Trying to imagine a world where Jeff Probst doesn’t host Survivor seems wrong on so many levels.
Since 2000, when contestant Richard Hatch schemed his way to a million dollars, Jeff has been the beating heart of the show that changed television.
But all good things must come to an end, and when we sat down with Jeff to discuss season 34, Survivor: Game Changers, he was in a reflective mood.
“I’ve had a few moments in my 17 years where I’ve thought, ‘Should I keep doing this?’” Jeff, 55, admits. “When you’ve had a career as long as I have, there will be moments where you think, ‘I don’t know, another season…’”
As Jeff trails off, it’s clear the decision isn’t an easy one. After all, Survivor has made him a household name and his catchphrases – “I’ll go tally the votes” – are part of the pop-culture landscape.
Jeff has been hosting Survivor for 17 years!
Family matters
One downside of working on a big show is that sometimes family comes second.
“I get teary just thinking about it,” Jeff, who is stepdad to wife Lisa’s two kids, Ava and Michael,
from her first marriage, says.
“I’m saying goodbye to the kids and Lisa. And even though they’ll visit, they’re not there every day. I really like my routine – I miss it. I have a great life.”
Despite his uncertainty about his future, Jeff isn’t ready to retire the cargo shorts just yet.
“I don’t want to spend my life working,” he says. “But I have to remind myself that Survivor makes my life possible and it’s also the best job in the whole world.”
Jeff and Rove McManus.
If Jeff did call it a day, there is one man who’d be keen to step into his shoes.
“Well, I know Rove McManus is a big fan,” Jeff reveals. “He’s coming out to visit on this latest season. We’ve been friends for a very long time.”
The pair met on Jeff’s talk show, The Jeff Probst Show, in 2012 and hit it off.
“It was funny – I’d studied his show, Rove Live, and I thought it was fantastic,” Jeff says. “We were meant to be friends.”
Closer to home
There’s one other Aussie who might want the coveted gig – Jonathan LaPaglia, host of Australian Survivor.
Jeff spent time with Jonathan in the lead-up to the local season.
“I thought he did a great job,” Jeff says of his Aussie counterpart.
“We had a post-mortem after the show and I said, ‘I can’t believe how good you were out of the gate.’
“I did give him some advice – which he didn’t take – which was not to use the lines. You know, my phrases like, ‘Want to know what you’re playing for?’” [Laughs]
Jeff adds: “I told him to make it his own, but I understood where he was coming from. It was a lose-lose situation.”
Host of Australian Survivor, Jonathan LaPaglia.
When talk turns to the show, it’s clear Jeff’s passion for watching people outwit, outplay and outlast continues to burn.
“There are so many changes this time around,” he enthuses. “I think it’ll be the most competitive season ever.”
Game Changers unites the players who have left the biggest legacy over 34 seasons. But despite the familiar faces, it still takes a village to get the casting right.
“We made a deal with the network that everyone who gets on the show has to be unanimous,” Jeff says.
“That made it fun, because when it was over, we said, ‘Wow, we all agree on these 20 people. We’ve got it. Let’s go!’”
Let’s go indeed.
