Survivor 50 won’t just be bringing back fan favorites to compete, the upcoming historic season will also mark the return of the live finale reunion! That’s right! The fans have spoken and voted to bring back the live finale reunion as part of the “In the Hands of Fans” voting event.
Jeff Probst made the announcement on January 11 during the Golden Globes broadcast in a special promo spot announcing the live reunion’s return. In revealing the return of the live finale reunion, Probst also revealed that fans will have a chance to compete to secure their place at the live reunion as part of the hidden immunity challenge kicking off at the end of January!
“We’re celebrating something really special, our 50th season. And we wanna have some fun. So here’s what we’ve done. We have hidden 50 immunity idols, one in every state. Your job: solve the clues, find an idol, and you've got a shot at something truly cool. So I’m going to tell you what it is right now. You will come to Los Angeles and be a part of the live finale. That’s right, you voted, the finale is back! See you in Los Angeles!”
This will mark the first time since season 39 that there will be a live finale reunion special, and we cannot think of a better season to be bringing back the live reunion! The live reunions had always been a staple for Survivor and gave us some iconic moments through the years before they were phased out beginning in season 40 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. After canceling the live reunion finale back in 2020, CBS has pivoted to a pre-recorded reunion special in Fiji taped immediately after the final Tribal Council of the year.
We knew there was a strong chance that the live reunion could come back when it landed on the “In the Hands of the Fans” voting ballot, and it’s not at all surprising that the fans voted to bring it back.
The announcement has already been met with celebrations both from fans and former players with Rob Cesternino best summing up the live finale reunion’s return as, “Nature is healing,” in the comments of the Instagram post sharing the Golden Globes promo spot.
If ever there was a season to bring back the live reunion finale, it’s Survivor 50. The historic season will feature the returns of some of the best players to ever play the game and is sure to be one of the best seasons of Survivor in years. The season is sure to be filled with backstabbing and blindsides, so there will surely be plenty to unpack during the live finale reunion – and there is no doubt the Survivor 50 cast will have plenty to say about how the season plays out and the final vote!
With season 50 inching closer and closer with each passing day, CBS will likely begin to drop more updates on the season including fan voting results that will impact the game.
Survivor 50 premieres on Wednesday, February 25 at 8/7c on CBS!