‘Survivor’ Star Jamal Shipman Claims Host Jeff Probst Feels ‘Threatened’ by Him
Even though the controversy surrounding Dan Spilo cast a dark light on Survivor: Island of the Idols, one of the few bright spots came in the form of a 34-year-old admissions counselor from Rhode Island, Jamal Shipman.
From his educational conversation with Jack Nichting about racial stereotypes to how he stood up for the women regarding Dan Spilo’s behavior, Jamal became the hero we didn’t know we needed.
Apparently, host and executive producer Jeff Probst noticed how viewers responded to Jamal because the counselor believes Probst is “threatened” by him.
Jamal Shipman on ‘Survivor: Island of the Idols’
Almost immediately after arriving on the island, Jamal Shipman formed a tight bond with Jack Nichting and Molly Byman, and they were in the majority.
At Vokai’s first Tribal Council, Lauren Beck rallied the votes to blindside the “queen,” which put Jamal in the minority on the tribe. However, he found a Hidden Immunity Idol and stayed safe until the tribe swap as Vokai did not lose another challenge.
He swapped to New Lairo in the majority but lost his closest ally, Jack, in a grand plan orchestrated by Kellee Kim. Jamal then tried to target Dan Spilo because the talent manager didn’t want to work with him, which coincidentally aligned with others who wanted him out due to his inappropriate touching.
However, Missy Byrd and her alliance blindsided Kellee instead. In Episode 8, Jamal went to the Island of the Idols and met Sandra Diaz-Twine and Boston Rob Mariano, who informed him he lost his vote but had the opportunity to deceive someone else.
Therefore, the admissions counselor wrote a fake legacy advantage and gifted it to Dean to put a target on his back. However, the merged tribe viewed Jamal as the biggest threat and voted him out, making the contestant the third member of the jury.
Jeff Probst criticism
Even though Jeff Probst began as the host of the show, he is now the showrunner and executive producer where he makes crucial decisions concerning the advantages in the game and contestants.
While some love the executive producer, others see him as an “egomaniac” and blame him for the ever-changing twists in the show. A former contestant from Survivor: Panama, Shane Powers, claimed the Emmy-nominated casting director, Lynne Spiegel Spillman, who has been with the show since the first season, was “let go” because of the host.
On Shane’s podcast, he called the host an “egomaniac” because “he doesn’t want anybody else getting credit for his show.” Additionally, several fans have noticed the host and executive producer has clear favorites and accused him of manipulating the game by including last-minute “unfair twists” to benefit those he likes.
Jamal Shipman says Jeff Probst feels ‘threatened’ by him
In a question and answer on his Instagram, a follower asked Jamal if he would play Survivor again. The counselor responded, “It’s up to Jeff, but I heard he doesn’t want me back because he feels threatened that I’ll take his job. Tweet at him. Let him know what you think.”
He also posted a screenshot of his answer on Twitter and claimed: “it’s just what I heard.” Additionally, the counselor tagged Jeff Probst and wrote, “I hope I’m wrong, but we should hear from him.”
One follower replied to the post agreeing with Jamal because they believe he is “more capable of asking thoughtful questions.” Another took the host’s side and thought he might have said it as a joke because Jamal is “a talented speaker” but would retire before the executive producer thought someone would “take his job.” Jeff Probst has not responded to Jamal as of yet.
