Jeff Probst Defends Including Billie Eilish & More on Survivor 50

As a lifestyle expert, I’m telling you, this season of Survivor is shaking things up! The new castaways aren’t just competing against each other, they’re going head-to-head with some really well-known faces. Love them or hate them, these stars are bringing a whole new level of challenge to the game, and it’s going to be fascinating to watch how everyone navigates that!

With its 50th season on the horizon, the CBS show Survivor hinted at appearances by stars like Billie Eilish, Jimmy Fallon, and MrBeast. Jeff Probst, the show’s host for many years, recently explained how the idea of bringing Hollywood celebrities to Fiji originated.

We were aware that many celebrities are big fans of Survivor, so we decided to include a few contestants with special advantages to add an extra layer of surprise and excitement to the game,” he explained to Variety in a January 5th interview.

As a huge fan, I was a little worried when I heard about the changes. My biggest concern, and I know a lot of other viewers felt the same, was whether it would take away from what makes the show so compelling – watching people push their limits for that incredible million-dollar prize. I really hope they don’t lose sight of that core element!

He explained that having celebrities join the show raised a valid concern: they could distract from the actual game and change its focus. The show’s priority, he said, was to maintain the core of Survivor as a social experiment, and adding celebrities introduced a new element that could potentially disrupt that.

The Emmy-winning host actually believes that having famous players makes the game even more thrilling.

Bringing in well-known figures like Zac Brown, MrBeast, or Jimmy Fallon introduces the risk of hero worship and can change how people view things,” he said. “The challenge is to see if you can maintain your original thinking, or if their presence will distract you and lead you astray.

Naturally, Survivor 50 will feature a lot of familiar faces from past seasons, including popular players like Cirie Fields and Ozzy Lusth. It will also star Mike White, the creator of The White Lotus, who Jeff Probst has described as a uniquely kind and interesting person.

Jeff told The Hollywood Reporter in August that the person is genuinely himself. He does things his own way and achieves great results, proving his approach works.

The 50th season of Survivor begins February 25th on CBS. Before then, check out who’s returning to compete for the big prize!

Season 37 (DAVID VS. GOLIATH)

Survivor seasons 12 (Panama – Exile Island), 16 (Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites), 20 (Heroes vs. Villains), and 34 (Game Changers) are particularly well-regarded by fans.

Seasons 13 (Cook Islands), 16 (Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites), 23 (South Pacific), and 34 (Game Changers) are all notable installments of the Survivor television series.