When some people think about what would make a great reality show host, they imagine someone who stays completely above the fray. While I would argue that Jeff Probst is the most important reality show host ever, the fact of the matter is that he often doesn't do that at all. Instead, the truth is that it has often seemed very obvious that Jeff likes some players more than the rest, with calling his favorites by their last name often being an obvious indication of that.
Once a player is no longer actively competing on Survivor, there is no reason why they can't build a personal relationship with the show's host. Before Julie Berry became a Guinness World Record holder, she went on to date Jeff for years after she competed on the show. While Jeff is now married to a woman who never competed on the show, he has built friendships with some former Survivor players and recently revealed which of them he is the closest with.
Jeff Probst named the two former players he is closest with
In September 2025, Jeff Probst spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about what fans should expect from Survivor 49. During that extensive discussion, the outlet asked the reality show host about a series of other fascinating topics. At one point in his conversation with the interviewer, Jeff revealed which two former players he is closest to when he was asked about the subject.
"Probably Rob [Mariano] and Mike White."Jeff Probst
There are two major takeaways from Jeff's fascinating answer to an extremely personal question. The first thing that is remarkable about that answer is that it puts Survivor 50's casting process in a new context. For example, it is now interesting that Jeff recently told Entertainment Tonight that Mike White was cast on Survivor 50 based on a text. Keep in mind, other former players have revealed the hoops they jumped through to even try to be cast on the landmark season.
"He asked. He texted me and said, ‘Just so you know, if you’re doing anything special for 50, I’m in.’ And so I immediately replied, ‘We are now doing something special for 50, centered around you being in, let’s go.’"
On top of that, it seems remarkable that "Boston" Rob Mariano publicly stated that he was asked to be part of Survivor 50, but declined so that his spot could go to someone who hasn't played as much.
Even though "Boston" Rob was asked to be part of Survivor 50, Jeff Probst explained why Parvati Shallow wasn't while speaking to Gayle King at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. "But the truth was, if you're a Survivor fan, we had just done a season of all winners, and it had Parvati, and it had Rob [Mariano] and Tony [Vlachos], and all these great players. And, we felt like we just saw them, so let's do something different for 50. I had nothing to do with Parvati being good or not good. Parvati just won Australia vs. the World. She's a dominant player." That quote obviously applies to Rob as well, but he was still asked about being part of Survivor 50. That difference seems very noteworthy.
The other takeaway from Jeff Probst saying he is the closest to "Boston" Rob Mariano and Mike White is that it is surprising that he didn't mention another Survivor 50 player. It has long been common knowledge among fans that Jeff has been close friends with the multi-time former player, Colby Donaldson. In 2004, Colby described how tight he was with Jeff while speaking to Soap Opera Digest. Considering that quote that appears below, it is surprising that Jeff didn't name Colby too.
"We talked twice yesterday. [Jeff's] one of my best friends in the whole world. We’ve always said we would have become buddies if we’d met under any circumstances. We have a lot in common and see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues. There’s just no doubt that that’s a friendship that will last forever."