Sandra Diaz-Twine reveals the ‘horrible’ Survivor stunt she loathed

“I didn’t choose that, and I would’ve never agreed to it,” says Survivor evictee Sandra Diaz-Twine of a surprise on-camera stunt that had her fuming.

Two-time US Survivor winner Sandra Diaz-Twine was eliminated from the game in Sunday’s episode, voted out by tribemates including her own daughter Nina.

But as the “Queen of Survivor” told news.com.au, her lowest point in the game came weeks before that.

Those who watched the opening episode of this season of Survivor will remember that Sandra and her daughter were the last to arrive, after every other contestant had assembled in front of host Jonathan LaPaglia.

The pair flew in on a helicopter, prompting excited reactions (and the memorable line “Is that Oprah?”) from their fellow players – but it turns out the OTT stunt was very much against Sandra’s wishes.

Unlikely as it was given her position in the Survivor hall of fame, she’d hoped she and her daughter could slip into the game relatively unnoticed and convince the other players they weren’t threats.

Subtle … the other contestants watch as Sandra and Nina arrive via chopper.

“I hoped that nobody would even know (Nina) was my daughter and she could play her own game … it didn’t help that we got there on the helicopter. That was horrible – I didn’t choose that, and I would’ve never agreed to it,” Sandra said.

She revealed that they boarded the chopper assuming they were being flown to another pre-game location – it was only when they rounded a riverbend and they saw a bunch of cheering, screaming contestants that she says she had a “sinking feeling … Oh my god, the game starts now.”

“We get back to camp and the tribe is like ‘Oh, you came in on a helicopter? We were standing out there for a good 30 minutes.’ I’m thinking, lord have mercy, if I wasn’t already a target, now I’ve shown up on a helicopter and they’re calling me Oprah.”

A slightly sheepish Sandra (left) and daughter Nina join the other contestants in episode one.

But Sandra recovered from that bumpy entry into the game, lasting more than a fortnight before being voted out – continuing her Day 16 curse.

She said her time in the remote Queensland outback was a lot tougher than previous US Survivor seasons filmed in tropical Samoa and Fiji.

Soaring daytime temperatures left her skin “sizzling’ and her mouth permanently dry no matter how much water she drank. Then the cold at night was “unbearable” – even for a woman who grew up in snowy Connecticut.

“It was a brutal game – the hardest game I ever played, both mentally and physically,” she said.

She also had to contend with Australian Survivor’s overwhelming focus on physical strength and performance in the challenges. This meant a shift in strategy for a player who has in the past famously volunteered to sit out many physical challenges, aware her skills lay elsewhere.

Sandra after being voted out by everyone including her own daughter.

“I had to bring a different Sandra to the game, something I wasn’t accustomed to.

“Trust me, I get it: If you’re strong, you win challenges and you don’t have to go to tribal council. But that’s not the be all and end all to getting to the end of Survivor and even winning.”

Now, having passed the Survivor baton to her daughter Nina – who remains in the game, as one of the players to watch this season – Sandra insists she’s done with the TV franchise that earned her a $2m fortune. Well, maybe.

“I had my crack at Australian Survivor but that’s it, I’m over it, I’m done. Lose my number! But then … I always say I’m going to retire and then two years later, there I am on another season.”

Australian Survivor continues 7:30pm Monday on Ten.