“Survivor” host Jeff Probst has opened up about what the future of the reality series will look like without him. As part of an interview with Entertainment Weekly in the buildup to the upcoming 50th anniversary edition of the show, Probst discussed how he is sure that “Survivor” will continue without him.
Jeff Probst Reveals That ‘Survivor’ Will Keep Going Without Him
While discussing his own future and what he sees on the horizon for both himself and “Survivor,” the 64-year-old made sure to make it clear that he is certain the reality competition will stay on the air even after he calls it a day.
“I absolutely, 100 percent know this show will go on without me, because it’s the format,” he said. “The key would be who’s going to be producing and who’s going to be hosting and what point of view are they going to bring to it.”
However, it will not be easy for anyone to step into Probst’s shoes, with the host explaining that the point of view of the next host will be hugely important to keep the ethos of the show.
“You can’t just hire some talking head for Survivor,” he explained. “That would be a bad mistake. But if you hire somebody who has a point of view about humans and behavior and why we do the things we do, then they might bring a whole new point of view to it. They may look at it and go, ‘Here’s what I’m interested in.’”
Whenever Probst does leave “Survivor,” it will be a major departure. As well as acting as host, Probst is also an executive producer and showrunner. In the latter position, he is responsible for the creative direction of the franchise and was pivotal in pushing it towards a faster-paced competition.
Jeff Probst Has No Retirement Plans Yet
During the same interview, Probst made it clear he has no plans to retire soon. He said, “I’m telling you right now, there’s no thought in my mind at all about leaving.”
“I love where the show is. I love our crew. I love the type of people that are applying,” he continued. “It’s up in every category of ethnic diversity. Everybody’s saying it’s because ‘I see myself reflected and represented on the show, so now I want to be on the show.’ That makes me excited.”
Probst also credits the move to a 26-day competition rather than the 39-day format used in early seasons of the show for giving the cast and crew more energy to keep going.
“The 26-day schedule got rid of a third of the shoot, and for everybody out here, that has been really positive, because the show is draining,” Probst explained. “But now it’s doable. It’s still draining, but it’s doable.”
