Andy Rueda: A Love Letter to RHAP | Pod Friends

This week on Pod Friends, Matt Scott (@MattScottGW) is joined by Survivor 47’s Andy Rueda (@andydrueda) for a thoughtful and funny conversation about fandom, anxiety, identity, and what it means to go from RHAP listener to Survivor player.
Andy reflects on growing up in Buffalo, building a life in Brooklyn, and spending years in the Survivor community before finally playing the game himself. He shares what the casting journey was like, how his Survivor experience changed him, and what it has meant to hear from fans who connected with his vulnerability on the show.
Matt and Andy also talk about mental health, representation, friendships formed through Survivor, the “Baby Andy” origin story, Survivor 50, and Andy’s description of his life as a “rocket ship” — a journey that may be bumpy and nonlinear, but always finds its way upward.
If you’ve ever dreamed of playing Survivor, struggled with anxiety, or found belonging in the RHAP community, this episode is for you.
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