In a game where lying, back-stabbing and betrayal are encouraged, the cast of “Survivor 49” have been hard at work practicing their deception skills in the run up to the season’s highly anticipated premiere on Wednesday, September 24, by offering fans two truths and a lie about their pre-”Survivor” lives.
Does 47-year-old Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore really love skydiving? Did 32-year-old law clerk Jason Truel actually meet his fiance at a Super Smash Bros tournament? Is 29-year-old fitness trainer Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu honestly related to Idris Elba?
While the answers to these questions might not have any actual bearing on the game, it’s certainly been fun for fans to get to know the season’s 18 brand new castaways in a fresh and interesting way.
Jeff Probst Plays A Game of ‘Two Truths and a Lie’ with Fans
Most recently, longtime “Survivor” host and executive producer Jeff Probst hopped on the two-truths-and-a-lie bandwagon. In an Instagram post uploaded on Friday (Sept. 19), Probst puzzled fans with three potential truths about his behind-the-scenes life, but can you spot the lie hidden amongst them?
The first possible truth that Probst offered fans was that, at just 16 years old, he started a balloon bouquet business called “Balloon Factory” that he ran from his mom’s basement.
Next, Probst claimed that he was once the lead singer of a band. Though he didn’t specify what type of music they played, the host asserted that the band once headlined a small music festival.
Finally, Probst alleged that he was a certified wedding officiant, and that he had officiated the wedding of a “very famous” celebrity. This last one, fans know to be true, as Probst famously officiated the wedding of “The Office” star Jenna Fisher in 2010. He has similarly revealed his officiant status on “Survivor” in the past.
So which is the lie? Did Probst really own a balloon bouquet business? Or has he been harboring a hidden rock ‘n’ roll past from fans for the last 25 years?
Probst Really Was in a Rock ‘n’ Roll Band Before ‘Survivor’
While there’s no evidence to support that Probst was spending his teenage years blowing up balloons, there is plenty of proof that the longtime “Survivor” host has a storied rock ‘n’ roll past.
In an interview with the Television Academy’s Foundation Archive ahead of the premiere of “Survivor: Worlds Apart” in 2015, Probst revealed that he did indeed perform in a rock band as a teenager.
Though the details surrounding Probst’s performance career have since been lost (or tucked away) to time, the host has continued to surround himself with high-profile rockers like Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.
Probst has been open about his love for the alt-rock band over the years. In a 2016 interview on “The Rachel Ray Show,” Probst admitted that, “the number one [thing], right now, on my bucket list, is to legitimately sing back up in a band, preferably like a rock band at a real concert.”
The dream became a reality in 2018 when he joined Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters onstage at The Forum in Los Angeles to perform a mash up of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Jump” by Van Halen. Probst enthusiastically provided special guest vocals during the performance, clearly displaying his love for the genre.
While Probst’s claims about headlining a local music festival with his very real rock band as a teen could still turn out to be a white lie, it’s certainly a believable one given the “Survivor” host’s longtime commitment to the genre.
Fans can catch Jeff Probst on the highly anticipated premiere on “Survivor 49” this Wednesday, September 24 at 8:00pm ET on CBS.
