Jeff Probst, the long-running host and showrunner for hit reality television series “Survivor,” has revealed the reason he could be seen doubled over exhausted in the latest episode of the show. While it is not unusual to see contestants struggling with the effort of the challenges, the sight of Probst struggling to catch his breath is rarer and will likely have left some viewers concerned. Fortunately, there’s a relatively innocent explanation about why the host found it so difficult.
Jeff Probst Explains Why He Was So Exhausted
CBS/GettyIn the latest episode of “Survivor” season 49, the remaining players competed in a reward challenge before being put into new tribes. The task involved a lot of physicality from players, who had to move a lot of weight and climb large ladders.
Unsurprisingly, many of those taking part were running on empty after the tiring challenge. What was more shocking was the moment when Probst was spotted doubled over with his hands on his legs.
On an episode of the host’s ”On Fire with Jeff Probst” podcast, he revealed exactly why the challenge had taken so much out of him as well. “The island where that challenge took place is the single hottest spot we ever shoot in Fiji,” Probst explains. “It might be the hottest spot in all of Fiji.”
“It is so dense [in] that one spot. It’s like you’re in a sauna and someone is pouring more water on the coals. And I’m not exaggerating.”
“Here’s what happens,” he tells co-host Jeremy Collins. “You have this amazing boat ride. It’s beautiful skies, the wind is blowing your hair back, you feel amazing. And then you step off the boat and walk into this dense forest.”
“The cliche is, everybody says, ‘Man, it’s so hot today.’ And we all know we say it and we all try not to say it. ‘I’m not gonna say it today. I’m not gonna complain about the heat. I’m not gonna say anything.’ And then you walk in and you go, ‘But my God, it’s hot! It’s so hot again today!’”
Probst Has Been Open On His Podcast
GettyThis is not the first time that Probst has been open and honest on his podcast. In earlier episodes of the show this year to coincide with the airing of season 49 of “Survivor,” Probst has already explained why he doesn’t think a golden senior version of the reality series in the same vein as “The Golden Bachelor” would work.
When asked about the possibility he said, “Based on the number of people over, let’s say 50, who apply and who we believe are interesting and compelling enough to be on the show and we believe can truly handle the intense physicality — I think if you just limited it to 50-and-over casting, it would be difficult to do two times per year. You’re looking at 40 people. I just don’t think it would work, personally.”
He also recently lifted the lid on why no contestants from “Survivor: Winners at War” are part of the cast of the landmark season 50. According to Probst, the production team “made a decision not to bring any of the winners from Winners at War because we had just seen them and it was a big season.”
