Peter Too Holy For Survivor?

After losing the show's very first immunity challenge, the members of the Maraamu tribe headed to tribal council where Patricia, Vecepia, Rob, Sean, Sarah, Hunter and Gina sent the spiritual yoga-practitioner packing.
Peter's major headline: "The love was so real you could smell it."

Peter says he's happy to have had the adventure and not disappointed at all in being the first to go. "If you ask anyone who knows me," he said, "they'll tell you I'd either win the game or be the first one to go. That's my personality."

Here is our pre-interview:

Q: How does it feel to be the first man booted from a Survivor premiere?

A: First man on the planet. It hurt the ego a little bit, but the next day I thought it was perfect. I could feel myself getting way too serious. I really wanted to stay in a neutral state, and I felt myself get caught up in that game.

Q: Did you think you were safe since you are strong and a man?

A: I knew I was voted off early on the third day. Love's a beautiful thing, no doubt about it. Gina and Hunter were falling in love, and Rob and Sarah, and that created two couples right off the bat. Sean and V share a love of scripture. When we hit the island, there were three couples, and this was more Temptation Island than Survivor. Tricia was playing the mom role. I told her I couldn't call her mom. I looked in everyone's eyes after we lost the challenge and could tell it was me. No one would make eye contact with me.

Q: Was the spirituality a bit too much?

A: It's my passion. I wake up and have a conversation with my soul, and I have another one before I go to bed. That's me.

Q:Why did you want to have a strategy meeting after tribal council?

A: To try and take as many people as possible into the jury. I didn't care if I made it or not. And when I left, there were three separate teams.

Q: Were you disappointed that the group didn't take you as their leader?

A: No. I really felt that the leader would need to unify the team, and I wasn't so sure if Hunter was the right one. That wasn't one tribe; it was three separate ones.

Q: You got the fire going. Wasn't that worth something?

A: No. I sensed on the island, it didn't matter what you do. It was definitely a personal thing going. I would have never voted Hunter off. He's an unbelievable swimmer and I let him know that.

Q: Did you try and align with him?

A: I told myself I wasn't going to be part of an alliance. For a couple of reasons. I went in there, and I don't like doing things behind people's backs, and it would seem disingenuous. But then again, I was voted off first. Part of me thought that Mark Burnett would switch teams right away. The love was real you could smell it.

Q: Was there physical romance going on?

A: Their electromagnetic fields were merging, if you know what I mean. It's a beautiful thing, but I saw it as a deterrent. It wasn't for television either. It was real.

Q: They didn't even know each other?

A: Someone's getting a promotion. Whoever it was in casting. I remember when we were in the gym in Los Angeles before we could even speak to each other and I remember Hunter and Gina connecting. There was something there right away.

Q: What were your expectations when you were selected?

A: I tried not to have any. I was going for the experience.

Q: How long did it take to reach shore after Maraamu jumped ship?

A: It was a long time. I had blisters on my left side. I rowed the whole time. As soon I knew Sarah was up to something as we were coming to shore, I jumped off the back.

Q: Did it disappoint you that she didn't help with the rowing?

A: She was sick, and I tried not to get judgmental. And I felt myself being too serious about this game. I vowed once I knew it was time to go, I would just accept it. I would not try and take someone else out. The day after tribal council, I saw their faces and went into the woods to have a talk with myself and agreed that I would accept it.

Q: Was it a surprise to you that there was no food?

A: No, because we have a family cottage that's on the coast, and I've always dreamed of living off the water. I put myself on a 40-day fast before to cleanse my system so it didn't bother me. I lost 20 to 30 pounds then. And when we got there I saw the grapefruit and I knew how to catch fish. Rob and I knew how to fish.

Q: He didn't have a problem voting you out.

A: If I was falling in love, maybe I would do the same thing.

Q: What did you name the dog you agreed to buy for your kids as a result of your being on the show?

A: The dog is on order. That's how I told my wife. We filed the application in the mail. The kids were relentless, but we knew we should get one and both kids said, "If you get on Survivor, can we get a dog?" That's how I told my wife I had been picked. I said, "Erica, we're getting a dog."

Q: How's business been at the bowling alley since people found out you were on the show?

A: This has been the coolest thing. The amount of joy in everyone's faces it's the most amazing thing. I was telling someone yesterday.

Q: And what will all of them say when you get back to work?

A: I think it's going to be fine. The people that know me won't be surprised at all. As a matter of fact, if you ask anyone who knows me, they would tell you I'd either win the game or be the first one to go. That's my personality.