To succeed on Survivor, contestants must overcome incredible obstacles, and Sue Smey truly exemplified that throughout her time on Survivor 47.
Sue’s journey started off rough, from creating a mess while searching for a Hidden Immunity Idol (leaving red paint everywhere) to battling severe stomach issues and a relentless migraine. Despite these early setbacks, the 59-year-old flight school owner managed to turn things around. She eventually found the Hidden Immunity Idol, won an Individual Immunity challenge, and became the highest-placing member of the Tuku tribe. Along the way, she lost some of her closest allies, like Gabe Ortis and Caroline Vidmar, but her resilience kept her going.
However, Sue’s game wasn’t all smooth sailing. During an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, she opened up about her lowest point in the game, and it was more emotional than expected.
Sue described the moment when she had a major mental breakdown, triggered by whispers in the night between fellow contestants Kyle Ostwald and Genevieve Mushaluk. As Sue explained, when you’re out there on Survivor, you become hyper-sensitive to every sound, and whispers can feel as loud as full conversations. While she couldn’t be sure the whispers were about her, the events of the previous day made her believe they were. She had just been blindsided by the vote that sent Gabe home, and Sue had heard that Kyle was working hard to target her next, even calling her and Caroline “Tweedledee and Tweedledum.”
The betrayal was crushing. “The weight of betrayal was suffocating,” Sue admitted. That night, after a day filled with lies, shifting alliances, and the constant pressure of being on edge, Sue broke down. “It had been a day of constant lies and shifting alliances that left my head spinning,” she said. “When you’re exhausted, losing your closest allies, and constantly on edge, the cracks start to show.” For Sue, that night felt like everything was slipping away, and it was the lowest point of her game.
But despite feeling defeated, Sue managed to recover and make it all the way to the final four. Tonight, December 18, she’ll compete for the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar prize. To see how it all plays out, be sure to watch the second part of Survivor 47’s two-part finale at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, or stream it the next day on Paramount Plus.