Rupert On 'Survivor' And Charity

America's best-loved Survivor, Rupert Boneham can't get over the hype of how harsh the conditions are on Guatemala. "That's why it's called Survivor!" he says.

He told The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith, "Panama was pretty darn hard. What they're complaining about in Guatemala is any time you have over 100 plus degrees, 90 percent humidity, and rain that is just torrential, it is hard. It is hard."

Yes, after winning the million dollars, he still watches the show.

"I was a 'Survivor' junkie before I got on the game. Now I understand the game even more," he said.

And for those who went through the game, he said harsh conditions are expected. But he does have some sympathy for the Guatemalan players.

"They don't have water to bathe in, or an ocean to swim in or get fish from, and that's got to be tough," he said. "The stuff you have to eat in the forest is not as good. I know how hard it is to eat that stuff."

He is, however, amused to see the men coming off as weak while the women are the providers and real contenders. "The women are showing the toughness and the men are crumbling," he said.

As for his take on the players, Rupert told The Early Show he is "shocked" Stephenie LaGrossa and Bobby Jon Drinkard are still in the game.

"No one has said 'You had your chance.' It's a free vote out. They both are not even on the radar of being removed right now. They are not even being targeted," Rupert said. "I hope Stephenie makes it to the final four, but she has to work on her skills."

Rupert said she needs to change her attitude or she could get booted like talker Blake Towsley.

"You forget about the social side of 'Survivor.' You don't really understand when you start talking about yourself and how other people around you see you," Rupert said to Blake. "I was yelling at the TV last night saying, 'You got to stop it. You got to back it down.' "

As for Gary Hogeboom, Rupert said, "I remember him when he played on the Colts. I want him to say, 'Yes. I'm him, and I spent all my money and had to do 'Survivor'!"

In this game, castoff Blake Towsley said, "Realize it's a third mental, and third physical, and third pure luck."

Out of the game, and a million dollars richer, Rupert said he is "understanding the business side of this world more, like with Rupert's Kids and my mentoring group, trying to work the business side. I never thought about that part of it."

Rupert has spent most of his post-"Survivor" time dedicated to the charity he began after winning the big prize. Rupert's Kids Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring and educational programming to at-risk youth through the rehabilitation of housing for low-income families.

"Right now I've got one of my kids living on campus out at a college in Indianapolis," he said. "I've got three kids in a GED program. I've got six kids in work programs. All these kids, no one really saw any value in them. And I'm showing how these kids in our juvenile court system across the country are not bad kids, just in bad situations. Given a chance, it's amazing what can happen."

He is in New York City not just to visit "The Early Show," but to raise money for his charity through a hockey tournament with the U.S. Secret Service, NYPD, FDNY and Boston Fire Department.

"The Secret Service has named Rupert's kids as their charity," he said. "We're showing how, in Indianapolis, we've changed the juvenile court system and working on our kids in the juvenile court system."

The tournament is this Friday and Saturday in New Jersey. Visit the Rupert's Kids Web site for more information.