The 43rd season of Survivor is set to premiere tonight, and fans are champing at the bit to meet the tribes, as the show is bringing in a whole new group of castaways who have never been seen on the show before. Yet even outside of the challenges and rewards, there will be a few things that fans will be able to recognize this season.
Chief among them is Jeff Probst. As the host of the show since its first season in 2000, Probst has become a major influence on Survivor and one of its most recognizable faces. It's part of why fans have put together so many memes that can perfectly sum up who Probst is as a host.
Sometimes Misses The Point
Survivor is all about the unique social strategies that players can work together to develop to keep themselves and their allies in the game. Those strategies are key to keeping players active, involved, and in complete control of every tribal council session. Probst, however, has seemingly been determined to shift focus to advantage plays.
With Probst and the other producers injecting various new advantages into Survivor, the game has increasingly revolved around luck. Even the hourglass advantage that Probst introduced Erika to in Season 41 completely broke the social aspect of the game, making properly strategizing a major challenge for the players.
Married To Fiji
While early seasons of Survivor saw players in wildly different settings, like Borneo and the Australian Outback, recent seasons have been considerably easier on production by remaining in one isolated setting in Fiji, and Jeff Probst has shown no desire to move away from it.
Considering that Probst has been on the record about how much he despises some Survivor locations, like Marquesas, it makes sense that he would prefer to remain in one consistent setting, where he doesn't have to worry about biting flies or oppressive heat. Though fans may not like it, it's also much easier for challenge design, which is why Probst enjoys Fiji so much.
Has Favorites
While a host created in a lab might enter a season without bias, Jeff Probst is a person first and clearly has some players he likes a little more than others. Given the way that he blew up against the Villains tribe in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains after Boston Rob was booted, it's somewhat clear that he has his favorites.
Of course, must like fans prefer more popular Survivor players, Probst almost always favors players who will prove to be more entertaining on-screen. Given that he's a producer, it makes sense that he would want fans to have engaging players to root for so that the show doesn't have an uninteresting winner like Brian Heidik.
Puts Up With Weirdness
Jeff Probst has certainly changed considerably over the years. Where once he enjoyed mocking any player who failed to succeed in a challenge or tribal, he has actively started allowing them to make some mistakes along the way, like when he encouraged Adam to play an item on his podium as an Immunity Idol during Winners at War.
His encouragement created an iconic moment, even if he was clearly internally questioning Adam's logic. It is something Probst has done more often as he's taken a larger role on the show, which has certainly led to funny instances and castaways questioning the limits of what they're allowed to do.
Loves Immunity Idols
In addition to the show introducing new advantages, it has also been introducing more Immunity Idols with every season. Ever since the influence Russel Hantz, one of Survivor's most notorious villains, had on Survivor, it has been relying on Idols to keep drama going, and it's why Probst loves Idols so much.
Since Jeff loves advantages so much, it isn't hard to see why he would love Idols as well. Given that they can lead to some major blindsides, entertaining tribal councils, and alliances forming out of nowhere, it does make sense that a producer would love to see them played.
Knows His Style
One of Jeff Probst's major intricacies is that he has never quite changes his style. Every season, he arrives on set with the same button-up shirts, Survivor-themed hat, and shorts. It helps to keep the show familiar even as settings change and strategies adapt.
Though the colors of his clothes absolutely do change, it's clear that Probst is perfectly happy to see his style stay consistent over the years. While everything else in the show may have changed course, Probst never will, and it's part of what fans enjoy seeing whenever the show returns.
Auction Host
One of the most fun roles that Probst has ever played for Survivor is undoubtedly auction host. In a Survivor reward challenge that would fit perfectly in Squid Game, Probst hosts an auction that sees each player bidding on food items and advantages with funds the show provides.
Unfortunately, some items players bid on happen to be covered, and when they're uncovered, Probst always finds it funny when the plate is filled with gross food items or a glass of water. He plays it off perfectly, often encouraging the players to enjoy it as best as they can, which is always funny.
Loves Chaos
More than anything, Probst always wants to see an interesting show. Whether it means losing his favorites and friends, he hardly seems to care, so long as the show remains engaging for viewers and continues to draw in fans. So when blindsides happen, Probst is always excited.
Sometimes fans can even see which idol blindsides are successful, given that he tends to know the results even before votes are officially tallied on-screen. So, when Parvati managed to saved her allies and gave the Villains numbers, even Probst was ecstatic.
Enjoys Action
In the beginning of Survivor, tribal council saw players stay in their seats, answer questions, and then get up and vote. Recent seasons, however, have seen them get out of their seats to whisper or even loudly argue about who to eliminate and how to split the vote.
While it's a pretty unpopular Survivor opinion that live tribals are a great addition to the show, it's clear that Probst has no problem with them, given that they've been a fixture in the show. Instead, he sits back, smiles and enjoys the unbridled chaos as players desperately try to figure out how to adjust votes.
Can Get Repetitive
Given that he has hosted the show for 43 seasons, Survivor has seen serious repetition from Probst. Iconic phrases like "The tribe has spoken," and "Worth playing for?" have been peppered alongside repetitive instances like players arguing about losing their immunity necklace or trying to joke with Probst.
While he always plays along, it can get somewhat tiring for fans, who have been seeing the exact same jokes for two decades. Though it might be funny for Probst, the wider fanbase would largely prefer to see at least some of the repetition cut down.