I enjoyed it. You know, fun game, and it was my turn.
Q: Some of us have wondered if your heart was really in this one?
Rich: Well, it was. But it was a much tougher game than anyone realizes.
Q: This morning on the early show you stated that you are in love and seemed to be beaming. Are you in a steady relationship?
Rich: Absolutely, his name is Emiliano and he's amazing.
Q: Are you going to San Francisco to get hitched?
Rich: No, probably going to try to do it here in New York this weekend.
Q: Tell me why being naked was important to you? Was it your personal statement?
Rich: The naked thing is about different issues. Part of it is strategy. In the first game, it was to get lots of private time. The cameras, people, left me alone. In the All Stars game it was more about being who the contestants expected me to be, because if I changed my tactics they would wonder what was up.
Q: Please describe each of your tribe members using only one word for each.
Rich: Kathy - cautious, Shii-Ann - well-intended, Ethan - competitive, Jerri - desperate, Colby - great guy, Lex - complicated.
Q: Who were you most surprised to see in the All Stars?
Rich: I wasn't surprised to see anyone. I figured out most of the players and honestly, it didn't really matter to me who was playing
Q: Who do you think was the weakest member on Mogo Mogo and why?
Rich: I think the weakest member might have been Shii-Ann. only because it seems to me she doesn't have a sufficient self-perception to play the game well.
Q: I think you are wickedly entertaining! I hate they voted you off. Are you naked now?
Rich: Of course, I'm disappointed too.
Q: Why did Shii Ann sit out every other challenge?
Rich: The challenges she sat out were challenges she really couldn't contribute to.
Q: If there was a movie about your Survivor experiences, what would it be called?
Rich: "An Interesting Game".
Q: Colby called you a cancer. What would you call him?
Rich: You got to remember in the context of the game, Colby's a great guy.
Q: Who do you think is hotter... Boston Rob or Ethan?
Rich: Ohhh... they're both really handsome guys in their own way.
Q: If you could date one of the Survivors who would it be?
Rich: Probably Colby. If he was gay and I wasn't married.
Q: Was Big Tom always drunk?
Rich: I was never on Big Tom's team.
Q: How delicious was that shark that bit you?
Rich: Oh, it was so good, really really awesome.
Q: If you could have picked one person to be on All Star with you who would it have been and why?
Rich: My partner because I don't like being apart from him.
Q: Out of all the past and present Survivors, who do YOU think played this game the best, outside of yourself of course. Personally I would love to see a Hatch, Fairplay, Cesternino tribe.
Rich: I really just can't stand Jon, or the way he played the game. But Rob C. definitely was an awesome player when he played originally.
Q: Don't you think yourr "better than everyone else" attitude is what got you the boot?
Rich: (Laughs) No, I love me and my attitude. (Laughs)
Q: When they finally release all stars on dvd, should they leave the blur in? Or would you favor a blur/no blur option?
Rich: I think always an option. Options are what our society is supposed to be about.
Q: You mentioned not being "hungry" about the game on this morning show... do you think other winners aren't as hungry either?
Rich: Well part of that has to do with just how devastatingly difficult the game was physically.
Q: How long did it take to build the raft?
Rich: It took a couple of hours to secure it.
Q: What was the strategy behind dropping your shorts in the middle of the challenge? Did your other tribe members suggest it to distract the other team?
Rich: Yes, that's exactly why. My tribe made me do it, basically to distract the other team.
Q: Were any of the castaways or any of the crew uncomfortable with your nudity?
Rich: No, gosh no. In fact Colby was quoted the 2nd day as saying - "There's this naked gay guy walking around with us, and no one even cares".
Q: You seemed a bit more uppity this time, why? Because you had already won, and felt you were sure to win again?
Rich: No, it was part of my strategy, to maintain the perceptions people had of me already.
Q: How would you have started the fire in the beginning?
Rich: I've started lots of fires in different environments. It would have been difficult to start a fire, if at all, with the humidity we had there. But I sure didn't try very hard anyway.
Q: Do you think they should have put all the previous winners in one tribe?
Rich: Oh no, I liked the way they mixed things up this time.
Q: Acquaintances are easy to find but a real friend is a treasure, who do you consider a real friend?
Rich: No one you would know. By the way, I agree.
Q: Well done, Richard. What is with the kilt thing you were wearing?
Rich: I really like them. It's from a small company in Seattle called Utilikilt. They're really comfortable.
Q: Did you and Rupert share dresses?
Rich: Rupert and I didn't share anything.
Q: When will you be a guest host on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"? They have to love "the man in a skirt" look, right?
Rich: Wouldn't that be fun???
Q: During the immunity challenge did you think it was fair for everyone to just jump off allowing Rob to go again out of turn?
Rich: Sure, there was no rule against it. For the next game, I might change that rule, but the thing stood. Sure, it was fair.
Q: Were you aware of Shii-Ann's apparent respect for you?
Rich: Yeah, she and I talked about how she perceived me.
Q: It looked like you weren't doing too much of the work in your tribe. Is that because of editing or because it's true?
Rich: A little of both.
Q: What did you think of Rupert?
Rich: I didn't spend too much time with Rupert in All Stars game, thankfully. I'm sure he's a good guy, but I didn't care for the way he played. I thought he was over-emotionally involved.
Q: Despite your fishing superiority, do you think the fact that Ethan could catch fish also made you expendable.?
Rich: No, not expendable. But certainly I wouldn't have liked to have seen him improve in the fish-catching department.
Q: Who did you like and dislike the most out there?
Rich: Honestly, I didn't really think of the people in those terms. I was playing a game, and I looked at all of them as expendable characters. Outside the game, most of them are good people.
Q: Was the challenge as rough as it looked on TV? I think I was bruised just watching you guys hit the boards when you fell.
Rich: Most of the challenges are so much tougher than they look on television. They're longer, it's hotter than you can imagine, and they really are challenging.
Q: That shark that you caught wasn't exactly "Jaws", why did you make such a fuss over a nine incher?
Rich: It was two and a half feet long. And when was the last time you were bitten by a shark. By the way, what do you mean "make such a big deal". I thought I handled it quite well.
Q: Did you feel like Jerri stabbed you in the back by telling you about Colby and then writing your name on her parchment?
Rich: No this game isn't about back-stabbing. It's about making choices that you personally think will propel you further in the game. Sometimes that requires you changing your mind or being duplicitous
Q: What do you think of Jerri, both as a person and as a Survivor player?
Rich: I've spent time with Jeri outside the game and have enjoyed her company. As a player, I don't perceive her as all that skillful, but certainly she's improving.
Q: What was the wildest comment you got about your anatomy while you were in the game?
Rich: Not too many of the comments were wild. People got quite used to my nudity quite quickly.
Q: Were you surprised to see Rudy gone so soon?
Rich: Not really, again the game was physically unbelievably demanding. And after all, he's 76 years old.
Q: Tell us something we DON'T know about Survivor?
Rich: I don't think people will ever realize just how intense and demanding the game itself really is.
Q: Do you think Colby is running your tribe? And do the others resent that?
Rich: Colby wasn't running the tribe, but I think in getting rid of me it probably put somewhat of a target on his back.
Q: Survivor would never have been so interesting had you not won the first year. Thanks for coming back. I'm wondering what your son was up to while you were on All Stars?
Rich: He was with my sister happily living his life as we do.
Q: What is the single biggest thing to keep in mind when playing Survivor?
Rich: Believe it or not, the fact that you're playing a game is what most people lose focus about, and I believe the most important.
Q: Do you believe you would have had better success if you had allied yourself with someone from Day 1? If so, who would you have chosen?
Rich: No, it's hard to second guess. I felt I did the best I could.
Q: Now that you and Rob C. are out of the game, would you say that this season is a "no brain" game, it's all about luck, physical and other non-alliance stuff.
Rich: No, I think alliances will still play a role. It's inevitable in a game like Survivor.
Q: What do you think of Jeff Probst as the host, I heard that you volunteered to host the second Survivor.
Rich: The real story is that before they even selected me as a contestant, I walked in and said, "You know you're going to pick me, But what you don't know is that I'm going to win. And what you need to know for planning purposes, is that I'm going to host the next season". And I walked out. Two out of three aint bad. But I love Jeff Probst, he's a great guy.
Q: Was anyone else tempted to join you in your nudity?
Rich: Most contestants were nude at numerous times.
Q: Why do you think Jerri referred to you as "evil"?
Rich: No idea, I really don't remember her doing so.
Q: At what point in the game did you want to go home the most?
Rich: Probably in the midst of our biggest storm. It was pretty uncomfortable.
Q: When your tribe picked Ethan, it seemed that you wanted to get rid of him. Do you think Colby wanted him as an ally right away...or was his mind changed after Ethan got to the tribe?
Rich: I think Colby's mind wavered. I think he was really torn between aligning with me or making some other alliance.
Q: What do you think are your greatest moments from All Stars?
Rich: Some of my best moments were bringing in large catches of fish.
Host: Our hour with Richard is up. Any final comments for the fans, Richard?
Rich: Hey all, thanks for checking in. Sorry I got the boot, sorry I couldn't get to all your questions. Take care, and check in to richhatch.com if you want.