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Jeff Probst says future Survivor winner reveals and after-shows will happen on location in Fiji

Dalton Ross
·6 min read

A new reality TV champion will be crowned on Wednesday night during the season finale of Survivor 42 on CBS. In reality, however (no pun intended), that champion was actually crowned last June in Fiji.

Due to the uncertainty of live in-person events, Survivor shed its tradition (dating all the way back to season 2) of waiting months to reveal the actual winner in a live broadcast back in the United States, which then led to a live reunion show. Instead — and especially after the anti-climactic conclusion to Survivor: Winners at War, when Tony Vlachos was announced the champion of one of the greatest seasons ever over a grainy video call — CBS decided to play it safe for seasons 41 and 42 by reading the final votes to the cast out in Fiji as part of the final Tribal Council. That was immediately followed by an on-location after show in which the finalists and the jury discussed the events of the just-concluded game.

With the still unpredictable nature of Covid, what does that mean for Survivor finales and reunions moving forward? We asked Jeff Probst exactly that, and the host spilled on the Survivor plan for the fall season and beyond. He also gave a scouting report on what to expect for the future of the show when it comes to twists, while weighing in on the Survivor 42 final five and even mulling bringing back the entire cast to play again. Yes, you read that correctly. Get ready for round two, Zach Wurtenberger! (Also check out our pre-finale interview with the Survivor 42 jury.)

“Tell a Good Lie, Not a Stupid Lie” – One castaway will land a win in the reward challenge, earning a chance to nurture social bonds during a pivotal moment in the game, on the CBS Original series SURVIVOR, Wednesday, May 4 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Pictured (L-R): Jeff Probst. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Robert Voets/CBS Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 42'

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Who do you think is in the best and toughest position heading into this final five? 

JEFF PROBST: As you know, I'm no longer in the practice of talking about individual player's games, even though it can be very fun to try and tease the audience with clues about what might happen or who might win. Instead, I feel more comfortable talking about the group as a whole and the season in general. I LOVE THIS FINAL FIVE!! How's that!?

It's rare when you have a final five that is this entertaining in a season in which you can still make a very strong case for almost any of them to win! We have five completely different styles of game play coming from five completely different types of players. There isn't any overlap in how they approach the game. Each has taken their own path. And there is still so much game left to play.

It starts with … starting over. This new era of Survivor forces the players to earn it every day and that includes the last three days. After 23 difficult days, the players now have to begin again. For the players, this can feel like a punch in the gut, but it's just another test. This is the final push required to get to the final three where you must then stand up and claim your victory by persuading a jury of your peers that you are the player most deserving of the title of sole Survivor and the million dollars. It's all there in that one long sentence. That's what you have to do to win. It's a tall order, but someone is going to do it. The prize is there for the taking. The only question is… which player will seize it?

I loved every second of every day with this group. I would play another season again with them right now. Every one of them. No matter how it plays out, we are going to have a great winner this season.

This will be your second straight full on-location vote and winner reveal, followed by an immediate on-location Survivor After Show. With all the uncertainty surrounding the future of Covid, do you think this will be your model moving forward? 

Yes. We feel really good about the excitement and energy that comes with doing the vote reveal in the jungle, immediately followed by an After Show when the players are still in game mode. It's so vastly different from the live reunion show because it's happening in real time. The players have not had six months to watch the episodes and be influenced by the criticism or praise they have received on social media. This is pure.

The live reunion show offers something different, where players are all dressed up and it's as much about "what do they look like now" (which can be very fun!) as it is about the actual game. I think fans will enjoy the Survivor 42 After Show! I wholeheartedly recommend watching it, I think you'll see why we find it so appealing. For now, the vote reveal in the jungle and the After Show is part of the new era and new format of our game. But like everything on Survivor, it's always in a state of flow.

SURVIVOR
SURVIVOR

Robert Voets/CBS Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 42'

Finally, your cast of Survivor 42 was completely clueless as to all the twists coming their way, which was kind of a first for you all. After two straight seasons of Prisoner's Dilemmas, Shot in the Dark, goofy idol phrases, Hourglass twist, and Do or Die that every Survivor fan-turned-player is now very familiar with, do you see those now going away for new wrinkles folks won't be able to prepare for? 

Here's a big hint to future players: When we say this is a new era of the game, we mean it. We are establishing new markers. So things like small tribes, earn the merge, no food, risk/reward dilemmas, Shot In The Dark, are here to stay. Other specific twists will come and go depending on the season.

We changed the game because we wanted to give players a new series of problems to solve. The easiest way to frame it is to compare it to our very first season. Those players didn't know they would have a chance to play for a food reward, so when they got hungry, they ate rat. Then in season 2, we had a new group of players who knew there would be a food reward, so they didn't eat rat. They adapted to the game. That's what we're doing with this new era.

The next group of players now has a bit of insight into this new version of Survivor. They're already thinking about when and how to best use a Shot In The Dark, or what they might do if they are presented with a risk/reward scenario? Or how do you keep an advantage a secret with a game design that is so public? We don't want everything to be a surprise. Instead, we're building a new foundation of game elements and leaving it to the players to figure out how best to play.

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