The longtime Survivor host nearly left the franchise behind more than a decade ago — and the decision that kept him in place ended up changing the show’s future.
Can you imagine Survivor without the man, the myth, the legend, and host with the most, Jeff Probst?
For a brief moment, that possibility looked very real. According to a new Variety feature on the history of Survivor, Jeff Probst was prepared to step away after the first decade of the hit reality series.
Around the 2010s, Probst said he spoke with producer Mark Burnett and CBS CEO at the time, Les Moonves, about leaving his role as host.
“I didn’t like the stories we were telling, and I was losing my joy of the format, therefore my joy of the job, therefore my joy of life. I didn’t want vitriol and who can be the meanest, most spiteful person.”
According to Probst, Burnett took those concerns seriously. Instead of letting him go, Burnett decided Probst needed “more responsibility” on the show, opening the door for him to become showrunner in addition to hosting.
That idea, which seems obvious now, was not an easy sell at CBS.
“CBS was initially horrified. They didn’t want stars to be given showrunner status. But I was so argumentative and sure that it was the right thing to do that I convinced them. It was the best move I’ve made in my career.”
And from there, the rest is history. Probst officially took over as showrunner of Survivor before season 21 in 2010, and the game changed dramatically, with some of the show’s strongest seasons airing between 2010 and 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed Probst and the team behind Survivor to rethink the show once again, launching the modern era of the series.
Of course, the road has not been completely smooth for Probst at the helm. Over the years, the show has faced plenty of criticism, including complaints about some creative choices, players crossing over from other reality shows, and the way the series has treated women who have played the game.
Even with those complaints, Survivor feels stronger with Probst in control. The franchise does not always get everything right, but there is no doubt about how deeply he and the team care about the game.
With Survivor 50 nearing its end, it will be fascinating to see what comes next for Probst and Survivor. We already know he is back for Survivor 51 and 52, both of which are set to film in Fiji this spring and summer.
In a pre-Survivor 50 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Probst made it clear he is not going anywhere anytime soon, even if he knows the series will eventually continue without him.
“Okay, here’s my honest truth. I absolutely, 100 percent know this show will go on without me, because it’s the format. The key would be who’s going to be producing and who’s going to be hosting and what point of view are they going to bring to it.”
For now, though, that day is not today — and that is all fans really need to know.
