Following a successful leap from YouTube fame to reality TV stardom as the host of Prime Video’s “Beast Games,” MrBeast – also known as Jimmy Donaldson – is now joining forces with longtime “Survivor” host Jeff Probst to pull off the ultimate competition series crossover.
After announcing the crossover, which will be featured as part of “Beast Games” Season 2 – premiering this January – Donaldson opened up about his experience working with Probst, revealing that he was “shocked” the host agreed to work with him on the project.
Robert Voets/CBSAs YouTube’s most-subscribed creator, Donaldson has garnered a reputation as one of the internet’s most prolific philanthropists – having given away hundreds of millions of dollars since establishing his empire – and successful businessman, with properties like his Feastables chocolate brand and Beast Burger fast-food chain amongst his many ventures.
Still, the billionaire found himself star-struck working with Probst, who has become synonymous with the “Survivor” brand after serving as the hit CBS competition series’ host and executive producer for the last 25 years.
MrBeast Admits He Was Star-Stuck Working with Probst
“The whole time I didn’t really believe it,” Donaldson told fans during a Q&A session following the “Beast Games” Season 2 announcement on Thursday (Dec. 11).
While Probst won’t be present for the entirety of the season, he will play a major role in it’s fourth episode, when 10 contestants will leave the Prime Video series’ “Beast City” and travel to the “Survivor” islands in Fiji for the chance to win their very own $1.8 million private island.
The forthcoming episode will see contestants – including former “Survivor” alumni like Sue Smey – compete in a series of physical and mental challenges in order to claim the prize, as well as the opportunity to continue on towards the ultimate “Beast Games” prize – a staggering $5,000,000!
The ‘Survivor’ Crew Took Control for ‘Beast Games’ Crossover
Though Donaldson’s “Beast Games” has historically staged high-tech, high-production challenges for its competitors, for this special crossover episode, MrBeast revealed that he let the “Survivor” crew take charge.
“It was literally their crew, their camera people, their everything,” he said. “That’s why it feels a little different than our other episodes.”
Donaldson additionally revealed that Probst’s team even pulled iconic challenges from the annals of “Survivor” history – like Get a Grip and the twisted net challenge – to put this season’s “Beast Games” contestants to the ultimate test, as well as providing each of the 10 players with their very own “Survivor” buffs.
CBSAt the end of the episode, to determine which of the final two contestants will walk away with their very own private island, Probst and MrBeast will join forces to host a “Survivor”-style Tribal Council meeting.
“That was the same set they used for tribal,” Donaldson reported. “It allowed us to keep the essence of what makes ‘Survivor’ really cool, and then take what makes ‘Beast Games’ cool and merge them.”
MrBeast Takes Reality Hosting Tips From Probst
As a newcomer to the reality TV hosting circuit, Donaldson added that working with Probst was like attending a one-on-one masterclass.
“It was honestly a very surreal experience,” he said. “The whole time I wasn’t in front of the camera, I was just watching how he interacts with contestants.”
“I realize sometimes I ask questions where it’s a little obvious what they’re going to answer whereas he will say something very open ended, so the contestant just starts blabbing about something instead of leading them,” Donaldson continued, adding that Probst was “the most experienced host I’ve ever been around by a mile.”
“I kind of just make it up as I go. That was the first time I got to see someone who has been doing it for longer than I’ve been alive,” the 27-year-old concluded.
“Beast Games” Season 2 – starring Jeff Probst as well as “Survivor” alumni like Sue Smey, Jesse Lopez, Noelle Lambert and Cydney Gillon – will make its streaming debut on Wednesday, January 7, exclusively on Prime Video.
