Survivor 50 Shocker: Jeff Probst Finally Steps Into the Immunity Challenge for the First Time
Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans is breaking record after record and making history every week. Now, another milestone moment is headed to Survivor 50 episode 9, “I Deserve All of This,” airing Wednesday, April 22 — and this time, all eyes are on Jeff Probst.
For the first time in Survivor history, Jeff Probst will take part in an immunity challenge alongside the players. Probst has tested the challenges behind the scenes before, but this will be the first time he goes head-to-head — or in this case, hand-to-hand — with the castaways.
In the first images released from episode 9, Probst can be seen explaining the challenge with his own rope-and-pulley setup in front of him, while each player has an identical station behind him.
Earlier this year, Probst revealed on The Tonight Show that he would be competing in a challenge during Survivor 50. Jimmy Fallon, the host of the series, will also be heading to Fiji at some point this season.
For fans who know the game inside and out, this is the “Wrist Assured” or “Water Weight” immunity challenge. The players will hold a proportional weight attached to a rope and suspended in the air, trying to keep it in position. The last person standing wins immunity.
This challenge is all about wrist and forearm strength, so it will be interesting to see whether Probst can really hang with the players.
It’s a bold move for Probst, and there’s plenty that could go wrong. If he’s the first person out after spending years holding players to a standard, that would be awkward. These castaways are tired and starving, while he’s probably much better fed thanks to all that Applebee’s back at camp.
On the flip side, Probst could earn major respect if he dominates the challenge and outlasts everyone else. Either way, it’s a true win-or-lose moment for him.
There are still a few players left in the game who have competed in this challenge before. Joe Hunter finished runner-up to David Kinne in Survivor 48, while Tiffany Ervin lost in Survivor 46 to Charlie Davis, who is no longer in the game.
This challenge should be fascinating to watch. Joe’s previous experience and raw strength make him an obvious favorite, along with Jonathan Young and Ozzy Lusth. Ozzy almost always looks ready to thrive in a challenge like this, and Joe and Jonathan are both huge, powerful competitors. If we had to place a bet, it would be on Joe, Jonathan, or Ozzy — sorry, Jeff.
Now the big question is whether Jeff will raise the stakes for everyone involved. Is immunity and reward all that’s on the line, or will there be rice — or maybe even something else — added to the mix? Either way, the producers seem to have something interesting up their sleeve, and viewers will be watching closely.
