When CBS announced fans would vote on key elements of Survivor 50, many fans wondered if they would have some input over which returning Survivor players would be part of the cast.
Honestly, it was the first thing that crossed my mind. I think we all remember Survivor: Second Chance, also known as Survivor: Cambodia, one of the most underrated Survivor seasons of all time. Jeff Probst and Survivor brought back a few former players and fans voted to pick which players would return for Survivor: Cambodia. It was epic, but it was devastating for the players who didn't get picked.
As it turns out, Jeff Probst doesn't want that to happen for Survivor 50, and his reasoning, which he shared in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, makes total sense.
Fans won't vote on the Survivor 50 cast
EW's Dalton Ross asked Probst if the idea for the fan voting came from Survivor: Second Chance, and that's when Jeff shared some of the big news that fans will not be voting on the cast of Survivor 50.
Here's what Jeff told EW:
"Second Chance was people who had something left to prove and they had a burning desire. They wanted it so much that they would subject themselves to a live vote, and know that they might not get chosen. For Survivor 50, you can assume we're going to be bringing back some legends, and you just can't ask a legend that you built the show on their back and could argue they are part of building the show and then turn around and ask them to subject themselves to a vote."
Honestly, that's probably the best way to put it. Imagine asking Boston Rob, for example, to return for the new season and pitting him against, I don't know, Tony Vlachos in a fan vote. That just would not be the move, you know? It's bad vibes, bad karma, etc. This is supposed to be fun and something that takes Survivor to another level by giving fans a hand in some of the big decisions of the game. It seems silly to pit players against each other when this season is meant to be a celebration as Jeff has said now on multiple occasions and interviews.
Jeff shared another good point about why he felt a fan vote for the Survivor 50 cast was not the right move.
"It never worked for me. It always felt weird. I imagine somebody calling me and saying something similar and I think, “Gosh, I’ve proven enough that you either want me or you don't." So that was really it for me. Plus, we had done it and we've never done this. To me, this was a much more exciting idea because what I normally hear from fans is “If I was in charge, this is what I would do.” And so well, now you are, and really that's it."
It's also understandable that fans want to make some decisions regarding the cast. If you take a spin on social media or the Reddit threads, you'll see anyone and everyone is making their predictions about the cast, sharing who they want to return, sharing who they don't want to return, and more. It's fun! The players are why fans love the game so much. They are the reason, in many instances, why we watch, so it makes a lot of sense why we want our favorites to return for such a big season of the show.
I mean, we've been sharing lists of Survivor players we want (and don't want) to see return for Survivor 50. All of this speculation is going to continue until Jeff and the Survivor team reveal the Survivor 50 cast. I have a feeling that the announcement is coming sooner rather than later. We'll probably know by the time filming begins this spring who is going to be playing Survivor 50 and who is staying home either from CBS or through unofficial channels. Even though Survivor 50 won't air until February 2026, it's going to be really difficult to keep this cast a secret.
We'll share more updates about the Survivor 50 cast when we find out! Fan voting for Survivor 50 begins during the Survivor 48 premiere on Wednesday, Feb. 26. We can't wait to get it going!