‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Admits He Never Liked This Twist in the Game
It’s hard to believe we’re already moving through Season 38 of Survivor. Fans have been watching the show since the early 2000s, and the premise has enticed millions to watch season after season every year. If there’s one person who knows the game better than anyone, it’s host Jeff Probst. He’s been on board for the show since day one and continues to help create new twists and scenarios within the game as the executive producer.
Unfortunately, not everything that happens in Survivor has been to Probst’s liking — and he’s admitted that some of their twists flopped. Here’s the one twist he never liked.
There’s a reason the Survivor producers are always adding in new twists
With a reality series running for as long as Survivor has, Probst and the rest of the producers of the show want to make it fresh for fans who’ve seen it all from the beginning. For that reason, it’s likely we’ll keep seeing new twists for years to come — though there are also some staples that come back again and again. Probst told Entertainment Weekly that one of his favorite twists of all time is the hidden immunity idol. “Up through season 29, I would say my favorite twist is probably the hidden immunity idol. It’s just given us so much story that I laugh when people hit me on Twitter and say, ‘You should do a season without any idols and without any twists,'” he said.
Probst has also mentioned that the reason the Survivor crew is always trying out new twists is because he doesn’t want any potential players to be able to perfect the game. New twists certainly add some flare, but they also keep contestants on their toes.
Jeff Probst said this is one of the twists he dislikes most
Fans have made it known that they love and hate some of Survivor twists, and even Probst has admitted that he didn’t love everything the crew has come up with in the past, either. During a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session, one Reddit user asked, “Are there any production decisions made for Survivor that you regret?” To that, Probst answered, “Medallion of Power. I never liked it.”
The Medallion of Power appeared just briefly in one season, and it was only useful in the beginning before the tribes were merged. The first tribe to find the Medallion would have the option of using it to gain an advantage during a challenge. They could hold on to the Medallion for as long as they wished — but once they used its power for an advantage, they’d have to pass it to the rival tribe who would then get the opportunity to use it as well.
“Here’s the truth and any show creator will tell you this — you don’t know what will work until you try it. If it’s right you’re a genius, if it’s wrong, you’re an idiot,” Probst added to the AMA chat. “I like the risk – I’m okay being an idiot so long as I believe in the idea. Medallion of Power I didn’t believe in so that was a hard one.”
Contestants seem to like the current Edge of Extinction twist
The twist for Season 38 is certainly unlike any the show has ever seen before. On Edge of Extinction, every castaway voted off the island has the chance to get back in the game via Extinction Island. They head off to the separate island once they’re voted out and then have to wait for the opportunity to win a challenge to get back into the main game. It’s tough physically and mentally to be on Extinction Island, too, as there’s no shelter, little food, and a slim chance of making it back in.
The contestants seem to love the concept, however. Probst told Entertainment Weekly, “To a person, they [the contestants] all liked the idea and felt that ‘If they’ve been surviving like we have, then more power to them.’ … They know they can vote them straight out again if they want, and I think on some level, the idea of a second chance is appealing to all players. Everybody wants to play.”
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