Andy Rueda: A Love Letter to RHAP | Pod Friends
Sun Feb 08 2026
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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Get your Pod Friends shirt now on the Rob Has A Podcast store: https://rhap-shop.fourthwall.com/en-aud/products/pod-friends
Be part of Pod Friends!
Share the story of how Survivor and the Survivor community have changed your life for the better — and be part of the Pod Friends season finale. Submit your video or audio here:
bit.ly/survivor50stories
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Leave a voicemail: speakpipe.com/podfriends
Email: podfriends@robhasawebsite.com
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Never miss an episode of Pod Friends:
LISTEN: Subscribe to the Pod Friends podcast feed
WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube
SUPPORT: Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!
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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. Big news! Pod Friends now has t-shirts! Get your Pod Friends shirt now on the Rob Has A Podcast store: https://rhap-shop.fourthwall.com/en-aud/products/pod-friends Be part of Pod Friends! Share the story of how Survivor and the Survivor community have changed your life for the better — and be part of the Pod Friends season finale. Submit your video or audio here: bit.ly/survivor50stories Suggest a future guest: bit.ly/podfriendsnom Leave a voicemail: speakpipe.com/podfriends Email: podfriends@robhasawebsite.com Follow on social media: Twitter: @HeyPodFriends & @MattScottGW Instagram: @MattScottGW Bluesky: MattScottGW.bsky.social Never miss an episode of Pod Friends: LISTEN: Subscribe to the Pod Friends podcast feed WATCH: Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT: Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!