survivor 50 is set to premiere this February and fans can’t wait. A comeback season is always special, and this one is extra special because it’s celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary. The cast brings together 12 players from the old school Survivor and 12 players from the new era. But no matter how hard they tried, the show couldn’t bring back all the fans’ favorite show. Host and Producer Jeff Probst Shares that the cast’s condemnation was heartbreaking but necessary.
Jeff Probst talks about “heartbreaking” casting decisions for Survivor 50
Fans had a lot of ideas about who they wanted to see in the super special Survivor 50 cast. Rumors continued to swirl until the official cast list was revealed last May. Some fans and former cast members were disappointed with the cast’s neglect, but Jeff said it was all part of the process.
talked to jeff People While filming the historic season and discussed how they came up with their lucky list of participants. He shared that he started with 200 old artists before narrowing it down to 24.
“We did it one player at a time,” Jeff shared. “I was just looking at the first group of players in my Season 50 notebook. It’s crazy how many guys we start with, and we have a case for all of them.”
He further explained that they immediately halved the initial list of 200. The team had a hard discussion. “You start putting people in the other pile, saying, ‘Oh my God, this is heartbreaking.’ Because I care.”
Jeff remains heavily involved in the casting process Survivor. Former players even said that they always try to make sure they impress Jeff and make for good TV. Survivor’s Siri Fields said she always wanted to make Jeff proud. And it looks like it paid off when she made the cut for Survivor 50.
While Jeff is saddened by some of the shortcomings in casting, overall he feels “really good” about the final cast and its representation of Survivor’s 25 years on television.
“Our job is always to paint it on a larger scale,” Jeff said. ‘I’m really happy with this group, but if I could change anything, it would be to soften the blow for those who didn’t get in.’ He really cares about all the participants of the popular reality competition series.
survivor Available to stream on Paramount+.
Tell us – do you think there are notable cast snubs for Survivor 50? Did your favorite make it?