The On Fire podcast is back for Survivor 49, with Survivor host Jeff Probst, producer Jeff Wolfe, and Survivor: Cambodia winner Jeremy Collins. They discuss why two contestants were eliminated before the season began, whether puzzle peeking is a part of Survivor, Jeremy reveals who he thinks is the best Survivor player in the world, and more. Plus, Probst answers some fan questions, including which has been his favourite Survivor location ever.
Firstly, Jason Treul’s introduction is mentioned, where he revealed himself to be the male alternate for the season. Wolfe asks Probst about the alternates’ situation and what transpired before the season began. Probst begins by explaining that in the past, some alternates have decided to go to Ponderosa to gain an advantage for the future, as in getting to know how the whole Ponderosa process works beforehand, so that when they eventually go back to play, they already know the lay of the land and can concentrate on prepping for the game.
This time, however, despite the multiple handlers on location who are there to ensure players don’t interact with each other before the game starts, two individuals repeatedly broke the no-contact rules. They ultimately had to be removed after receiving multiple warnings and were replaced with Jason and Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu. Probst then revealed that the other players, once they were able to speak, thanked production for their decision, as it was the fair thing to do.
Later, the matter of peeking at someone else’s puzzle is brought up, as Rizo “Rizgod” Velovic did during the episode. Both Jeremy and Probst agree that it is allowed on Survivor, from both a player’s and a producer’s perspective, and it is part of the game.
When discussing chaos in Survivor and whether it is valuable in the game, Jeremy says the chaos doesn’t work for him in particular, but it does for others. To highlight his point, Jeremy confesses that he believes Tony Vlachos is the best Survivor player in the world, as Tony’s game thrives in chaos and has been so successful at it that it has led to his two wins.
Afterwards, they comment on Nicole Mazullo’s early departure, and Probst repeatedly praises her for having everything a person could have to play the game. Probst then advises future players to heed Jeremy’s earlier advice to “play as if you’ve lost,” so that people can overcome any misconceptions they might have about the game and to give it their all.
Lastly, Probst answers some fan questions. Probst is asked if contestants are allowed to choose their own clothes to wear while playing, to which Probst responds that they are not and must submit their attire beforehand, as production ensures the players’ outfits match either their personality, their job, or any trait that distinguishes them from the others.
Also, Probst replies the following when asked which has been his favourite Survivor location over the last 49 seasons, “It’s number one by a landslide, and it’s not just in terms of Survivor, it’s also what this location offered in terms of a life experience, not only for the players, but for the crew, and that is Kenya, Africa [Survivor: Africa‘s location]. Hands down, we were living in the Shaba National Reserve with the animals. CBS would never let us do that today, but we did, and it was magical.”
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