“On Fire with Jeff Probst” – the official “Survivor” aftershow podcast – has been an essential accompaniment to the longrunning reality competition series since it debuted at the start of Season 44 in 2023.
The “New Era” addition to the “Survivor” brand saw longtime host Jeff Probst joined by a number of series alumni as they took to the sound booth to discuss the ins, outs and behind-the-scenes secrets of each new episode as they aired on CBS.
In the past, the podcast has featured co-hosts like Rick Devens (Season 45), Dee Valladares (Season 46), Charlie Davis (Season 47), Rachel LaMont (Season 48) and, most recently, “Survivor” champion Jeremy Collins, who joined Probst in providing coverage for Season 49.
While fans were eagerly awaiting the return of “On Fire” for the show’s milestone 50th season – even speculating that the installment’s first-eliminated contestant would have the privilege of acting as Probst’s latest co-host – their hopes have now been dashed as Jeff confirmed that the podcast would officially be hitting pause for the duration of “Survivor 50.”
Jeff Probst Pauses ‘Survivor’ Podcast: ‘We Want Fans to Discover [Season 50] in Real Time’
CBS“‘Survivor 50’ was designed as a celebration, and it features one of the most exciting game designs we’ve ever done,” Probst said in a statement to Variety. ‘Because of that, we made a conscious decision not to immediately pull back the curtain while it was happening. We wanted fans to discover it on their own and experience it in real time. Then at the live finale, we’ll have the opportunity to reflect on all parts of the season together.”
At first glance, the decision to place the podcast on hiatus seems counterintuitive. “Survivor 50” has been historic, from its record-breaking cast of returning castaways, to its extensive promotional campaign and unprecedented three-hour primetime premiere – which peaked with 6.18 million viewers, providing CBS with its best-performing Wednesday night in four years.
That being said, the golden anniversary season is set to continue to surprise fans with celebrity cameos from stars like Jimmy Fallon, Zac Brown and MrBeast, as well as the game-changing results of last year’s “In the Hands of the Fans” voting polls.
Bringing back the “On Fire” podcast could, in theory, open up too many opportunities for Probst or his would-be co-host to tease these upcoming twists too soon, spoiling the joy for fans who want to see them play out in real time.
CBS/GettyThat being said, the podcast’s hiatus could similarly – albeit unofficially – motivated by Jeremy Collins, last season’s co-host, who received fandom-wide backlash after publicly discrediting Pavati Shallow’s status as a two-time “Survivor” winner after she emerged victorious from last fall’s “Survivor: Australia vs. the World.”
Other ‘Survivor’ Podcast to Fill the Gap During Season 50
While “On Fire with Jeff Probst” won’t be returning until, at least, Season 51 of “Survivor,” there are plenty of other podcasts hosted by former castaways that fans can check out this season.
PeacockAmongst them is “Survivor Know-It-Alls” co-hosted by Rob Cesternino (“Survivor: All-Stars”) and Stephen Fishbach (“Survivor: Cambodia”). The weekly recap series sees the alumni breakdown each episode’s biggest gameplay moves, and awards the so-called “Fishy” award to the best player of each installment.
The program is one of many podcasts in Cesternino’s award-winning “Rob Has a Podcast” network.
There’s also “The Pod Has Spoken,” a podcast co-hosted by “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” champion Tyson Apostol and senior editor at The Ringer, Riley McAtee. New episodes of the program will see the duo break down “Survivor 50” gameplay alongside special guest stars whose “behind-the-scenes perspective will make you feel like you’re sitting in on the tribal council yourself.”
Check out “The Pod Has Spoken” re-cap for the premiere of “Survivor 50” – featuring “Survivor: Africa” champion Ethan Zohn – below.
Additional “Survivor” podcasts posting new episodes throughout Season 50 include “Once Upon an Island,” a “funny & chaotic” program “dedicated to telling the gripping stories of ‘Survivor’ castaways” and “Survivor Specialists,” which provides a more “analytical” breakdown of the show and its players.
A relatively new addition to the list of “Survivor” podcasts is “Beyond the Torch,” co-hosted by “Survivor: China” alumni Todd Herzog and Leslie Nease, which focuses more heavily on telling the stories of the show’s older castaways, exploring how their time on the hit reality series has changed their lives in the years since they played.
