Since Survivor premiered in the year 2000, hundreds of people have gotten the chance to compete on Jeff Probst's beloved reality show. Looking back at the variety of different people who succeeded or flopped when they tried to win $1 million and the title of Sole Survivor, there is no doubt that luck plays a huge role in the game.
Luck is preparation meeting opportunity is a concept that can sometimes feel trite. However, looking back at the journeys that some of the best Survivor players have had on the show proves how accurate that idea truly is. For proof of that, all any Survivor fan needs to do is look at what Jeremy Collins recently said about how he prepared to compete on the show before he was even cast.
Jeremy Collins was intensely preparing for Survivor before he was cast
Since "On Fire with Jeff Probst: The Official Survivor Podcast" launched in March 2023, it has been hosted by Jeff Probst, Jay Wolff, and different players from recent seasons. For the podcast episodes that will accompany the release of Survivor 49, however, tradition was broken so Jeremy Collins could co-host.
During the first episode of the podcast season, Jeremy proved how interesting he is by revealing how he prepared before he was even cast on Survivor.
“For the good players, it starts early. I mean, I consider myself a pretty good player. And for me, it started early on. Before I even got the phone call to be on the show, I was assessing my game.”
For anyone who wants to compete on Survivor someday, assessing your own weaknesses that could lead you to lose makes perfect sense. After all, recognizing your faults could help you improve as a potential Survivor player. Failing that, knowing what you are bad at could allow you to downplay your failures and shine a spotlight on your strengths while dealing with the casting team and your tribe mates.
While Jeremy being self-critical before he was cast on Survivor seems entirely rational, what he said next during the podcast episode would shock most observers. While talking to Jeff about how he prepared to play Survivor before he'd even been cast, Jeremy revealed two fascinating ways that he transformed his body to be better at the game.
"You know, I was studying. I was taking notes on every season," Jeremy said. "I was growing out my fingernails so that when I get out there, I could pick knots. I was shrinking my stomach. I was a madman, Jeff. "
In response to Jeremy's comments about how far he went to prepare to compete on Survivor, Jeff sounded stunned. After registering how surprised the reality show's host seemed, Jeremy doubled down and stated he believed every player needs to be on the ball if they want to succeed in the game.
"Before I got the call that I'm going to be playing, I was preparing. And I think that's where you need to start. Then once you get going and you're in there, you're assessing everybody pregame. You're looking everybody up and down. You're watching their movements. You're studying them."
As a Survivor fan, I have always loved Jeremy for seemingly being effortlessly charming. I have also always appreciated that Jeremy has obviously had an incredible work ethic, to say the least. Still, after hearing what he said about his preparations, I am an even bigger fan than ever and I think that Jeremy could become a two-time winner if given the chance again.