‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst on Season 49, Game Surprises After 25 Years

Survivor is closing in on its 50th season, a milestone that few shows (scripted or unscripted) ever reach. But before that celebration begins, season 49 will deliver on the same strategy, blindsides and big personalities that have defined the competition franchise for 25 years. In an exclusive conversation with The Hollywood Reporter below, Probst reflects on how the “New Era” continues to surprise him, why loyalty was like a “temporary tattoo” this season and the unexpected pressure to make sure 49 resonated with viewers. Even after 25 years of snuffed torches, Probst says the thrill he gets from Survivor hasn’t faded.

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I enjoyed watching you at the Emmys in that funny bit when you announced the winner of the best scripted variety series category.

It was fun to do. It’s fun to be a part of the Emmys. If you had told the little kid in me living in Wichita, Kansas, that “one day not only are you going to work in the industry that you want to as a storyteller, you’re going to be in a room with some of the greatest storytellers of all time because you were nominated as well”? I would’ve never believed it. 

Let’s chat about this season 49 cast. What makes these group of players unique compared to recent seasons?

This is a thought I’ve been having a lot lately, that right now there is almost a direct line from one group to the next because the game is evolving. Every time a new group comes in, they find a different way to do something with the Shot in the Dark, or they encounter a new take on the Beware Advantage. Anytime something like that happens, it now gifts the game because new things are possible or new things are plausible, even if they haven’t happened yet. When you look back to season 41 and you see Marianne win and then you see Yam Yam win and you see all these different players win the game, you watch how they played and it shifts a little bit how you may play.

When Rizo and Shannon and Savannah and Jawan and Kristina all get out there this season, they have their own take on the game, but they’re also bringing 48 seasons of history of what has worked, what hasn’t worked, what they should encounter, what they should expect to encounter. That’s what makes it unique — that they’re playing with more history than the previous group had and therefore, maybe it’s a slightly more evolved group every time.

You’d mentioned intense heat being an issue and that two contestants had been replaced by alternates, but what’s another behind the scenes detail from filming 49 that you think fans would be surprised to learn?

We’ve done Survivor so many times that having a big banner of a new twist is not as likely now. We’re in a New Era of the game that we still think has lots of room to grow, but I understand when you’re a reporter, you’re looking for what’s next. And I say to fans, “What’s next is these tiny evolutions of the game and it’s always going to be about the players.” So I don’t really have a massive thing that would surprise fans. I do remember when we were reaching the last few days and I was thinking that the front half of the game was almost like tattoos in terms of these alliances were formed and people said, “I’m with them for life and I will never betray you.”

And then the merge hits and the back half of the game, it was like, “Wait a minute, this turns out this is a temporary tattoo. It’s very easy for me to wash this off right now.” Because the back half of the game was the antithesis of loyalty and deep bonds. It was, “Whatever serves me in this very moment, this very second.” And it made for a really fun season because the front half is really tough. I mean, I can speak to it, I was sweating, I was stumbling with my words, I was out of breath. And you’ll see that at times. And then the merge hit, they got a little food in their belly and man, the gameplay took a full right turn.

Do you view season 49 as the culmination of the New Era, with 50 as a capstone? Or is the New Era continuing into season 51 and beyond?

It’s a good question, because some of those answers about some of the elements of 50 aren’t going to be decided by us, they will be decided by the fans. Things like starting with no supplies or starting with no food is up to the fans. Same with what types of advantages. Do you want idols? So we went into it with a bit of trepidation, I will admit, but the excitement of saying, “Okay, let’s see where the fans want the game to go.” That’s how we had to look at it, because CBS was super clear with me in that, “If you make this a contest for the fans to vote, then you have to use their votes. You can’t change what they decide.” So we were walking into our own experiment in a way.

If the fans decide, “We don’t really like idols. We’re not so much into the twist. We want them to have food. We want them to have supplies.” Then we know, okay, this is the kind of game fans want. On the flip side, if the fans said, “Forget it, don’t give them anything and throw everything at them,” then we know they want that kind of game and that determined how 50 was going to be built, and then it’s going to be up to the players. Are we birthing something new? Do you want that? Can you do that? That is essentially what I said to the S50 players — that will be on you to see where this show and game goes.

Fans are already buzzing about season 50. How much of that anticipation shaped your approach to 49, and how do you keep the seasons distinct?

I was a little surprised by how fast the fever for Survivor 50 took hold. It even caught me by surprise. I get asked about it almost every single day by somebody I meet on the street. So there was a pressure long before we shot 50, just as we were starting to plan 50. There was a pressure on all of us that we have to deliver and we have to do something that makes this feel special. That’s going to be subjective and some people will like what we did and some people will think we completely missed the mark. That’s always the case. But in terms of our intention, we knew that we wanted to do something with 50.

What was interesting was we then suddenly felt this need to make sure that 49 did not get slighted. This is a great season. It happens to be the season right before 50, but I think fans are going to like this season, and clearly we like two of these players enough that we put them on 50. So our dilemma was yes, we want 50 to be great and we want to put all of our great ideas into 50, but first we’re going to do 49 and I’m really happy with it. So that’s a great problem to have when your fans are so excited about one season that you’re worried they may overlook another. I don’t think that’s going to be the case.

After all this time, what still surprises you most when you step onto the beach and say, “Survivors ready?”

What surprises me is how invigorated I still am, that I still am just as excited for the players to take on this game and to watch what they do. It goes back to the very first day Mark Burnett pitched me the show in my very first meeting and I thought, “This is Joseph Campbell, this is the definition of a hero’s journey and I’m desperate to be a part of it.” I still feel that way 25 years later. The other thing that still surprises me is how many people are still willing to apply to come do it. Because we have thousands and thousands and thousands of people who apply and they’re desperate to go out there and deprive themselves of everything. Not just comfort like food, but also trust and family and information and news. All of it is gone and you are left in the jungle to figure it out.

Here’s one more thing, everybody here is trying to kill you. They’re trying to get rid of you. Good luck. See you at the end. I think it says something about us as humans that we are desperate for this kind of soul-searching adventure. We are desperate. Even though we love our technology, there’s something in our core that would love to just walk away from it for a minute and see if I can find that tree and get that coconut down. And while I’m up there, I’m going to spy and see what these other goofballs are doing. So I think that’s what it is, is that I still love doing it and people still want to play it.

Let’s wrap up with some rapid fire questions. These are six questions I asked everybody on the Survivor 50 cast in Fiji earlier this year. All you have to do is give me a one sentence answer. Here we go. 

Okay…

What’s one life lesson from your time on Survivor that sticks with you to this day?

Talk less, listen more. 

What’s the hardest part of being on Survivor no one talks about?

For me, it’s not rooting for anybody because you want to do it as a human. And I remind myself all the time, I have no stake in this game. It’s their game.

Survivor players you’re closest to personally?

Probably Rob [Mariano] and Mike White. 

Last former player you called or texted?

Mike White.

Best advice for people who apply to Survivor and you can’t say “be yourself”?

Make it impossible for us to not put you on the show. 

Who’s on your Survivor Mt. Rushmore?

That’s easy – Tony, Rob, Parvati, Sandra. 

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Survivor season 49 premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS, streaming on Paramount+..