As Survivor's host and longtime boss, there is no doubt that Jeff Probst has always been the reality show's most famous star. Even with that in mind, there are a handful of other people who've been able to be added to the list of people who are most closely associated with the series. The most obvious examples of that are Sandra Diaz-Twine, Tony Vlachos, Parvati Shallow, and, of course, "Boston" Rob Mariano.
When the Survivor Hall of Fame was launched in 2010, Mariano was one of the first five players who was inducted based on a fan vote. It definitely isn't only the show's fans who have made their love for Mariano very clear. During interviews and through his actions, Probst has also made it very obvious that he respects and appreciates Mariano. While that is great, I think that Probst really needs to stop giving Mariano special Survivor treatment.
Boston Rob needs to stop being treated so differently by Jeff Probst
On October 22, 2025, an episode of the On Fire with Jeff Probst: The Official Survivor Podcast titled "Sharks and Seals" was released. During that episode, Jeff Probst could be heard explaining why people like Parvati Shallow and Jeremy Collins had publicly revealed that they weren't contacted to compete during Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. As Probst explained, he didn't want to bring the former winners who competed during Survivor: Winners at War to be part of the upcoming landmark season.
"We made a decision not to bring any of the winners from Winners at War because we had just seen them and it was a big season. And I know a lot of people are going miss players like Jeremy, but that was the reason why. That simple.”
In fairness to Probst, that is a pretty easy-to-understand argument for the host to make. After all, it would be frustrating if Survivor 50 felt like a Survivor: Winners at War retread. However, the problem is that Boston Rob Mariano posted on Instagram about why he won't be part of the upcoming season. As part of his post, the Survivor Hall of Famer stated that after Probst contacted him about being part of Survivor 50, Mariano turned the opportunity down.
To date, there is no evidence that any other Survivor: Winners at War players were contacted about Survivor 50. As such, it certainly seems like Mariano received special treatment from Probst. More recently, it seemed like there was another example of that.
Rachel Reilly is a reality show icon who has become beloved for her time competing on Big Brother, The Traitors, and The Amazing Race. Given her pedigree, it was very exciting when Reilly made it very clear that she hoped to compete on Survivor. In fact, there was so much excitement that Probst was asked about the possibility when he walked the red carpet before the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. In response, Probst stated that for her to get on Survivor, Reilly will have to go through the same process as anyone else.
"Well, first she’s got to apply. She’s got to want it bad enough to send in a little two-minute video and say 'Here’s why I should be on.' There’s no secret passage way to getting on Survivor."
On the one hand, that seems like a major mistake from Probst since casting Reilly seems like a no-brainer. On the other hand, Reilly having to audition like other players does seem fair, so even Reilly's supporters had to concede that. However, it now seems like Probst's position has changed, and there is a secret passageway onto Survivor, through Mariano.
As a December 2025 Entertainment Weekly article detailed, the Dancing with the Stars icon Derek Hough agreed to play Survivor if Mariano agreed to compete for a Mirrorball trophy. "I'll do Survivor if Boston Rob does Dancing With the Stars." Even though Probst had previously claimed that anyone who wants to compete on Survivor will have to go through the casting process, the Survivor host published an Instagram Stories video in which he stated that he loved Hough's challenge. The obvious implication was that Hough would be welcome on Survivor as part of the challenge he gave Mariano.
"I gotta say, I love that you just put this idea out into the ether, because I think you're gonna be surprised how many of your fans are gonna want to see you compete on Survivor. And now that you've issued a dare to Rob, this could get interesting, 'cause you know as well as I do that Boston Rob is the kinda guy who will take that dare and end up winning Dancing With the Stars."
Based on those two instances, it at the very least seems like Mariano gets special treatment from Probst. That has simply got to stop in the opinion of this Survivor fan.