This comes from Billy Garcia, originally posted on SurvivorSkills.com:
"OK, the Gossip.....here's how cbs is handling this event. Those contestant that were cast for S20 that did not tell CBS they were coming...well, CBS just played dumb and they came! But the few that told CBS they where booked to come got told to cancel! So Courtney is a no-show...Told to cancel.
Twila is here and pissed! Well, Here's what's got many Survivors that got on OLD SCHOOL FASION(by audtioning) so pissed off. Lynn Spellmen is showing her recruits favoritism. Basiclly, if she recruited you the first time then your in S20. If you audiotioned or where some one else's recriut...you're out or not even asked! S20 seems to be a power play behind the scenes. The scuttlebutt is that Jeff probst wants more stroke to call shots or he may just walk. It's not about money! Lynn Spellmen is hooking up too many of her friends at the expense of the show and Jeff is NOT cool with it. (IMO, it now explains the recent rash of quitters being cast and Fairplay being looked at again despite asking to be voted out first which is a quit!)
More Scuttlebutt: Shane is an alternate and he's pissed!
Survivor will continue after 20 with a reduced budgit so get used to back to back season being filmed at or near the same locations from now on.
I've got more info but I got really drunk so I need to re-confirm the rest incase I heard wrong.
My room mate Redneck James brought his Wife and two kids(His kids call me chainsaw cause Redneck told them I sound like one when I snore)....There were too many of us in that one room so I let Redneck and his family have it. I crashed with my fan club members...
foot note: Taj has been a no-show so far also.
Terry Deitz, Bobdawg and I have been hanging the most. I guess I should have been on S12 instead of S13 and I would have done better! But then, I'm not a Lynn Spellmen Recruit!
Spellmen's being accused by some of the old schoolers here of stacking the deck in recent seasons to help her recruits get farther so that she looks good to CBS. The old schoolers(myself included) are worried that S20 is gonna be the worst case of that yet cause they are all gonna be her recruit and she can just surround her favorites with the right people!
Lets Hope Jeff Probts Can work CBS for the stroke he needs to snuff Spellmen's torch out! She's the reason the Outcast season has been shot down everytime it's been brought up by Probst and a couple of others. The recent outcasts tend to be made up of non-Spellmen recruits or Applicants like me(cause she hooks up her recruits by stacking the deck in their favor, they survive longer IMO). So an Outcast season would most likely have No Spellmen recruits in it so she shoots down the idea everytime! " src="
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"Lots of Gossiping happening! I'll wait till I get the story straight but So far every survivor I've talked to have taken Jeff's side saying things like no one else has proven they can do what Jeff does especially off camera. He's irriplacable and should have more control because noone understands survivor better than he does. Spellmen is much more replacable!
I agree....If I have to take sides, I'm on Jeff Probst side!
Remember, It's Jeff that gets on the air every season and incourges fans to apply to be on Survivor at every finale. I did my first Final 50 interview with Jeff Probst and Mark Burnett. Lynn was on the side not really interested. Jeff loved that I was a fan and He was my main supporter. He and Mark put me on. Even as green as I was then, to me, Lynn clearly cared more about her recruits. "
"I get asked why I'm not on the official website a lot at these functions.....I've emailed several CBS officials about it but for months(the whole year so far) I've been left off. I'm suppose to get the same publicity as my castmates...so it feels like F*ck Me! At the Functions I also tend to get into the unique nature of my season....well, my tribe had 4 recruits who were the 4 latinos from california 3 from the same neighbourhood and me the applicant, the 1 hispanic from the other side of the country, new york. That's sooo stacked that everyone agrees that casting deceided my fate. It's like if the white tribe had 4 redneck recruits from Alabama, 3 from the same trailer park and 1 jew applicant from canada. How does that sound? Does it sound fair? So once again it feels like F*ck Me! Which is the bottem line I keep coming up with....being set on fire, F*ck Me! Thrown Challenge, F*ck Me! BullSh*t Edit, F*ck Me! That's a lot to stew over. Then I've been one of survivor's best ambassadors for 3 years and now I'm left off the official website and no-one at CBS cares! That's F*ck Me for the last time. If they don't give a Sh*t why should I?
So it's nothing against my fellow survivors(I love them), Nothing against Survivor fans(I have a blast with them), nothing against Jeff Probst who during the challenge yelled out for all the world to hear that I was on fire! (He did his part!) Nothing against any of these people.....I need to stop stewing over this and get away from the drinking cause that combo is what my issue is.
I'm not running from survivor....I think once I straighten out and finish what I started in other areas then I can be back with a vengence!
I've begun by accepting that I matter to my fellow survivors and Survivor fans but not to CBS. I just have to accept that.
Thanks for the support!"
Billy gave me the ok to post this.......opinions anyone?