Dee Valladares said she cried during the unaired portion of Survivor 45’s final-five Tribal Council because she thought Julie Alley was going home. In a post-finale interview, Valladares said the moment prompted Katurah Topps to change her vote—but she did not realize then how close she was to being eliminated herself.
Why Dee Valladares says she broke down at Tribal Council
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly published December 21, 2023, after the finale, Valladares described an emotional exchange that viewers did not see. She said Jeff Probst asked what was wrong, and she answered: “Jeff, I’m crying because I know who’s going home tonight.” She believed Julie Alley was about to be voted out.
Valladares said her tears affected the vote. “had it not been for my tears, Katurah would’ve never changed her vote,” she told Entertainment Weekly. That is Valladares’s retrospective account of what influenced Katurah; it should not be treated as independently established proof that her reaction alone caused the vote change.
Valladares did not know she was in danger
Although she later described the final-five vote as a moment when she came close to going home, Valladares said she did not know at the time how near she was to elimination. Her crying, by her account, came from believing Julie was the target—not from knowing the vote might turn against her.
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The idol reveal she saved for the jury
The final-five breakdown was separate from a planned reveal at Final Tribal Council. Valladares said she intended to tell the jury that she had encouraged Julie to play her immunity idol. She said telling Austin Li Coon earlier would have hurt her game, so she chose to disclose it when the jury was present. A separate Parade interview also discusses the reveal and her endgame strategy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Survivor 45 ended
Valladares won Survivor 45 over Austin Li Coon and Jake O’Kane in a 5-3-0 jury vote, according to Entertainment Weekly’s contemporary finale report. The unaired moment she later described took place earlier, at the final-five Tribal Council.
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