Survivor Finale Reactions
(Transcript by SurvivorFever.net 5.15.06)

CBSNews.com's Amy Bonawitz talks to the cast of Survivor: Panama minutes after the live finale.  View the video at CBS.com

Amy:  In looking back, what was your strategy?

Aras:  My strategy going in was to make relationships with everybody out there.  To try to be myself and actually to be as honest as I could be.  From there everything evolved.  It's a game that keeps evolving so you have to evolve and you kind of have to change and be willing to be flexible.  I think the most challenging part was not having the food or the rest.  Just physically getting beaten up.  It's an emotional roller coaster as well but physically it was real tough. 

Danielle:  This was just such an unbelievable experience and regardless of the results I'm still so proud of myself that I made it as far as I did. 

Amy: Is there anything that you would have done differently?  Looking back?

Danielle:  I don't like to look back in regret, ya know.  The decision I made at the time, that's what I thought was the right decision. 

Amy:  What's next for you?

Danielle:  I'm open for anything.  I'm ready for the next stage of my life.  I would love to do acting, modeling.  Umm, spokesperson.  I'm totally open and ready for something new and challenging.  I love a challenge.

Jeff Probst:  I'm completely happy with Aras winning.  I think he has...honestly between Aras and Danielle, I think Aras deserved it.   I think he's a good winner.  It's a hard game to do.  I learn that more and more each season and I hear it a lot from Julie who's been out there.  I like to see a guy who's fought hard and won.

Amy:  What keeps Survivor fresh? Why do you think America keeps watching?

Jeff:  I think Survivor really appeals to a couple of things.  There's the whole being stranded in the middle of nowhere.  Which you could be in the wrong part of town or on an exotic island.  I think there's also that whole being picked last.  Whether you're being picked last on the basketball court as a kid or whether you're the first guy laid off at work.  Those are two big themes that resonate.  I think you watch it and you're like, "man that could be me." 

Amy:  So what do you think about the whole outcome?

Shane:  I enjoyed it.  You get removed from the game a little bit and you get a little more resolved and I was happy he won.  When it was all said and done I think he was the most deserving of the two.  At the time my mind was clouded because he had stabbed me in the back.  So at the time I voted for Danielle because I was hurt and now that I'm away from the game a little bit I'm glad he won.

Courtney:  I had some dark moments out there that were like, ughhhhh, it was hard to watch.   But that's life.  You climb a mountain, you're going to fall off.  You get yourself up and you go to the top and you climb the next one.  That's what I'm doing in my life and I'm completely inspired and thankful for the experience.  If you hang on to anger and regret it just weighs you down.  I'm the phoenix rising. 

Cirie:  You know, I love Danielle, I really do. But I love Aras as well and Aras, he's just a great human being.  Aras is genuinely concerned about other people.  And this is a game where you look out for number one, which is yourself.  Aras wasn't like that.  He helped me a lot when he didn't have to.  He never wrote my name down.  He helped keep me in the game longer.  So I'm really happy for him. It couldn't have happened to a better person.

Terry:  It played out really well for Aras.  He had my vote going into the final there and not because I was mad at Danielle or anything.  Aras was great around camp.  He could catch fish, snails.  He made fire.  And socially he and Shane were instrumental in keeping that Casaya tribe together. 

Amy:  So how did your Navy training come into play here?

Terry:  My Navy training helped me with survival.  Not only that but just being twenty years older than a bunch of these competitors.  I've got a wife, I've got two kids, mortgages.  I've got cars, I've got a big airline job and I've got the F14 stuff in the background with Navy and just having all those experiences gave me so much more to draw from, I think.  I needed that at my age to try to compete with these young guys and gals.  They were awesome and you know what, I'd go do it again in a heartbeat.