After 25 years as Survivor host, Jeff Probst is finally putting himself into the shoes of the contestants, at least momentarily.
The Emmy-winning host revealed the news during Tuesday’s (February 24) edition of The Tonight Show. The topic of Probst competing on the long-running CBS reality competition series came up after Jimmy Fallon confirmed he himself has a part in Survivor‘s milestone 50th season.
As first revealed in the Survivor 50 teaser, several famous Survivor fans, including musicians Zac Brown and Billie Eilish, social media personality Mr. Beast, and Fallon, are involved in the new season. The full details of their involvement aren’t yet clear, but it seems they’ll be putting their names to the advantages players can win in the game.
“The theme of this season is In The Hands of the Fans,” Probst explained. “And in the back of my mind, I thought, ‘Man, there’s some really cool famous Survivor fans, I wonder if they want to be a part of it.’”
He recalled how the last time he was on The Tonight Show, Fallon told him he should compete on the show. “And I said, ‘I will, if you will,’ and we shook on it,” Probst added. “And that night is when I decided we should have a few celebrities.”
Fallon then wanted to know if Probst stuck to his end of the bargain. “I said if I’m going to be on, you have to be on,” the late-night host said. “And did you?”
At first, Probst played coy, shrugging and saying, “I mean, I am a man of my word. I’ll just leave it at that.”
“Do you compete?!” asked a surprised Fallon.
“I’ll just leave it at that, it’s enough of a tease,” Probst responded.
Fallon wouldn’t let it up, though, adding, “Jeff Probst competes in Survivor!”
Probst finally crumbled, admitting, “Yeah, I do. It was only fitting that I have talked so much smack for so many years that I finally compete. And I’m not going to say how it went. I’ll just say, I have a lot of respect for the players.”
So, what did Probst mean? He’s obviously not one of the 24 returning castaways who are competing on Survivor 50, which premieres tonight, Wednesday, February 25, at 8 pm on CBS. But he’s clearly involved in a bigger capacity than just merely hosting and producing.
Jeff Probst on Survivor; SurvivorOnCBS YouTube
The answer perhaps lies in the Survivor 50 first-look trailer, which premiered during the Survivor 49 finale in December. In a brief clip, Probst is seen attempting one of the show’s classic challenges, the one that requires winding a rope to keep up a heavy bag of coconuts.
Given the look of struggle on Probst’s face, it’s clear why he has a newfound respect for the Survivor players.
Survivor, Season 50, Premieres, Wednesday, February 25, 8 pm et, CBS
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, NBC
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