Jeff Probst Will ‘Finally’ Compete on ‘Survivor’ After Years of Talking ‘so Much Smack’ About Players
The 50th season of Survivor will see many familiar faces competing with each other, including host Jeff Probst. Probst has been with the show from the beginning and has officiated countless challenges in his time. This season, he confirmed that he will take part in at least one challenge. He only believes that this is fair, considering his history of trash-talking some competitors.
Jeff Probst said he will compete on this season of ‘Survivor’
Survivor 50 will be the long-running reality show’s biggest season yet. It will have the largest-ever cast, fan involvement, and celebrity guests. Probst said it will also show him competing in a challenge for the first time.
“Yeah, I do [compete], yeah. I do,” Probst said on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. “It was only fitting, [given] that I have talked so much smack for so many years, that I finally compete.”
He refused to give any further details about his involvement, but he noted that it gave him some valuable perspective on the game.
“I’m not gonna say how and when,” he said, adding, “I’m only gonna say, I have a lot of respect for the players now.”
Jeff Probst shared what surprised him the most about this season of ‘Survivor’
Probst admits that the show is taking a lot of big swings for its 50th season. He believed it all worked out, though, which surprised him a bit.
“You know, what surprised me the most, I guess, is that it worked,” he told Parade. “I mean, because we bit off a lot. The first time I wrote down an idea for Survivor 50 was June of 2023. That’s how long this has been percolating to try to figure it out and pick the right people and figure out the challenges and what twists do we get to do thanks to the fans. But it worked.”
He credits this to the dedication of the players.
“The players showed up,” he said. “They showed up. Fans will be happy to know that the players we picked came to play. That’s what’s desired from somebody. Don’t just come out and be. You come out and play the game.”
He said he looks forward to celebrating the long-running show
Survivor has been on the air since 2000. It has been massively successful for well over two decades, and Probst hopes this milestone season celebrates every element of the show.
“What we kept coming back to is we want to celebrate all of it,” he said. “Even though Russell Hantz isn’t going to be on this season, he’s a part of it. So we want the flavor that a Russell Hantz season had. And even though we aren’t going to have Winners at War players on, we want some winners on that.”
While he knows that he can’t please everyone, he said he is happy with the final product.
“Some people will be happy. Some won’t be happy,” he said. “We’re very happy. Everybody came and delivered.”
Survivor 50 premieres on Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET.
