Not quite 'taking candy' for Yasmin

EXCLUSIVE: Out-spoken Survivor: Samoa contestant Yasmin Giles knows when to call it quits.

The trash talking former hair stylist from Detroit said her exit from the show wasn't a surprise and she was happy to go.

"I'm the first to say when I'm defeated, I'm defeated. And I was defeated," she said.

"It was hard on my mentally as well as physically but emotionally I was drained. I don't think any amount of money was worth my sanity so I was ready to go."

Wearing high heels around the camp and to tribal council, she hadn't realised her shoes would cause such a problem. She figured "if we came together, damnit we were leaving together," she told Stuff.co.nz.

Woefully ill-prepared for the hardships and believing they would be fed behind the scenes, "pooping in the woods" was the hardest part.

"I had no idea that I would have to poop in the woods ... I think I might have got caught up in the whole LA thing and I'm like I'm sure they're going to yell 'cut' and throw us an apple."

The aspiring actress had done "a little researching about camping" but it wasn't enough and she had been forced to wing it.

To compensate for her lack of preparation she set out to step up in the challenges. However, she felt this had backfired as she was strong in challenges but was told she didn't do enough around camp.

Her biggest regret was when she was chosen to spend some time with Foa Foa and ended up telling them beating them in challenges was like "taking candy from a baby".

"It came off a little rude but I apologise because those were not my intentions."

Giles was involved in one of the more controversial aspects of the show - a blazing row with fellow tribe member Ben - and she was still seething about the exchange.

"We're in a time when people like to think that racism doesn't exist but it does. And we had a very heated conversation and after the conversation he made racial remarks."

She said they were racist statements and been had made the comments specifically to hurt her "which was not cool".

"I don't hold grudges but I'd rather not be bothered. The things that Ben (Browning) did say to me he didn't say to my face so I never knew how bad it was. He said those things in a confession."

They had spoken since then "but do I like him? No. Would I hang out with him? No. Do I think he's ignorant? Yes".

"We have not buried the hatchet and I don't think we ever will."

Browning, 28, told Stuff.co.nz last week that he denied all claims of racism.

"It's condescending," he said. "My girlfriend's Asian so how does that work? Everybody who knows me knows that I'll say whatever whenever.

"That doesn't make me a racist - just the ballsiest guy in the room."

Giles was also not short of a word on controversial contestant Russell Hantz, who told other Survivor contestants he lost his dog in Hurricane Katrina in a bid to win some sympathy. In the first episode he had burnt all the other contestant's socks, emptied water canisters and formed multiple alliances.

Giles said karma would come back to haunt him.

"Hurricane Katrina was a very bad time in those people's lives, just like the tsunami in Samoa. And some things you don't speak on, not even for sympathy. Those people lost a part of their past, some of their future and their loved ones so I just think that was really ugly."

While she was not there when the tsunami struck, she was devastated for the people of Samoa who had been so accommodating to Survivor contestants.

"When we were there those people had nothing but wonderful love and hospitality for us and they were really great people with beautiful sports and to know that they went through that, you know, human nature made me sympathise with them and I just felt bad and I hope that they're turning things around for the better."

She believed Shambo, "the one with the mullet" who had been her ally on the show would win.

Stuff.co.nz will interview each contestant as they are eliminated. Survivor: Samoa screens on TV3 on Thursday at 8.30pm.

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