Jeff Probst typically doesn’t outright bash former Survivor winners, but a look through his season winner reveals paints a subtle picture.
It’s no surprise that intrepid host and executive producer ofSurvivor,Jeff Probst, has his favorites. Though he’ll probably never publicly bash anybody not named Russell Hantz, Jonny Fairplay & Brian Heidik (only one of which is a winner), it’s clear in the way he hypes up seasons or downplays others that he has feelings about who won that particular game.
One of the more recent noticeable upsets that Jeff Probst has encountered was certainly Michele Fitzgerald winningSurvivor Kaoh Rong.He wouldn’t feel compelled to change theFinal Tribal Council dynamicsto facilitate a more nuanced conversation immediately after her season aired, nor would heso publically agree with the public backlash in interviewsimmediately following the finale.
It was a point on contention for a member of theSurvivorsubreddit, who posted Jeff Probst’sstrained attempt to appear neutralin announcing Michele’s win. It spawned a look at all the pastSurvivorwinners, showcasing our host’s range of emotionsannouncing the 35 winners across all 36 seasons of the CBS version of the show.
Related Story: Survivor: Ranking 35 seasons
It’s funny to see just how unbiased Probst was back in the early days when he didn’t have the weight of an executive producer role hanging on his shoulders. Richard Hatch was the game’s first notorious villain, and Colby Donaldson was supposed to be the heir apparent as the first Golden Boy player to win the game.
The most elated Probst gets is when those strong, physically-dominant and/or producer pet strategic players are those he gets to announce as winners. You can see the elation in either Yul or Ozzy winningCook Island,or Cochran winningCaramoan,but the reserved feelings for those like Sophie Clarke or Denise Stapley.
Next: Survivor Winners: Ranking 35 Sole Survivors By Season
Though it shouldn’t be much of a concern on paper, the more Probst gets involved in the production of the show, the more biased it becomes to players of a certain archetype getting more chances to win. You saw it when Ben wonHeroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlerswith the surprise Final Four twist, and now with the show out a casting director, it’ll be interesting to see where the direction of the show heads in the 39th and 40th seasons.
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