Survivor host Jeff Probst shockingly went off script when he was snuffing out the torch of a recently eliminated castaway, leaving many long-time viewers missing the way Jeff behaved before the current era of the series. While Jeff, who’s been the host of Survivor since its debut in 2000, has some catchphrases that he always uses during the season, during one of the most recent episodes of Survivor 47, things changed up a bit. After snuffing out eliminated castaway Kyle Ostwald’s torch, Jeff thanked him for coming out to play the game, which isn’t part of his traditional Survivor script.
Jeff doesn’t often stray from his script, but his decades of hosting Survivor have led to some different iterations of the way he acts toward the castaways during the season. While the majority of new era castaways see the same Jeff from season to season, Survivor castaways from earlier seasons got to see several different versions of the host viewers get today. Though Jeff has always had his turns of phrase and reactions, there was a looser version of the host that existed in the earlier seasons of the show. Viewers miss that version of Jeff in the new era.
Jeff Probst Went Off-Script During A Recent Elimination
He’s Not Typically One To Go Off Book
After the recent elimination of Kyle at last week’s tribal council, Jeff went off script after snuffing out the castaway’s torch. While he didn’t go off-script too much, Jeff thanked Kyle for coming out for Survivor and then touched on the spontaneous moment during the official Survivor podcast, On Fire. Sharing that he wasn’t interested in consistently going off-script or making it into a bit, Jeff was stern and serious about his hosting duties. Throughout the run of Survivor, it’s become clear to fans how serious Jeff is about hosting and respecting the game itself, sometimes more than the castaways.
Survivor Fans Miss Jeff’s Original Attitude & Spontaneity
He’s Gotten Too Buttoned Up
Although Jeff has always been a serious host, he’s become more serious in Survivor’s new era. Throughout the early run of the show, Jeff was doing his best to remain unbiased and stoic in his hosting duties, but he was also always quick to offer jokes or colorful commentary on the competitions, alliances, and moments during tribal council he felt were worth talking about. The cast of Survivor 47 has had a far different Jeff than early seasons hosting the show, as he used to be a more spontaneous host. Now, Jeff seems too invested in the game’s integrity.
Can Survivor Host Jeff Bring Back His Original Energy?
He May Not Want To
Although Jeff is the host and an executive producer of Survivor, he was part of the reason why the show became a success. Jeff’s different style of hosting was a new, innovative, and intense look at what a reality TV host could be when Survivor began. He became a part of the show’s DNA as it continued on season after season, and castaways knew what to expect from Jeff, but there was always an air of mystery in what else he could do.
Now, Jeff has a bit more power when it comes to what happens within the seasons, which means he’s pulled back considerably when it comes to his spontaneous, sassy energy. Survivor viewers have said they miss the old Jeff, though he’s still there in the new era version of the longtime host. Even so, seeing Jeff embrace some of his quirks and cadences from the past would be fun for Survivor seasons in the future.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
