Meet the first ''Survivor: Africa'' castoff

Did she ask for the beans or not? Such was the debate after week one of ”Survivor: Africa.” Following in the reject footsteps of Sonja and Debb, Diane Ogden — the alleged bean consumer — got the first ”the tribe has spoken” after she faltered during the first immunity challenge. We caught up with the Nebraska postal carrier and got her to, uh, spill the beans.

So, did you or didn’t you?
I did NOT ask for the beans. I saw on TV what Clarence said and I know what’s true and he knows what’s true. Food was not even on my mind. I was laying in the dirt. [Sarcastically] Yeah, right, ”Can you hand me a can of beans please?”

After you got kicked off, you said you were relieved. Why?
It was harder than I thought. I was so sick. The night after the challenge I was hallucinating. The next morning I tried to get up and kept falling down. Big Tom just said, ”Could you sit your butt down already?”

Were you starting to form any alliances or was it too early?
I think we were pretty much just getting to know each other. I’m not really like that, with alliances. I was just like, who do I like to talk to? That’s basically how I am. I liked Jessie and Tom and Ethan and Kelly. Actually, Clarence too. Not to say anything bad about Kim or Lex, but I didn’t gravitate towards them.

Why’d you pass out on that challenge?
I was sick before that. That afternoon Clarence and I had sat for four or five hours trying to get the fire started. Ethan kept pouring water on us to cool us off. I was on fumes when we started that challenge. It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life. I thought I was having a heart attack when I collapsed. I didn’t see much of the first ”Survivor,” but they didn’t have to do stuff like that in the second one. I’m surprised nobody broke any bones. I don’t remember crossing the finish line, but my teammates said I did and I’m glad I didn’t let them down.

Were you nervous about the animals beforehand?
My son didn’t want me to go. He was hoping I wouldn’t get picked cause he was afraid I’d get eaten by a lion.

What’s the deal with guarding against the animals at night?
Well, that’s their turf. When we were down at the watering hole, I heard a lion. The camera guy heard the lion, too. I looked directly into his camera and said, ”I KNOW you heard that.” Lions make like a snoring sound. I will never forget that sound.