Survivor host Jeff Probst, producer Jeff Wolfe, and Survivor 47 winner Rachel LaMont get together one last time for this season of the On Fire podcast to discuss the finale of Survivor 48. Probst talks about what he feels whenever a season wraps up, what Survivor means to players, and how transformative it can be. He also answers what he thinks when people call him ‘too soft’ nowadays. Plus, Probst reveals which cast member was the “fastest yes” for him when it came to casting, and Rachel praises the winner’s ultimate move, which earned him the win.
Firstly, Probst is asked what he feels whenever a season ends, to which he responds that he feels accomplished, as the production team works extremely hard to bring a season to the viewers. He also feels ready to be home and spend some quality time with his family. “It’s a big, emotional, weird blend of exhaustion, pride, gratitude, and love. And weirdly, even after 47 seasons, 48 seasons, and hopefully, 49 seasons, and 50 seasons, I am ready to start again,” Probst says as he adds that as soon as a season wraps up, he’s already thinking about the next one.
Later, the final four individual immunity challenge is brought up, and with it, the subject of how transformative the game of Survivor can be for players. For instance, Kamilla felt there was an ‘old Kamilla vs a new Kamilla’ that evolved throughout the season, especially after her family told her she would be the first voted out, and she ended up being the final jury member of Survivor 48. Probst says that even though the Survivor experience is different for everyone, for both viewers and players alike, he brings up the following quote to encompass what Survivor is like, “The game is the lure, the experience is the price.”
Probst goes on to explain that while Survivor is indeed about outwitting, outplaying, and outlasting, it’s also about struggling with starvation, sleep deprivation and constant paranoia while also being surrounded by people who want the same goal as you. There is also a point when all these factors catch up to people, and that’s where there is a transformative transition, as people realise and become aware of their true inner potential of surviving and thriving amidst the hardest of circumstances, which is why Survivor is as impactful and continues to break barriers even after over twenty years on the air. As to some people thinking Probst is ‘too soft, too positive, too woke’ nowadays, Probst replies, “I get it. I’m not arguing it. It just means you want Survivor to be something else. But for me right now, this is where Survivor is, and if that makes me soft, I’ll take it.”
Afterwards, Probst discloses his thoughts about the final five players of Survivor 48: Mitch was the fastest yes for him when casting him for Survivor; he thought Eva would be an excellent addition to the show for the person she is, not because of her autism; viewed Kamilla as a driven storyteller, and praised Kyle for his superb gameplay and for being a great representative of Survivor 48.
Lastly, Rachel concedes she thought Kyle would lose for not taking Joe out of the game, particularly as Kyle had several opportunities to do so. She recognises Kyle saw several flaws in Joe’s game that the audience didn’t see when he decided to bring Joe, and even Eva, to the Final Tribal Council alongside him. Ultimately, Rachel says Kyle did take the winning shot move, which is why he won, but not at the person we all thought he needed to. For context, Kamilla was revealed to be the jury’s favourite to win and would have done so had Kyle not taken her out when he did.
Probst also doubles down in considering Survivor 48 as one of the best Survivor seasons. “I’ll put Survivor 48 as one of the all-time great seasons, from start to finish,” Probst says. “And that includes the entire group of players. I mean, we lost so many players early that we would have back again in a moment, and it includes, obviously, the final six, the final five, the final four, the final three, and our winner.”
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How can this man be sooooo far out of touch with the fanbase, who collectively hated season 48, the most boring season of the new era.
He really is living in a fantasy world. He probably thinks the tribal where Mitch was voted out was the best one we have ever had.
Jeff, just only be the host please.
Let’s never trust a word he says when he promotes a new season and says it’s “amazing”
Yikes, that’s wild to double down on 48 being an All-Time Great Survivor season
I agree and we said the same thing going into the last episodes. I feel sorry for people who are compelled to come here and profess their hatred for Survivor and how they don’t like it. Nobody can take that negativity away from you, but it is possible to see how the human drama, great casts, and creative management of the game by production have kept the show fresh and interesting for its still many, many fans. If you don’t like Survivor, maybe you can find a way to enjoy your life more than coming here to bash the show! I wish you success in that!
Was it the greatest season of all time? No, but that is an astronomically high bar. It was nowhere near as bad as everyone is making it out to be. The game play wasn’t the greatest this season, but I loved a lot of this cast, and it won’t shock me to see a lot of them return in future seasons. I see it kind of like the new era Australian Outback (which is my favorite season).
It’s not going to be remembered for game play, but the compelling cast, and the human moments. This cast (for the most part) genuinely liked each other and for me, that’s what I like to see. I’d rather see a cast that gets along and has fun with each other, than a cast that hates each other and gets really dirty (looking at you Worlds Apart).
If you don’t like what people are saying about Survivor, you can simply scroll past or move on. There’s no need to mock or belittle others just because they see things differently. Public opinion isn’t formed by just a handful of voices—it reflects a broader perspective.
Seriously, one of the all time greats???? This man has completely lost his mind….
This is why Jeff needs to not be an executive producer.
Huh. This was literally one of worst seasons I’ve ever watched
Every season he said one of the best season. Obviously it is not. Sugar coating and delulu. I like seasons where people play for 39 days, where genius people don’t look dumb because they have sufficient food and energy to think. When they have energy they can do big move, unexpected move
Oooh dear Jeff.. if only you knew your fanbase….
Unfortunately, Jeff is trying to convince everyone (except the fans) that season 48 was a great season. I think he heard the comments in print and mostly social media and was going to stand his ground. He wasn’t going to let anyone think the season was bad. I do wish that Dalton Ross and Mike Bloom would push back on this with him but I guess you can bite the hand that feeds you.
So true. His inability of admitting his mistakes