“It was really exhilarating. It’s not just that they’re young, it’s that they’re fresh in their approach,” the CBS host tells TheWrap of working with the “Beast Games” team
When “Survivor” premiered back in May 2000, there was no way host Jeff Probst would know he’d be celebrating Season 50 with some of the biggest names in pop culture.
But that’s exactly what will happen next month when “Survivor: In the Hands of the Fans” premieres on CBS, complete with a crossover episode with MrBeast and Season Two of “Beast Games.”
“The anticipation and expectation of 50 is high and we knew that going in, so we did our best to deliver. That’s why we added some ingredients like having Billie Eilish, Zac Brown, Fallon and MrBeast,” Probst told TheWrap at the Prime Video premiere on Tuesday night. “It’s not changing ‘Survivor,’ it’s just adding some more layers of fun and unpredictability.”
“We brought 24 players, the most we’ve ever done. I think we delivered a really great season. The fans will tell us,” he continued. “As always, we learn from every season and we listen to what the fans have to say and we’ll take it into 51.”
“Beast Games” Season Two even features some former “Survivor” contestants in Cydney Gillon, Sue Smey, Noelle Lambert and Jesse Lopez. Still, Probst admitted it was unique to see a new crew working alongside him in Fiji.
“Honestly, it was a bit surreal to have the ‘Beast Games’ team on-location on our show. That weirdness lasted for about a second and then I started watching their team just work. It was really exhilarating,” he shared. “It’s not just that they’re young, it’s that they’re fresh in their approach. There’s a new way of telling stories and Jimmy just looks around and says, ‘That looks interesting, I think I’m going to go over there and do this.’ So I’m watching. This old dog can learn some new tricks from Jimmy [Donaldson].”
Ahead of Season 49 last fall, Probst and his team welcomed eight social media stars to participate in the first-ever “Survivor: Influencer Experience,” which gave them a taste of a real episode — including a tribal council.
“The impact of influencers is why we’re here. This idea started with a couple of influencers from ‘Beast Games’ coming to ‘Survivor’ and it birthed into this collaboration,” the longtime host explained. “There’s no doubt that this is another layer in the community. There are some legitimate stars, really good producers, great storytellers, innovative thinkers. Jimmy’s one of them, with many more to come.”
Donaldson seemed equally pleased with their TV show alliance. “We did a collab with ‘Survivor’ this year. It’s so freaking good, I can’t wait for you guys to see it,” he teased. “It might be one of the greatest episodes of anything I’ve ever made in my entire life and it’s definitely one of the biggest crossovers in television history. Jeff was just so awesome to film with.”
