Author Topic: Sydney Wheeler  (Read 8829 times)

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Offline RealityFreakWill

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Sydney Wheeler
« on: January 13, 2009, 12:11:44 PM »
Age: 24
Model/Interior Designer
San Diego, CA
Tribe: Jalapao
Sydney Wheeler is the girl next door. Beautiful and smart, Sydney learned early on to adapt to any situation after spending her childhood being shuttled between her conservative parents.

Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, Sydney decided to move out to the west coast to try her hand at modeling and interior design. She plans to use the skills she's learned working with different clients to help navigate the social game of SURVIOR. She's also not afraid to use her looks to further herself in the competition.

Forced to mature at an early age, Sydney knows what it really means to live life to its fullest. At age 19 she lost her sister Laura in a tragic car accident, but throughout it all has maintained a positive attitude. "God put us on Earth to do good things, big things and that's what I'm trying to do and achieve in life."

Sydney knows she can use her winning personality, along with her beauty, her body and her brains, to charm people. Wheeler warns, "people stereotype me as just a pretty face. Don't misjudge me, I'm going win." Sydney is ready for the adventure SURVIVOR will surely provide.

Sydney is in a relationship and currently resides in San Diego, Calif. Her birth date is May 11, 1984.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2009, 01:40:34 PM by puddin »

Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2009, 10:39:03 AM »
RFF's Golden Rule:
Have RESPECT for each other, regardless of opinion. This of course includes no flaming/insulting other users and/or their posts.


Offline Jobby

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2009, 09:57:02 PM »
There's something about her that i like! A favourite!! :sucks

Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2009, 11:34:28 PM »
San Diego Television
Four San Diegans are back from "Survivor" and "Amazing Race"


By Robert P. Laurence
Posted on Thu, Feb 5th, 2009

Sierra Reed, Sydney Wheeler, Amanda Blackledge and Kris Klicka are all back at their day jobs now, but their thoughts are elsewhere

....

Sierra and Sydney drift now and then back to the jungles of Brazil, but they can’t say what exactly they did there. Not until, at least, the 18th edition of the CBS reality show “Survivor” begins airing Thursday, Feb. 12.
...

They’re all San Diegans, all contestants on the reality adventure shows, all sworn to secrecy about what happened during the filming, all absolutely forbidden from saying who won each competition.

...

Sydney Wheeler, 24, also a model, is a North Carolina native now living in Cardiff by the Sea after spending two years in Pacific Beach, which she found to be a mixed blessing. “I would be woken up at 3 a.m. by the sound of beer bottles crashing on the sidewalks,” she recalled. “It was a scary but exciting place to live, for sure.”

“Survivor,” which finished filming in early December, had its own, more basic difficulties. “Is the water contaminated?” she asked herself. “And it’s not only the elements, but the people around you. It’s such a mind game, it’s just such a great experience. I still think about it every day.”

Like Sierra, Sydney didn’t volunteer. She was at Bar West in Pacific Beach when she was spotted by casting director Erica Shay. “She gave me a card, and she called me a couple of times,” Sydney said. “I went in for an interview, and it came together all at once. I never would have thought of doing something so exciting.”

...

SOURCE



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Offline Alan

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2009, 04:15:02 PM »
The girl's game, gotta give her credit. Liked her conf on the bug eating thing. ;D


Offline puddin

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2009, 06:43:58 PM »
'Survivor: Tocantins'' Sydney on Her Ousting

It was the third straight week that the Jalapao Tribe lost the Immunity Challenge on "Survivor: Tocantins -- The Brazilian Highlands" and had to face host Jeff Probst at Tribal Council. There was a lot of negotiating behind the scenes as to who would go home: Was it going to be Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George, who had the Immunity Idol, or would it be Sydney Wheeler?


When the vote was counted, Taj's alliances held and 24-year-old Sydney, who lives in San Diego, Calif., was cast out of the Highlands.

ET: Were you blindsided by the vote? I was.

Sydney Wheeler: I knew it was coming, unfortunately. I had the feeling that something was going on, so I pulled JT aside about an hour before Tribal Council. He told me that it was between Taj and me, and it was leaning toward me because Taj has a little more pull with the other tribe. Going into the merge with the few numbers that we had, we needed someone who had a good relationship with the tribe. In that sense I understood, but you never want to be voted off, so it sucked.

ET: How aware were you that Joe was attracted to you? Did you play on that attraction to ensure a place in the tribe?

Sydney: About two days into it, Joe, Spencer and I actually had an alliance that they didn't show on TV. Joe and I got along as friends. He was more like my big brother out there. They tried to play it like we had a romance going, but he was more like my "Survivor" best friend. He was my protector. He was also the middle man between JT, Stephen and me. He was in an all-guy alliance with them, so I tried to make my way into that all-guy alliance with Joe. I wasn't aware that he actually liked me. We just got along pretty well.

ET: Did Joe ever tell you that he had found the Immunity Idol? If so, did he ever offer to let you use it?

Sydney: No. I know he found it a couple of hours before I got voted off. The whole time he was telling me that I had nothing to worry about because Taj was next. JT wasn't actually told until a couple of hours before about the Immunity Idol that Taj had. I think JT thought that Taj was the next to go. Then, the tables turned when he found out that she had the Immunity Idol. She became more of an asset.

ET: Did you suspect that Taj had the Immunity Idol?

Sydney: No. I was in the dark. She went to JT. I think that is how she got his vote. She knew she would have been voted off that night.

ET: What's it like to watch yourself on TV?

Sydney: It is so weird to see yourself on TV. You think you know what you are going to look like and sound like. I didn't want to be stereotyped as this blonde-haired ditz girl, but I look at myself on TV and that is exactly what I am. I am trying to accept it in a way that is positive -- and read the dictionary a little more. It is definitely weird, because you see those little quirks you didn't know about yourself.

ET: What do you think of the cross-tribe alliance between Taj, Stephen, Sierra and Brendan for the merge?

Sydney: Honestly, I think it is interesting. When I was out there, I did not think that Taj had a game going on. I thought she was just trying to get by and just not playing a very hard game. Watching it on TV, she is just on fire. She is doing awesome. I hope that they do really well. Of course, I am going to go for my Jalapao. Watching Timbira and Brendan and Sierra, it seems as if they have a pretty good alliance going for them, as well. I don't know it is going to turn out. I hope it is going to be Jalapao.

ET: Was being hungry the hardest part, or was there something harder?

Sydney: "Survivor" is real, which people just don't get watching it for 45 minutes, where we lived three days of it. The hardest thing, honestly, for me was trying to find some normalcy and balance. Also, the people. Dealing with Sandy on a daily basis was insane. I felt she was rubbing off on me a little bit. You see people in a totally different light when they haven't had anything to eat or drink. I tried not to judge them because they are playing a game out there. It is such a weird dynamic out there.

ET: If you had a do-over, would you change anything? Is there something you think you should have done differently that would have produced a different outcome?

Sydney: I wouldn't rely on Joe so much to be the middle man. I relied on his alliance with JT instead of making my own alliance with JT or Taj. Also, getting an alliance with Taj, we could have just as easily voted JT off, as he wanted us voted off. Also, I shot myself in the foot when I voted Spencer off, because I think Spencer would have been true to our alliance. I really believe Spencer would have gone all the way with us. That, and just not trying to be a friend to people and honest and trustworthy. I was out there playing a game. I went out there knowing that I wanted to not be that way, and I still played the game that way. Looking back, it gets under my skin.

ET: What was the biggest readjustment to being home?

Sydney: I would say food. I lost 11 pounds while I was out there. When I started eating again, my body soaked up all of it 200 percent. I gained all the weight back plus more. Also, sleeping in a bed. We were so used to sleeping on the ground and on fronds, and our backs and our skin being ashy and dry. For me, mentally, it wasn't so bad. I tried every day to think about my friends and family. Thinking about them helped me get through the game.

"Survivor: Tocantins" airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. on CBS


http://www.theinsider.com/news/1954946__Survivor_Tocantins_Sydney_on_Her_Ousting

Offline puddin

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2009, 06:45:43 PM »
Exclusive Interview: Sydney Wheeler, from 'Survivor: Tocantins'
Friday, April 03, 2009
Sydney Wheeler had the cards stacked against her.  With Taj Johnson-George making appearance after appearance on Exile Island, acquiring the hidden immunity idol, forging alliances with members of Timbira, bringing Stephen and J.T. into her inner circle, it left Sydney on the outside looking in.  No one ever said Survivor was fair, though, and that's just the way things worked out.  Sydney made no strategic mistakes (though, she probably could have done more), and was ousted from Survivor: Tocantins last night, the last castaway to walk the plank before the merge.  We had the great pleasure of speaking with Sydney this morning, and we discussed her time on the island, her relationship with Joe Dowdle and the dreaded Curse of the Beans.

Below you will find both the written transcript and full mp3 audio of the interview. 


more here ..............
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/survivor/exclusive-interview-sydney-whe-27534.aspx


Offline puddin

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2009, 06:47:05 PM »
Exclusive: Sydney Wheeler talks about her time on 'Survivor: Tocantins'

   
By John Bracchitta, 04/03/2009

Sydney Wheeler had been told repeatedly that she had nothing to worry about regarding Jalapao's upcoming Tribal Council session


However all that seemed to change once James "JT" Thomas Jr. discovered that Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George had found the hidden Immunity Idol and was added JT to her alliance with Stephen Fishbach.  Suddenly Sydney found herself on the outside of the tribe's strongest alliance, and led to her becoming the sixth castaway to be eliminated from the CBS reality series.

On Friday, Sydney spoke to Reality TV World about when she learned that she would be going home instead of Taj, whether or not she thought Joe Dowdle was lying to her when he promised she would be safe, and why she didn't like claims that she flirted her way to as far as she made it in the competition.


Reality TV World:  It seemed like you were pretty sure you would be safe from elimination pretty much all the way until the Tribal Council vote. Was that accurate or was it just the show's editing?

Sydney: No, I think it was pretty accurate.

That morning before the challenge JT and I walked to a place together and he told me "Taj, tonight for sure if we lose." We ended up losing, and about two hours before Tribal Council I see JT, Stephen and Taj talking and I'm wondering what's going on so I take JT to the side and he tells me that it's actually now me and [he] doesn't know who's gonna be better at the merge.

And at this point we don't know when we're merging, but we know it's coming and we need numbers on our side and we need someone who's going to fare better with the other tribe. And obviously Taj had more experience with the other tribe.

So, I mean at that point there was no pleading for my life for me. I knew it was time.
 
Reality TV World:  What were you thinking when [Joe Dowdle] told you that you weren't really in danger of being eliminated? He really didn't even address the possibility that you could be on the chopping block.

Sydney: Yeah, well he had just come back from Exile, and he didn't really know what was going on. And at that point I should've never let Joe be the middle man between JT, Stephen and I. I should've just allowed myself to figure out what was going on. I didn't really understand what Joe meant, but I think he was just trying to make me feel comfortable about it.

Reality TV World:  So you think he was being truthful just miscalculated what was going on? There wasn't any gameplay?

Sydney: Yeah, I don't think he did maliciously. Towards the end once we were going to Tribal Council he was like "I'm staying true to Taj, voting for Taj, voting for Taj," so he made me feel comfortable enough to tell me it was gonna be Taj all the way.

But I think he just didn't know. I think, if anything he was blindsided more than anyone.

Reality TV World:  Can you explain what your Tribal Council point about how you wouldn't have any prior relationships with Timbera once the merge came was supposed to be all about?  Because even if you guys had a loyal foursome, you would have to get someone else to flip so you could have numbers.

Sydney: Oh, exactly. You know, we're going into a merge without numbers, and we would need someone who just has more experience with Timbira, like Taj. Whether or not it's good experience? What I meant was loyalty and how I wouldn't flip necessarily to the other tribe, where Taj might have more of a reason because she'd made better relationships with them.

Reality TV World:  In your exit statement you said that you "really see anyone from Timbira switching over, but they might try to do something." Does that mean that you didn't have any idea about any of the cross-tribal alliances that were being formed away at Exile?

Sydney: Oh yeah. Every time Taj would come back it would be 'Oh, I didn't learn much.' Taj didn't have much to say about Exile except about how horrible the conditions were. So I thought she was playing a totally different game than what actually was going on, and the whole [cross-tribe] thing is brilliant. She's really smart for doing it.

Reality TV World:  You and Joe were obviously allied together, did he make any mention of, well, what turned out to be that fake Immunity Idol he found before Tribal Council as a possible way to save you if you were up for elimination?

Sydney: No he didn't. He never told me that he found it, which I'm almost glad he didn't because it would have been an embarrassing thing on my part. But he never did, no.

Reality TV World:  Stephen’s alliance with JT seemed pretty obvious based on what was shown on TV, but how obvious was Stephen and Taj's alliance while you were out there, did you know about it?

Sydney: That's a good question. You know, I always felt something. I even would call Stephen out on it because he was easier to call out than Taj was. Taj would get mad at me if I tried to call her out on anything and blow up at me. So I think with Stephen he would always play it down, 'Oh no, we don't have that. We're not that big.' He would always play up him and JT's friendship. So I would just believe him (Laughs), of course.

Reality TV World:  Did you have any suspicions that Taj and Stephen -- and eventually JT by the end of last night's episode -- were sharing the hidden Immunity Idol?

Sydney: No. You know, I never really caught on that Taj had the Immunity Idol for some reason. I thought [Brendan Synnott] was smart enough to find it. I was stupid enough to think that there wouldn't be one at each camp, so I never even suspected it. But I knew there was an alliance going about an hour before when I saw them talking, which sucked. Because I knew it was me [going home].

Reality TV World:  Do you think Taj's decision to bring JT in on her hidden Idol -- which she only did after Stephen told her he'd already found out about it -- was the deciding factor as to why you were voted off?  Because based on what was shown last night, it looked like JT's belief that they were all kind of "sharing" the idol seemed to play a big role in his decision to vote for you.

Sydney: I definitely think it was the deciding factor. Why wouldn't you go with someone who has an Immunity Idol? Especially when they're willing enough to give it to someone else. And she was with Stephen but she gave it to Stephen. Why wouldn't you go with someone and blindside them later on, with possibly you getting [the Idol]. So I think it was a smart move on her part to tell him, and I think it was smart move to go along with it, which doesn't fare nicely from my side, but it's true.

Reality TV World:  We saw Joe trying to sway JT and Stephen into keeping you but we didn't really see you do a lot of campaigning.  Did you ever approach JT or Stephen yourself and try and sway one of them to your side?

Sydney: Yeah definitely. Like I said, the hour before Tribal Council I took JT aside and just kind of tried to pick his brain and see where he was, and he told me it was me or Taj but he was leaning towards me more because Taj had more of a pull. I definitely did a little pleading for my life and told him how I would be a little bit more loyal, I would definitely be able to pull some of the guys.

And with Stephen it was... (Pauses) Stephen always lied to my face.

Stephen told me straight up "Hey, we're voting for Taj." He never told me that he had any doubt that Taj wasn't going. So I had no reason to go to Stephen and plead for my life, in a way.

Reality TV World: Actually I'm not sure if it's what you were alluding to with the 'guys' thing you just said, but you seemed to catch some flack in the early rounds of the competition for flirting with some of the guys, especially Joe it seemed, to get some alliances going. What did you think of that?

Sydney: Well I just think it's funny because it's my nature, my personality, it's just me being friendly. And I do have flirtatious qualities, it's in my personality and I'm not ashamed of it or anything, but I just think it's funny the way it played up, and also that that's my only strategy and that's the only way I'm getting by in the game.

That's not what it was. I made these alliances with [Spencer Duhm] and Joe, that's as far as I got with Spencer, you know? And then with Joe, JT, Stephen and Taj we were all good buddies. I mean of course [Sandy Burgin] is gonna be next.

And then after that it's just like whittling them down. So it sucked to watch that edit, but whatever, that's what I signed up for.

Reality TV World: If it's any consolation, when we talked to Sandy she said she 'woulda done the same' if she had "the brawn and the brain and the body' that you did. Tell me about Spencer, you were also the one who seemed to be testing Spencer the most about his past relationships. When we talked to him, he told us he didn't tell anyone on the show he was gay but he thought you probably suspected it.  Is that true?

Sydney: Oh yeah. From the first for hours of the truck where we met each other I picked up on it. It's a girl thing, 'gaydar,' whatever. I didn't wanna call him out on national TV, but I was trying to make him feel more comfortable by asking him what was his status and he still never came out, so I knew it was a touchy subject.

And the I even did ask the guys, JT and Joe, what they thought and if they thought he might be gay and they both said "No, he likes sports, he's a guy's guy. No way." So it was kinda funny to be right about it.

Reality TV World:  How were you cast on the show?

Sydney: I was at a bar and was found by a casting director, and then she gave me her card. I was in college for the first time when they called, so I didn't go. The second time they called I was able to go in for an interview and did an on-camera interview and then had the final interview. So I guess, yeah, I was found at a bar. (Laughs)

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/exclusive-sydney-wheeler-talks-about-her-time-on-survivor-tocantins-8724.php

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2009, 11:15:30 AM »
Survivor's Sydney Wheeler Turns to Something Easier

Sydney Wheeler, a 24-year-old model and interior designer who was the sixth person voted off of Survivor: Tocantins, says it was hard to see herself go: "Watching it last night, it was just kind of weird because I knew the outcome, but I still had hope for myself," the Raleigh, N.C., native told TVGuide.com Friday.

Wheeler, who lost to Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George in the voting on Thursday's episode, plans to focus now on her modeling career, which has taken off thanks to the show. Besides modeling for Peruvian cosmetics company Esika, she's looking at the possibility of appearing in ads for Abercrombie and Fitch and Target. She talked with us about whether her looks helped her, her regrets, and whether modeling is really that hard.

TVGuide.com: Is there anything you would've done differently?
Sydney: I shot myself in the foot when I voted Spencer off. He was part of an early alliance that I had made with him and Joe. ... I knew at that point someone who would have been on my side was not anymore.

TVGuide.com: But you said at the start you were willing to lie, cheat and steal.
Sydney: Yeah, exactly! So I proved myself right but I still shot myself in the foot. I still could've used his vote.

TVGuide.com: You also said at the start you were willing to use your looks to advance. But does that really help on Survivor?
Sydney: Well, I think it does and it doesn't. I think they definitely played it up more than it definitely helped me. ... I had more of a strategy with having Joe and Spencer for an alliance first, and then trying to make a friendship with Taj and trying to talk to Sandy K. I was definitely trying to play all fields, but I was also laying low and trying to stay under the radar... So there were other strategic things that I did, but I think for some reason they wanted to play up the flirty thing, because it was more entertaining.

TVGuide.com: And how did the flirty thing work out with Spencer?
Sydney: [Laughs] Me and Spencer had our fun, but with Spencer... he was fun to flirt with because I knew nothing would come from it. I knew from the beginning that he was gay. I definitely felt comfortable with him.

TVGuide.com: You say in your bio for the show that modeling is easy. Why do they gripe about it so much on Top Model?
Sydney: [Laughs] Different jobs are easier than others. ... It is hard in some aspects and then it's easy because you get to take pictures all day. In a way it's hard, but also for some people it comes naturally and it's a little bit easier. I wouldn't say it's easy, maybe I should take that back. But it's definitely an easier job.

TVGuide.com: Who are you rooting for and who do you think will win?
Sydney: I have three people that I'm going for. I just love the sarcastic-ness of Tyson. I think he's hilarious. .... Although I've never met him, so I don't know. And then also Taj, because I think she's playing a very smart, under-the-radar game. And also Stephen because he's just so goofy and lovable and fun, but he's also playing a manipulative game.

Out of those three I hope Taj wins for sure... I think she has a good chance. Right now she's looking pretty good on her high horse. She has two guys that are at her beck and call because she has the immunity idol, and she's a big woman. She could take any of those girls in an immunity challenge. I think she's looking pretty good for a merge.

What do you think? Is Taj the favorite to win?

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Survivor-Sydney-Wheeler-1004736.aspx

Offline Snooky

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2009, 01:38:59 PM »
Survivor: With Idols Everywhere, Sydney Leaves Tocantins

April 3, 2009
If you were wondering when someone would patch together a fake hidden immunity idol, this was your episode! With Jalapao’s Joe and Timbira’s Erinn experiencing Exile Island for the first time, the secret alliance between Taj and Stephen had to assume Joe would have enough clues to find the idol back at camp. So, Taj sewed up a fancy necklace that rivaled Bob’s handiwork on Gabon. Joe found it, got excited, but then pocketed it. Unfortunately for 24-year-old Raleigh, N.C., model Sydney Wheeler, she had no leverage, fake or real, to stave off enough votes and became the sixth person ousted from Survivor: Tocantins.

A Hill of Beans: At Jalapao, in a foreshadowing of a strategy-move-to-come, Taj told Stephen she wanted to tell JT about the immunity idol. Although she and Stephen had a connection to Sierra and Brendan, Taj worried she wouldn’t even make it to the merge to capitalize on it. Stephen, though, wanted to control the flow of information to his buddy JT and told Taj to lay low. On Timbira, Coach micromanaged mealtime, wanting to cook beans longer even if it meant having them stew in the rain. “It’s another one of those Coach moments,” Brendan said. Even so, Brendan liked the fact that, as annoying as he was, Coach was nothing if not consistent.
Flying Pigs and Waterfalls: In a reward challenge where teams built barricades in two wooden rigs to try to prevent ceramic pigs from being tossed intact from one player to another, Timbira held on to their lead to win a trip to a waterfall accompanied by pool toys and BBQ burgers. Timbira chose Joe to go to Exile and in turn, he picked Erinn, marking them as Exile newbies. While on Exile, Erinn debated if she could trust Joe or not, but in the end shared with him the clue to the hidden immunity idol back at their camps and formed a loose alliance.

Fakin’ It: At Jalapao, Taj and Stephen concluded that Joe would get enough clues to find the location of the idol. Not wanting him to know they already had it, Taj did a bang-up job making a fake and hid the not-idol back near Tree Mail. Unfortunately, she wasn’t so good stashing her real prize and JT found it while looking for an empty fishing sack. JT tattled on her to Stephen, who thought fast on his feet and explained to JT that Taj had just found it. Stephen then told Taj the yarn she needed to spin to keep their stories in line and soon the three made an internal Jalapao alliance.

Puzzling It Out: A newly resurgent and barbecue-fueled Timbira tribe puzzle-pieced out a victory in the immunity challenge, sending Jalapao to yet another tribal council. Back at camp, Joe told Sydney, Stephen and JT to vote out Taj. Fearing the dissolution of their mini-alliance, Stephen and JT tried to convince Joe to vote out Sydney instead, arguing that Taj had ties to Timbira, which would help the out-numbered Jalapao in a merge. But Joe, who had a thing for Sydney, refused to change his mind. For a fleeting moment, it seemed Taj would be tossed when Stephen told JT that he physically possessed the hidden idol and they wouldn’t even need Taj, but in the end, although Joe was caught off guard, Jalapao cast Sydney out of the game. – Cynthia Wang

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/03/survivor-with-idols-everywhere-sydney-leaves-tocantins/


Offline marigold

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2009, 02:17:14 PM »
Video:

Survivor: Tocantins Interview - So Long, Sydney Wheeler


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zshJJyFz4w

Offline marigold

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2009, 02:33:42 PM »
Another interview with Sydney:

‘Survivor’ Castaway Interview: Sydney Wheeler

Sydney Wheeler wasn’t shown doing a whole lot on “Survivor.” She flirted, she cuddled, and she followed the leader. But what did we miss out on?

We had a chance to talk to Sydney the day after her dismissal to get her thoughts on what the editors didn’t show, her secret strategies, and flying ceramic pigs.

Gordon Holmes: Now, which show were you on?

Sydney Wheeler: (Laughs) “Survivor.”

Gordon: I used to watch that show. I stopped though.

Sydney: Oh no…

Gordon: Cause they keep voting off all of the pretty ladies!

Sydney: (Laughs) Yeah, now that Candace is gone!

Gordon: So what happened last night, were you blindsided?

Sydney: You know, I wasn’t. But, I didn’t want to go. I kind of knew it was coming. Taj was hugging me and making me feel like it was my time to go. But, I pulled JT aside and just asked him straight up what was going on, and he told me it was between me and Taj, and Taj has more of a pull when it comes to a merge. So, I kind of knew it was coming.

Gordon: Was it brought up at all that Joe’s fake hidden immunity idol could go to you.

Sydney: No, that was never brought to my attention, but it would have been pretty good if it was.

Gordon: Now Joe mentioned last night that he wanted to keep you around because he had a little thing for you, but did he know you had a boyfriend?

Sydney: Yeah, the first night we got together we all hung out, and it was all brought up, marital status and all. But he and I got along really well, we had a really good connection. He was like my big brother more than a boyfriend.

Gordon: So it wasn’t a show-mance, it was just edited that way.

Sydney: Right, he wasn’t my “Survivor” boyfriend.

Gordon: When you came back did you tell your boyfriend about the salsa dream and how important that was to you.

Sydney: (Laughs) Yes, I told him, I even wrote in my journal the whole time about how much I missed him.

Gordon: I don’t know much about dream interpretation, but I’d assume salsa’s got to be pretty serious.

Sydney: It’s spicy. And I like my salsa spicy. So that’s a good thing.

Gordon: I’d also assume any dream you have out there is going to be about food. He should feel lucky to be included.

Gordon: Did you know Taj had the hidden immunity idol?

Sydney: No, I didn’t. And I never would have dreamed she did. She was playing such a low-key game. She played like everyone was against her, and she didn’t have any allies. I tried to be honest with her, but I think it was me trusting people too much.

Gordon: Did you have any kind of clue about the cross-tribe alliance?

Sydney: No, that was a great idea, right? It’s such a smart idea. Taj is a smart whip.

Gordon: I felt like your edit focused on your looks, and even I made a joke about that earlier, but what kind of strategy were you employing that we didn’t see?

Sydney: It’s so frustrating, they really honed in on me being someone who’d use her looks to get ahead. Going into it, I knew I could maybe use it, but my strategy was to make an alliance from the very beginning. Like when me and Spencer and Joe, I saw that Spencer and Joe were the big guys, like alpha males. At least Joe was. So, that was my strategy to get into an alliance early. But, I didn’t know too much about the game, so I was kind of going at it from a different point of view. I wanted to stay below the radar.

Gordon: Now we missed a couple of weeks because of the NCAA tournament.

Sydney: Yeah.

Gordon: And who cares about basketball when there is “Survivor” to be watched?

Sydney: (Laughs) Yeah, but it got me further, didn’t it?

Gordon: True, but the athletic highlight of the past few weeks has to have been a certain girl catching ceramic pigs that are flying by at 100 miles per hour.

Sydney: (Laughs) Oh my God! JT was throwing those things so hard. And the first few I didn’t catch because it’s a learning experience. And, ceramic pigs that are heavy and awkward with tails and noses that would cut up my hands? I think I still have a scar from one of the pigs. It was a fun challenge, I think I pulled through for my team.

Gordon: Years from now you can point to that scar and say, “See this? Ceramic pig.”

Sydney: It’s funny because pigs are my favorite animal. So, it was my challenge going into it.

Gordon: So it probably broke your heart to see those little guys get shattered.

Sydney: (Laughs) It was also kind of odd that it was pigs, is that a Brazilian thing?

Gordon: I think they were playing with your emotions.

Sydney: They knew!

Gordon: OK, word association time. I’ll give you a tribe member, you say the first thing that comes to mind. JT?

Sydney: Country folk, great guy but a little bit manipulative. He’s got those big eyes he can bat and get whatever he wants.

Gordon: Joe?

Sydney: Spoiled, genuine, great guy. Has a lot of talent.

Gordon: Taj?

Sydney: Sweet woman, loves her family, she definitely played the game harder than I thought she would’ve.

Gordon: Did you know she was part of SWV?

Sydney: I didn’t until day seventeen. It came out very late in the game. It was like, “What? I love that song!”

Gordon: You’re old enough to know SWV?

Sydney: Yeah! (starts singing) I get so weak in the knees I can hardly speak…

Gordon: OK, back to my list. You’re distracting me. Sandy?

Sydney: There’s a lot I can say about Sandy. Crazy is the key word. I think she may be on prescription drugs. She’s kindhearted and she means well.

Gordon: Stephen?

Sydney: Goofy…clumsy, he looks like the guy from “Ratatouille.”

Gordon: He does.

Sydney: He’s a little lair, too!

Gordon: I love the game he’s playing.

Sydney: I love Stephen.

Gordon: I know Coach wasn’t on your tribe, but what do you think of him?

Sydney: Oh, who doesn’t like Coach? He’s full of himself, that’s everything that everyone has ever said about Coach, except for Jeff Probst, he loves Coach.

Gordon: I love Coach.

Sydney: And Gordon. But I don’t want to judge him before I meet him.

Gordon: What do you take from your time in Brazil?

Sydney: I met some interesting people. I’ve met past Survivors. I’ve made friends, and I have the bad memories of my time on the show.

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/survivor/survivor-castaway-interview-sydney-wheeler/

Offline marigold

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2009, 02:56:41 PM »
and more

Sydney's unable to sneak by on Survivor: Tocantins

Losing multiple challenges in a row destroyed the moral inside the Jalapao tribe. "As much as we tried to hype each other up, we knew we were down in numbers. It didn't help to know that the other tribe was thriving," Sydney Wheeler tells In Touch. After more than a dozen days of struggling in the Brazilian highlands, the model feared her tribe was turning on her. "I knew going to Tribal Council that I was going to be the next to go," admits Sydney. She was right. On the 18th day, she became the latest contestant to have her torch extinguished on Survivor: Tocantins.

What was your first impression of Brazil?
Sydney: I loved it. Granted, Tocantins was a little harsh, but it was just so magically to be somewhere new. It was a big adventure for me and it was really amazing. Brazil was gorgeous.

I know that you were worried about going home, but did you end up blindsided by the vote?
Sydney: I knew going into Tribal Council that I was going to be the next to go. I could just feel it. And every time I went to Tribal Council it was scary. But this time was different.

Do you think Taj deserved to go home instead?
Sydney: No. I don't. As much as I hate that I went home, I think Taj is playing a brilliant game. She deserves to be there.

Before you watched the episode, did you have any idea that Taj had the immunity idol and also made a fake one?
Sydney: I had no idea. I feel stupid just watching it! She is just so smart. She came back from Exile Island and she's just talking about how harsh the climate and conditions were. And all we cared about were all the bug bites on her, when in actuality she's living it up because she knows she's safe for a long time. She did a pretty good job of covering it up.

What was the hardest part about surviving for 18 days?
Sydney: Don't get me wrong — the conditions and the extreme environment was just trying to adapt and survive around people you've never met before. They're judging you and plotting against you. It was a really weird dynamic and is very, very strange.

That was even harder than not eating?
Sydney: Oh, yeah. I mean honestly, physically the hardest part was the lack of water. The thirst and dehydration were rough. Hunger pains never really set in for me, I don't know why. But it was really the feeling of needing water, ugh. I never want to feel that again.

Who would you like to see make it to the end?
Sydney: Again, I love Taj. Her and I bonded, which they didn't show on the show, but we bonded on a female level. She's a great woman and I really appreciate her and I like her. I think she's playing a smart game. She's not just sitting back; she's doing what I wanted to do and taking the initiative. And also, I really like Tyson because he's super-sarcastic and even though he comes across kind of rude and mean, I don't think he means to be. I think it might be the edit, so it should be interesting to meet him and see what he's really like.

Would you do it all over again?
Sydney: In a heartbeat.

What are you doing now?
Sydney: Now, I'm just modeling. There's no market for interior design right now, so I'm about to move out to LA and continue my career as a model. Hopefully, Survivor takes me places.

http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/sydneys_unable_to_sneak_by_on.php

Offline Snooky

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #13 on: April 07, 2009, 05:47:54 PM »
When Pigs Can't Fly with Sydney Wheeler of Survivor Tocantins
By Troy Rogers

As the Timbira and Jalapao tribes head into the merge this week on Survivor Tocantins, some survivors may have their tribal lives extended longer than they would have if they were still scheming solo. The simmering tension boiling underneath the tribal surface was heightened last week when 24 year old North Carolina model, Sydney Wheeler, became the most recent survivor to have her torch extinguished from Survivor Tocantins when her Jalapao tribe mates were divided over who would be leaving the game in Brazil. After an awkward but difficult Tocantins ceramic pig-toss reward challenge and a Survivor sling-shot immunity throwdown that saw J.T. get stymied, the voting numbers weren't on Sydney's side when three of her Jalapao tribe members - J.T., Stephen, and Taj - solidified their Tocantins trio to send Sydney Wheeler packing from Brazil.

The next morning, we climbed out of our own rainforest (actually just really big fake plants around the office) to hop on the phone with the now ex-Survivor Tocantins player, Sydney Wheeler, to get the scoop on her favorite challenge, why ceramic pigs hurt so much, how she feels she was portrayed on TV, and what she thinks about Coach from the Timbira tribe.

THE DEADBOLT: Even though Joe said he had your back, were you surprised that he didn’t give you a heads up that they were thinking about voting you off?

SYDNEY WHEELER: Yeah. That’s a good question. He definitely tried to, I think, a little bit in his own way without blatantly telling me. But yeah, I wish maybe he had a little bit more. But I think it was one of those things where he knew I knew that it was kind of my time to go. It was either me or him. And he was going to stay loyal to our alliance, but he wasn’t going to tell me straight up. There’s always that very last second where J.T. could’ve voted for Taj and she would’ve pulled out her immunity idol. So there’s always that last chance that I think everybody waits for. I mean even, last night I was still sitting on the edge of my seat hoping it wasn’t going to be me when I knew the outcome.

THE DEADBOLT: How did you feel with the way you were portrayed on TV? The edits kind of steered you towards what Sandy was saying about you.

SYDNEY: Yeah. I think it was funny, because they played up my only strategy, which was flirting, and if you know me - my personality is very friendly, open to people - I’m very touchy, like I don’t hold back. So for them to play it up as flirting, I can understand. It’s probably better than my strategic way of making an alliance with the alpha dog, like Joe and Spencer, and then against them. So I had other strategic qualities, but maybe they just weren’t interesting.

THE DEADBOLT: What was your favorite challenge?

SYDNEY: Oh, that’s a good one. I’d say I really liked the one where we got to wrestle in the water. That one was so much fun because we were all just pumping with adrenaline. Out there, all you wanted to do was strangle them at that point because they’re your enemy. So it was just really fun to just take Sierra and smash her into the water. She’s kind of like my rival. you know? She’s a model from California, a blonde model, and it’s really strange to me that they cast two blonde models. But she was kind of like my rival and it was fun to smash her [laughs].

THE DEADBOLT: With the ceramic pig toss challenge, it looked like they hurt. Were they heavy or were they sharp? What was it about them that hurt?

SYDNEY: Well, yeah. Good question, again. Those pigs sucked! I mean, first of all, J.T. was chucking them at me at like 40 m.p.h., and they’re ceramic and they’re heavy pigs. They’re pigs - they have ears, noses, little stubby legs and a tail. So these appendages that were coming off of them were sharper than you would think and they broke really easily, and they were just very awkward things. And when you have them coming at you super fast, and you have to catch them, that’s your job to catch it, you’re going to dive for it if you have to. It hurts. I mean, I still have a scar from the cut I got from them. They definitely hurt. Then you have frigging Jeff [Probst] blaring in your ear, ‘Oh, Sydney dropped the pig.’ It like never goes your way.

THE DEADBOLT: What did you think of Coach?

SYDNEY: That’s a good question. Coach? Well, I can only judge him from the way they are portraying him, so I hate to be judging. But everyone seems to hate Coach, except for Jeff Probst, so maybe there’s something special about him. But, I don’t know, I think he is pretty selfish. I think he’s full of himself and I always think he could be a good guy, too. I think he understands where other people are coming from, or he tries to.

-- Troy Rogers

http://www.thedeadbolt.com/news/105602/survivorsydney_interviews.php

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: Sydney Wheeler
« Reply #14 on: April 17, 2009, 10:34:10 AM »
Secret Scene: Sydney


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