For the last 25 years, Jeff Probst has dedicated his life to “Survivor.” Serving simultaneously as the Emmy-winning competition series’ host and executive producer, Probst has become synonymous with the franchise, personally overseeing the journeys of more than 750 contestants over 701 episodes to date.
Now, as Probst prepares to welcome 18 brand new castaways to the show’s 49th season, the longtime host is getting candid about his own “Survivor” journey – opening up about his all-time favorite players, the highly anticipated arrival of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” and a possible appearance Peacock’s “The Traitors.”
Probst Fields Fans’ Burning Questions on the Emmys Red Carpet
Despite “Survivor” walking away empty-handed from this weekend’s 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Probst – who was in attendance as both a nominee and a presenter – seized the opportunity to plug the longrunning series’ upcoming season, and to answer some of fans’ burning questions during a series of red carpet interviews.
Fielding questions from publications like USA Today and CBS Mornings, Probst opened up about why legendary “Survivor” stars like Parvati Shallow and Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano weren’t invited back to compete on the show’s landmark 50th season, as well as revealing his all-time favorite castaways as “Surivor 48” duo Joe Hunter and Eva Erickson.
CBS/GettyThough he admitted there might be some recency bias at work in his controversial response to the latter inquiry – unsurprising given that Season 48 was nominated for Outstanding Reality Competition Program at this year’s Emmy Awards – the revelation was far from Probst’s biggest bombshell of the night.
Probst Thinks He Could Win ‘The Traitors’ as a Contestant
When asked by CBS Mornings’ Gayle King which of the night’s other Emmy-nominated reality competition series he thought he could win as a contestant, Probst said, “I’d like to give [‘The Traitors’] a shot.”
The proclamation came as a shock to some fans, particularly given that Probst has expressed less-than-complimentary opinions on the NBCUniversal murder-mystery competition series in the past.
Not only has Probst previously critiqued “Traitors” host Alan Cumming’s more theatrical and character-driven hosting performance – often comparing it to his own “authentic” and “vulnerable” hosting style – he’s also called out the series for allegedly “poaching” former “Survivor” star like Parvati, Boston Rob and Cirie Fields to boost its ratings.
Though Probst recently rescinded his comments regarding “Survivor” stars looking to further their success by competing on rival reality competition shows, his comment still comes as a shock to the reality TV system – especially after “The Traitors” defeated “Survivor” for the second consecutive year in the Emmy’s race for Outstanding Reality Competion Program.
Could Probst Leave the ‘Survivor’ Islands for the ‘Traitors’ Castle?
All that considered, the possibility of Probst joining a future season of “The Traitors” wouldn’t be entirely unprecedented.
“Survivor” stars have been an integral part of the franchise – at least in the U.S. – since its inception in 2023. Cirie Fields (“Survivor: Panama”) and Stephenie LaGrossa-Kendrick (“Survivor: Palau”) became the first “Survivor” stars to join the franchise on Season 1, with the former taking home the entirety of the show’s $250,000 grand prize.
The trend continued on Season 2, with Parvati Shallow (“Survivor: Cook Islands”) and Sandra Diaz-Twine (“Survivor: Pearl Islands”) appearing as contestants before Jeremy Collins (“Survivor: San Juan del Sur”), Tony Vlachos (“Survivor: Cagayan”), Rob ‘Boston Rob’ Mariano (“Survivor: Marquesas”) and Carolyn Wiger (“Survivor 44”) joined the cast of Season 3 earlier this year.
“Survivor” stars will once again appear on “The Traitors” when Season 4, starring the likes of Yam Yam Arocho (“Survivor 44”), Natalie Anderson (“Survivor: San Juan del Sur”) and Rob Cesternino (“Survivor: The Amazon”), airs next year.
The forthcoming season will similarly feature “Top Chef” host Kristen Kish on its cast, potentially opening the door to the “Traitors” castle to other reality TV hosts like Probst on a future season.
