Jimmy Fallon just revealed he has a secret role in “Survivor 50” on last night’s episode of “The Tonight Show” while speaking with guest Quinta Brunson. Then he refused to tell anyone what it actually is.
“Something goes down… It’s gonna be nuts. I can’t talk about it,” Fallon told Brunson.
How Fallon Got Into the Game
GettyIt all started with his genuine admiration for “Survivor” host Jeff Probst. “Jeff Probst was on the show. Who doesn’t love Jeff Probst?” Fallon gushed, with Brunson chiming in, “I love Jeff Probst. Big fan!”
Fallon then began pitching ideas to Probst and the production team, admitting they were “terrible ideas.”
“I go, ‘I got to be part of this fans thing,’ because this is all about the fans this season,” Fallon explains. “The producers are genius over there,” he gushes, revealing that they sent him a list of ideas he got to look over.
“So I’m part of an advantage,” Fallon begins. “And then, Quinta, something goes down. It’s gonna be nuts.” He then reveals that he can’t talk about it, leaving fans to speculate what this advantage could be.
Survivor Superfan Quinta Brunson
GettySitting alongside Fallon was “Abbott Elementary” creator and fellow “Survivor” superfan Quinta Brunson.
The two quickly bonded over their shared obsession. “I love ‘Survivor’… I love it,” Brunson said to Fallon after he revealed they’re both fans of the show.
When Fallon asked if she’d been watching the current season, Brunson had a very unexpected answer: “No, because I need to save it to the end.” The reason? She came to the show as a binge-watcher, and says watching week-to-week is just hard after that. “I think when you’re introduced that way, it’s kind of hard to watch week from week.”
Her entry point into the “Survivor” universe was a legendary one. “The first season I saw, I think, was, like, ‘Heroes vs. Villains’,” she said. The twentieth season of the show, it’s widely considered one of the greatest seasons ever and a great introductory season to the franchise. It was a friend who got her there: “My friend Kate, she put me on. She always told me that I would like it, and she was right.”
The Greatest Reality Show Ever?
CBSRight is an understatement. “I’m obsessed,” Brunson admitted. She then made her boldest claim of the night, a sentiment shared by many “Survivor” fans: “I also just think it’s the greatest reality show ever. I don’t watch much reality TV.” Fallon agreed with Brunson, saying, “It’s fantastic.” He zeroed in on what keeps him hooked: “The psychology of it.”
“The casting is great. They do such a great job,” Brunson added. And honestly, more than two decades in, it’s hard to argue.
But when Fallon started teasing his mysterious “Survivor” role and then clamming up, Brunson’s superfan patience wore thin fast. “This is so, like, not exciting when you can’t tell me what it’s like,” she told him.
Fair point, Quinta. Fair point.
Fallon’s mystery advantage airs this Wednesday on “Survivor 50.” Whatever chaos he’s hinting at, it sounds like the show’s biggest season yet just got a whole lot more interesting.
