Jeff Probst “knew he would be mocked” after the first season of Survivor

In a new interview, the long-time host and executive producer sits down with The Ankler’s Richard Rushfield to talk about all thingsSurvivor.

ByJacqueline Thomas|

“Only One of Yous Can Win” – The $1 million dollars is closer than ever as the remaining castaways enter the final stretch of the game. A major come-from-behind win earns one person a trip to the sanctuary and a spot in the final four. Then, a tumultuous fire-making showdown determines the final three. One castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $1 million prize, on the season 48 finale, followed by the After Show, hosted by Jeff Probst, on SURVIVOR, Wednesday, May 21 (8:00-11:00

If, in a game of word association, you’re only allowed to say one word to make your partner guessSurvivor, chances are you’re going to say “Probst.” Because as far as connections go,Jeff Probstis synonymous withSurvivor—and vice versa.

And in a new interview (below), the long-time host, executive producer, and showrunner sits down live with Richard Rushfield forThe Anklerto talk about all the things fans want to know about the long-running hit reality competition show.

After sharing a bit about what his life was like before landing his iconic role as the face ofSurvivor, Probst and Rushfield go into the details of that very first season (Survivor: Borneo) and what went into it. “Mark [Burnett] and I talked a lot about the vernacular of the show, and we agreed we don’t want to say ‘game’ or ‘players’.”

“Reverse the Curse” – Back from tribal, tensions rise following the exit of a particularly historic player. The final five immunity challenge ends in a showdown and features one of the closest finishes the show has ever seen. Jeff reveals the outcomes of the remaining in-game fan votes and how they impact the final stage of the competition. Then, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $2 million prize, during the three-hour live season finale, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, May

Probst recounts how strange it felt filming that first season sharing a language that had never been used for reality television before. If you watch backBorneo, you’ll see a lot more moments of Probst explaining game elements like tree mail—something so widely known as existing in the world ofSurvivorthat they barely even show it in the edit anymore. It’s just assumed that before heading to any challenges, the castaways got a little rhyming clue of what to expect.

“I knew that I would be mocked,” he laughs, looking back on how ridiculous some of the—now famous—phrases for the showfelt, having never used them before. “I say some of the weirdest stuff, I say ‘fire represents life,’ and ‘the tribe has spoken,’ and all these things, but I also really did believe that if we could create a world and I could be a part of it where what you thought was [that] we’ve been around forever. You’re the ones catching up.’

And it worked! Both of those phrases—and more—used in that very first season have been in the pop culture zeitgeist over the last 26 years. And just as Probst is synonymous withSurvivor, you can’t hear those phrases and not think of him, either.

From Day 1, he and the entire team behindSurvivorknew exactly what they were buying into. And now, as we venture intoSurvivor 51and the new “open era,” those classic moments still bring us so much joy. For as much as the show has changed and evolved with the players over the years, the heart of the game hasn’t changed a bit.

Watch the full interview below:

Add us as a preferred source onGoogle

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Home/Jeff Probst