After 46 seasons, is Jeff Probst finally leaving? Survivor Back?
After hosting the franchise for 25 years, many were convinced that the host of the long-running reality show would now consider his time on the island over.
There have been rumors and reports over the past few years that he almost did just that.
But Jeff has been very clear about his future with the show, as well as who will replace him as host when he leaves the show.
Is Jeff Probst leaving ‘Survivor’? Not yet!
Fast forward to the beginning of the new millennium.
That’s when Jeff started hosting SurvivorIn 2000, the show debuted on CBS and became an instant sensation. Today, 46 seasons later, Jeff is not only the host, but he is also the showrunner and executive producer.
This jump in status – and in pay – is probably why Jeff has stuck around longer than many expected. But as the show approaches its 50th year, the question remains: will he stay?
Right now, the answer is yes. In fact, he’s already thinking about next decade’s seasons.
“When you’re in the position of executive producer, you have to have a global eye on the show,” Jeff said. Diversity in an interview in June 2024. “I can’t just worry about this season. I have to think, ‘How do we get to 50?’ And then, ‘What’s 51? How do we get to 60?’ So, I always look at the bigger picture.”
Wow! Season 60! It’s hard to imagine! Just like it would be hard to imagine Jeff leaving as the show’s host.
Although Jeff has made it clear that he sees a future in the show, he isn’t sure if that means he’ll stay on as host.
Jeff Probst knows who will replace him as ‘Survivor’ host
While there’s no end in sight for Jeff just yet, the truth is that every host retires at some point. (We’re looking at you, Pat Sajak!)
And when that day comes, Jeff will already have instructions on who the next person will be to take his place.
“When I left ‘Survivor,’ and it continued, there were a variety of people who could bring a new perspective to it,” he told Variety.
“I wouldn’t suggest hiring just any television host. I would say hire someone who is curious, who is interested in people… I always think the mistake networks make is they hire a name or someone based on how they look, and they don’t hire a producer. You should hire a producer who works in front of the camera.”
The future of survivors
In fact, Jeff has been open about his plans for the show for quite some time now.
In one of his episodes On fire Jeff talked about his future on the franchise in a podcast in late 2023. A listener asked if season 50 would be his last season, and Jeff promised to continue the show indefinitely on one condition.
“I still love Survivor Very much so,” Probst said on the podcast. “I think that’s pretty clear. Survivor 50 That’s definitely our next big goal in terms of milestones, but you have to remember: We have to get there. So you have to do 45 and 46, then you have to do 47 and 48, then you have to do 49, then you have to get to 50. So it’s one at a time.”
It’s a diplomatic, yet questionable answer. He’s basically putting the ball in the network’s court. If they keep running the show, he’ll keep hosting it.
Pretty simple, right? But Jeff said the game only works if there are other people coming back year after year, not just him.
Keep the ‘Survivor’ team together
“The biggest thing for me is keeping our team together,” Jeff said, speaking as the show’s helmsman at the helm of production.
“It’s kind of the whole enchilada, because I get a lot more credit than I should. This show is made by a huge group, and we’re all in it together, and I wouldn’t want to do the show with any other team. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to start over with new people. So I’m in it as long as everybody else on the team is in it.”
So here it comes down to this: If CBS continues to renew the show, Jeff will be able to keep his team intact, and people will keep applying to compete…
Oh yes – what about new competitors? Are there really still that many people willing to play a game that seemed so new 20 years ago, but now seems to have run its course?
Jeff hopes so, and if we want him to continue hosting, it’s a condition of his return.
“As long as the show stays fun and the people who apply stay interesting, I have no intention of stopping,” Jeff said.
How COVID prevented Jeff from leaving ‘Survivor’
In an interview in 2022 Entertainment WeeklyJeff He revealed that there was a time when he was about to leave the show forever.
Jeff He said that the pandemic proved to be a boon for him. It gave him time to consider his future with the franchise.
“The COVID break was great Survivor “It was a hard reset for me,” he said. “Soon after Winners at War, which I loved, I was more exhausted than I thought I would be. When we had to suspend filming, it gave me a chance to step back and reflect again on all the things I love so much about the show.”
He said that since then, and since he was promoted, the show has given him more than ever before.
“This is in keeping with the ideas I try to impress upon my players,” Jeff explained.
“It’s about pushing myself further than I think I can go, about trying to stay in the present moment.”
He concluded by saying: “The same opportunity Survivor offers to players, it offers to me. I like it Survivor And I still need Survivor,