‘Survivor’: CBS Requires Castaways to Undergo a Psychological Evaluation
The Survivor casting process is very delicate. The producers and casting team need to pick diverse, dynamic, and prepared contestants ready to live on an island with few resources for 26 days. Plus, the group of castaways has to gel together to make for an entertaining season. But what are CBS’s exact steps for casting a Survivor season?
‘Survivor’ host Jeff Probst describes the casting process for the CBS series
While Survivor 43 was airing on CBS, host Jeff Probst spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the casting process. And ever the enthusiast, Probst gave great detail into how he and the other producers pick who gets to play the game.
“One of the most fascinating and enjoyable aspects of producing Survivor is the casting process,” Probst explained. “It’s so much fun! We get to meet so many truly amazing people and learn about their lives. Typically, it goes like this — we hop on Zoom, and they start to tell us about their lives. I often spend the first few minutes thinking the same thing… ‘How have they already done so much at such a young age, and what was I doing when I was 24!??'”
The host added, “If they continue onto the next round, they meet our psychologists, and that can get pretty deep pretty fast.”
The potential Survivor castaways must pass a psychological evaluation before CBS considers them further. Getting dropped on an island with little food, water, clothes, and shelter while trying to play an intense mental game could take a toll on anyone. So we’re not surprised that they have to meet with psychologists before moving on to the next round of casting.
Has anyone ever quit ‘Survivor’?
Since Survivor is a grueling game, it’s not shocking that 16 people have quit the CBS reality competition series over its 43 seasons. However, they left the show for varying reasons. Some have quit due to medical emergencies (even though the medical team deemed they could continue). And others have left because of their mental health.
The first person to ever quit Survivor was Osten Taylor in Pearl Islands. He was perceived as one of the fittest people in the season. But the physical strain on his body from lack of food, sleep, and more caught up to him. As a result, Osten asked his tribe to vote him out on Day 19, but Probst was a little annoyed. So the host waived the vote, granted Osten his wish, and dramatically tossed his torch on the ground.
Survivor: All-Stars was the first season to feature two quits. Jenna Morasca, the winner of Survivor: The Amazon, left the game on Day 9 after getting a bad feeling that her mother’s cancer had gotten worse (it had — she died eight days after Jenna returned). And Sue Hawk quit on Day 17 following an incident when (a naked) Richard Hatch had rubbed himself against her during an Immunity Challenge.
Other quits include Janu Tornell (Survivor: Palau), Gary Stritesky (Survivor: Fiji), Kathy Sleckman (Survivor: Micronesia), NaOnka Mixon and Kelly Shinn (Survivor: Nicaragua), Dana Lambert (Survivor: Phillippines), Colton Cumbie (Survivor: Blood vs. Water), Lindsey Ogle (Survivor: Cagayan), Julie McGee (Survivor: San Juan del Sur), and Bi Nguyen (Survivor: David vs. Goliath).
Three other exits are considered quits from the game, although they happened after the castaways were voted out. Keith Sowell and Wendy Diaz decided to leave during Survivor: Edge of Extinction after losing the first re-entry challenge. And when the Edge of Extinction returned in Survivor: Winners at War, Sandra Diaz-Twine was the only player who decided not to compete for a second chance in the milestone season of the CBS series.
Jeff Probst is enthusiastic about the ‘Survivor 44’ cast on CBS
Despite the Survivor casting process being fickle, Jeff Probst (and seemingly CBS) believes they got it right for season 44.
“I loved this group from the opening moments,” the host told Entertainment Weekly. “I can’t give you a specific answer as to why they were so electric. But I do think you’ll feel it straight out of the game.”
Probst continued, “One of the fun parts of the job is putting together a new cast of players, but it’s also fraught with risk because you can’t predict the vibe once they are all together. This group definitely came to play the game, and here’s the truth about Survivor — great players make for great seasons. It’s really that simple. I think we got it right this time!”
Since we know how Probst feels about quitting, it might be safe to say that no one leaves Survivor 44 of their own volition.
New episodes of Survivor 44 air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
