BOP Interview: The Survivor Spoilers Guy
By BOP Staff
February 16, 2011
Jim Van Nest: Well, Shannon didn't exactly endear himself to anyone out there.
Jim Early (missyae): [Russell] obviously would have gotten that info from someone on season 21 or me.
Kim Hollis: Okay, so you exposed Russell as a leak for his seasons only, then. Is that correct?
Jim Early (missyae): My thing was, I was not gonna let someone innocent take the fall for Russell. I was told when the players got back from 22 that they had been told if anyone talked they would make an example out of someone. They even told the players, do not talk to Missyae. They followed that up with giving them my real name and my Facebook page and told them again, do not talk to him. Mark Burnett made it clear, someone was gonna be "an example."
Jim Van Nest:W as it Russell that spoiled the whole "Rob vs Russell" concept? If I'm correct, you spoiled that as well, yes?
Jim Early (missyae): Jim, there's a very interesting story to the concept of Russell vs Rob. Russell and I came up with that idea in hopes to get him back on the show again. Initially we had said [it should be] Hatch vs Hantz, and I had said to bring back 40 players and let them do a pick 'em and whoever did not get chosen had to go home right then. I told him to pitch it to CBS. Now, did he? I don't know, but what they came up with was pretty close to what he and I came up with.
David Mumpower: Do you mean backstage? I don't recall Shannon getting any air time during the live episode except when he was given the right to apologize but wouldn't. To a larger point, we may be getting a bit too insider here. If I am reading correctly, you are saying that during the yet to be aired season, Russell had knowledge of events that hadn't transpired. Are you saying the connecting of these dots is when the producers of the show began to suss out that he was the spoiler leak?
Jim Early (missyae): I never stated exactly what info I was given or what season. I told them Russell Hantz was their main leak. They asked me about season 21 and I refused to discuss it.
David Mumpower: How did they react to that? I mean, they were building an entire season around Russell's personality. That's a worst case scenario revelation. How much panic was there over this revelation?
Jim Early (missyae): They really did not push much after they got his name and one email as proof from him to me. I think Mark wanted him. I think he wanted him bad
Jim Van Nest: So you actually have documented proof that Russell is the leak? Not just phone calls?
Jim Early (missyae): I have tons and tons of emails from Russell to me. Also the moderator at Survivor Sucks knew the entire time who my source was and even helped to clean up Russell's mess from Survivor Sucks when he decided to go post there and pretend to be his wife. CBS called him and told him to remove it. Well, he couldn't. He phoned me at midnight wanting me to get it deleted and I contacted the moderator at Survivor Sucks, told him what happened and he took care of it.
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