Longtime “Survivor” host and showrunner Jeff Probst is someone who always has unusual ways of pumping up players. Whether it’s keeping them motivated during tough challenges or just getting them ready for the trials and tribulations ahead, you can always count on Probst to light a fire in the belly of the castaways.
In previous seasons, the host has even pumped up contestants by rapping Eminem tracks but for “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” he took a more traditional route and instead relied on a passionate speech to get everybody ready for filming the landmark anniversary season.
Jeff Probst Reveals Passionate Speech he Made to Players on ‘Survivor 50’
GettyAs the 50th season of the enduring reality television series, “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” is an important landmark in the history of the show. In fact, Probst felt that the season was so important that he made sure that every single player taking part in the anniversary special was aware.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Probst revealed that he made an intense speech to the castaways just before filming began to ensure they were up for the challenge and understood what was at stake.
It isn’t uncommon for Probst to make these sorts of speeches to the cast. Each season begins with the competitors having a meeting with the production team but this time was more passionate than is usual.
“Before the game started, I always go over to Ponderosa where they’re staying and basically just say, ‘We’re getting close,’” Probst said. “It’s kind of like a locker room, so to speak, just kind of try to pump them up to remind them, ‘This is what you’re embarking on. This is the one time of your life where your life is taken care of back home, you have no emails, there isn’t a work call, you don’t have a flat tire, your dog’s being fed, whatever it is, so go out there and just [expletive] get all you can out of this.’”
He added, “We did say, and I meant it, I also wanted to prod a little bit. Which was, ‘We’re going to be here after 50. The question is: Will you impact 51, or will we just go on without you? Because if this isn’t the greatest season of all time, it will be a disappointment. And they will blame us, and they will blame us for picking you.”
“And that was the truth!” Probst continued. “Like, this is it. And that’s why I said [on the show], ‘You got to give us everything.’ It’s not me being the demanding coach, it’s me being the inspiring coach and saying, ‘You want the greatest season of all time? Then you have to [expletive] show up and deliver’…. That’s what I meant.”
Jeff Probst Says He Will Never Host Another Reality Show
Probst has been one of the few constants throughout the history of “Survivor” and after more than 25 years working on the series, he has no desire to work on a different series.
During a speech at The Paley Museum in New York City, Probst said he will never work on another reality television series. “For me, I made a conscious decision years ago, I don’t want to have another show,” Probst said.
He went on to say, “You know, people start saying, ‘We should do something else.’ No, I want every single idea I have to go into this show because this is the show I work on.”
