Survivor has been on for 24 years, meaning it has seen an incredible number of contestants throughout its 47-season run. Many of them have gone on to compete on other reality shows, such as The Traitors and Big Brother, too. Due to the show’s popularity and longevity, there have also been several international versions, and some U.S. contestants have found their way to the Australian version. But how does longtime host Jeff Probst feel about it all?
Russell Hantz and Sandra Diaz-Twine competed on previous seasons of Australian Survivor in 2018 and 2022, respectively. Meanwhile, Parvati Shallow, Cirie Fields, and Tony Vlachos will compete in the upcoming season, Survivor: Australia v. The World, and it wouldn’t be surprising if more fan favorites are announced for future seasons.
Now, Probst has opened up to EW about the U.S. contestants going Down Under, giving his take on the phenomenon as a whole:
I have two thoughts on it. We obviously take a tremendous amount of pride in the people we find to play Survivor. And regardless of what the Emmys might think, there is no better casting team in our genre than ours. And that is proven out by how many other shows want Survivor players. So I've been really happy to see this proliferation of shows that don't have a casting department. They just rely on other shows. It's a smart way to produce, but it also shows how difficult it is to do. It's very hard to find great people — very hard. And that's why I take a lot of pride in being a part of a show that finds the very best people. I'll say it again, no show touches ours in terms of casting — none.
The casting is perhaps the most important part of the series. And the fact that contestants still want to try other versions -- whether that’s another season in the U.S. or one internationally -- despite how mentally and physically exhausting it is, is pretty incredible.
Overall, Probst is happy to see the people he's worked with succeeding and finding other shows to be part of. He explained why that's the case in detail:
The other side of the coin for me is that I want former players to do as much as they can, and to have as many experiences as they can and to make as much money as they can. Some of the people that are on these shows are incredibly compelling. They're fantastic storytellers. They are fun to watch, and they're just as entertaining as any scripted show. You talk about somebody like Boston Rob or Sandra — they're such known quantities, you should want them on your show. They're phenomenal. They're just fantastic. If they hadn't been on Survivor, I'd want them on Survivor!
You can see exactly what he's saying by watching the best seasons of Survivor. Some of these contestants are excellent on-screen, and they should be on it more. So, Jeff Probst feeling proud of seeing how far they’ve come since they initially competed is sweet to hear, especially since many of them have been able to land other shows after Survivor.
The series is a life-changing experience, for better or for worse, and Probst admitted to feeling a bit protective over the contestants too. That makes sense, considering all that they went through on the show:
I'm obviously very protective of our stars. That's my job. But at the end of every conversation, it's always: What is ultimately best for this person? If it's good for them and it works out for them— great! Go do your thing. I wish all the players the best in what they do after Survivor. And some players don't want to do anything. We've had many players call us and say, 'I only want to do Survivor again.' That also makes an impression on us. We take note of that loyalty, and we appreciate it. But we definitely don't demand it. We wish them all well.
Survivor has seen some changes over its 47 seasons, including a few in the season airing on the 2024 TV schedule. However, the love for the show persists, and both new and old contestants want to be on it. Now, with Survivor gearing up for its 50th season that will feature an all-star cast, fans will be seeing even more fan favorites returning to compete for another chance to be the Sole Survivor.
It's also possible that since several U.S. contestants have been going international, some international contestants could be traveling Stateside for future seasons. Survivor expands worldwide and it’s obvious that some of the brave contestants are not ready to give it up after they get voted off or win the first time, and Probst is thrilled about that.