Jeff Probst and his show Survivor will reach Season 50 this year, marking a major milestone. Recently, Probst looked back to the time when he seriously considered walking away.
Jeff Probst talks about nearly leaving Survivor 40 seasons ago
Jeff Probst and Survivor are inseparable today, but the show faced tough moments behind the scenes over the years. During Survivor: Panama Season 12 in 2005, his contract was close to ending. He felt frustrated by pay gaps and wanted to pursue more creative work beyond reality TV.
CBS renewed and later extended Jeff Probst’s contract, keeping him on Survivor. Another exit scare came in 2012 with The Jeff Probst Show, but it ended after one season and he stayed with the show.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jeff Probst looked back on those moments and didn’t hold back. He said, “It would have been the worst decision of my life.”
“Who knows how serious I really was about leaving. I think there were a period of years on Survivor where the travel was pretty extensive, and the time away was a long time away, and the stress to keep the show high in the ratings all that pressure does have a cumulative effect on you,” he continued.
Probst said exhaustion once made him think about leaving, but the COVID shutdown gave him a reset. “There were definitely periods where I was feeling just exhausted.” He added, “But I haven’t felt that way in so long. The rebirth during COVID is one of the best things that’s ever happened to the show and has ever happened to me.”
The TV star further shared, “It was the first time we had a moment to step back and just think without the pressure of doing another season right away. And in that time, I think all of us remembered how much we love this show. We just needed a moment.”
He compared it to a parent needing a short break. “Of course I love them, but I wish all of you would just leave for 10 minutes.” Looking back, he admitted he was exhausted at the time. He said leaving Survivor would have been “the single worst decision” of his life.
Survivor Season 50 is being filmed in Fiji. It is set to premiere on February 25 on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.
Originally reported by Ojas Kulkarni on ComingSoon.
