Survivor 49: Nicole Mazullo says she didn’t get along with Jake Latimer and felt her exit was personal
First boot reveals island tensions, the Shoe Bandit moment, and how tribe dynamics shaped the early exit on Survivor 49
Nicole Mazullo, the first contestant voted off Survivor 49, says she didn’t get along with tribemate Jake Latimer and that her elimination felt personal to some extent, even as she frames the game as a competition with shifting loyalties. In an exclusive conversation with the New York Post, Mazullo detailed the dynamics that unfolded on her six-person tribe and reflected on how a social imbalance can shape a vote-off before the castaways even reach the jury.
“Yeah, I think it felt personal,” Mazullo said, acknowledging that the vote-out carried a sting beyond strategy. “You know, I don’t believe that any vote out is personal, right? Because it’s a game.” She suggested that the atmosphere on her tribe included tensions that went beyond simple boardroom-style gameplay, noting that there were some sort of rifflings between Jake Latimer and herself that affected how others perceived their alliance and social standing. “And Jake had a lot of social capital in this game, and he along with a lot of folks,” she added, signaling that Latimer’s position within the group complicated any bid she might have hoped to make for support. “So yeah, it might have it might have been a little personal, but everything’s a little personal.” Mazullo’s remarks illuminate how the line between strategy and personal dynamics can blur quickly in a six-person tribe where every vote carries weight.
During the premiere episode, Latimer privately called himself the “Shoe Bandit” after hiding one of Mazullo’s shoes and sharing the mischief with the cameras. Mazullo said she learned of the hidden footwear after she had already been eliminated, which she described as “cringy” and reminiscent of a notorious Survivor moment. “So I knew that someone on the island was throwing around my shoes. I’m just like, that’s cringy, honestly. That’s a little cringy but whatever,” she recalled. “Because it reminds me of Russell Hantz. Just let Russell have that.” She noted that a fellow contestant warned her that the shoe might appear in the episode, and she appreciated the heads-up, even as the reveal left her laughing and shaking her head in disbelief when it aired.
The outcast status Mazullo describes is not something she expected to experience. The Philadelphia native said she has a known track record for getting along with people and forming connections, even in crowded social settings. “I’m the type of person that I can get along with anyone. Like, truly, I know I can get along with anyone. And so I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to be great. I’m gonna work with Annie, I’m gonna work with J [Jeremiah].’ I felt like anyone was an opportunity to connect. And then it just didn’t translate when we got out there.” The result was a rapid shift in tribe dynamics that left Mazullo feeling on the outside from the outset, despite her effort to bridge gaps and build trust with her fellow castaways.
Mazullo recalled how the six-person tribe initially appeared to hold potential for a strong, cohesive unit, and she expected to be able to work with Annie and Jeremiah to navigate the first challenges. Instead, she found it difficult to break into the group’s internal cliques and alliances. “And then it just didn’t translate when we got out there,” she said, emphasizing that there was a palpable sense of misalignment between her and the others from early on. She also noted that the tribe’s performance in the opening challenges surprised her: she did not anticipate losing the first two or three challenges and believed they could have surged ahead with better coordination and open lines of communication.
The social fabric of Survivor 49 has been a talking point since the season’s early episodes, with Mazullo’s account offering a window into the subtleties of alliance-building in a small group. She described a situation in which a single misstep—whether it be a misread of a social cue, a miscalibrated vote, or a stolen moment of strategic leverage—can cascade into a rapid unraveling of trust. Her reflections also touch on how the game’s social currency, built through conversations and favors, can eclipse raw physical performance when a tribe is evenly matched but the social tide shifts unexpectedly.
“The dynamics out there are intense,” Mazullo said. “I thought I’d be able to connect with people easily, and I did connect with some people. But there were others I couldn’t seem to penetrate, and that made the vote feel personal in a way that’s hard to shake off.” Her interview provides a candid counterpoint to the more polished, selectively edited moments viewers see on television, highlighting how personality clashes, perceived loyalty, and social capital can influence who survives and who goes home in the early stages of a season.
Survivor 49 continues to unfold on CBS, with episodes airing Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET. Mazullo’s remarks, which The Post described as exclusive, come as a reminder of the high stakes that accompany every tribal decision and how early impressions can define a contestant’s arc. The exchange also adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about how contestants balance personal feelings with game strategy when the line between friend and rival shifts so quickly on a remote island.
As fans await subsequent episodes, Mazullo’s experience underscores the unpredictable nature of Survivor: even a player who enters the game confident in her ability to connect with others can find herself sidelined by the tribe’s evolving mood, alliances, and strategy. The season’s early events—paired with Mazullo’s account of the Shoe Bandit moment and her perception of Jake Latimer’s social leverage—offer a nuanced portrait of a game that rewards both social finesse and tactical acumen, sometimes at the expense of personal connections.
The New York Post published Mazullo’s exclusive interview on Sept. 25, 2025, providing readers with an inside look at the first boot’s perspective on the island’s early drama. The ongoing Survivor 49 storyline continues to captivate fans who are eager to see how early tensions influence the trajectory of the competition and whether new alliances will emerge from the ashes of the initial vote-offs. As the season progresses, Mazullo’s reflections serve as a timely reminder that in Survivor, even a seemingly straightforward exit can reveal the complex interplay between personal feelings and strategic necessities on the island.
