Why Survivor’s Jeff Probst Calls Season 49 the “Antithesis of Loyalty”

Survivor’s latest crop of castaways is eager to outwit, outplay and outlast—at any cost.

Now that season 49 of the CBS show *Survivor* has begun, host Jeff Probst says the contestants were quick to betray each other for a chance to win the million-dollar prize.

He explained in a recent interview with *The Hollywood Reporter* that the latter part of the game felt like a complete departure from teamwork and strong relationships. Players were focused solely on what benefited them immediately, which, surprisingly, made for an exciting season, especially when contrasted with the challenging first half.

Jeff, 63, admitted he often found himself short of breath during the early parts of the season, especially as the contestants began to connect with each other – or at least, that’s how it appeared.

He described the early part of the game as a time when players formed strong alliances, publicly declaring their loyalty to each other. However, once the game reached its later stages, those same alliances quickly fell apart. He compared it to getting a temporary tattoo – something that seemed permanent at first, but was easily discarded.

The drama surrounding the show’s cast actually started before filming even began in Fiji. Just 12 hours before the game started, two players were removed, and Jason Treul and Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu were brought in as replacements.

Jeff explained on his podcast, *On Fire with Jeff Probst*, that contestants aren’t allowed to communicate with each other before the show begins-a rule that two players broke during season 49. He said they ‘just kept talking’ despite the clear instructions.

Jeff explained that talks became so disrespectful, the players were justified in leaving, even though producers had cautioned against it.

He went on to say that’s all it took to make the call. He explained they decided right then and there to take those two players out of the game and put our substitutes in instead.

After all, as Jeff emphasized, “We value the integrity of the game more than anything.”

For more on the Survivor season 49 cast, keep reading.