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Jeff Probst addressed rumors that Survivor edited the celebrity cameos in season 50 following backlash from fans.
“Absolutely, unequivocally false,” the longtime Survivor host, 64, said in an interview with Variety published on Wednesday, May 13. “We’re a month and a half ahead in episodes. We don’t edit week-to-week. We’ve changed nothing.”
Earlier this season, the Survivor 50 players were surprised with a visit from Zac Brown. The country singer, who is a fan of the show, was part of a reward prize where he provided some of the lucky contestants with food he had spearfished off the island and treated them to a concert at the Survivor sanctuary.
While it was a unique experience for the players, the viewers at home had different opinions. Many complained online about the amount of screentime Brown, 47, received, including his own confessional moment — while fans didn’t hear from Survivor 46 alum Tiffany Nicole Ervin at all in that episode.
Despite the backlash online, Probst shared that he’s received positive reactions about Brown’s appearance on the reality show in real life.
“It’s fascinating to me that a couple of people, most of them either former players or people who will never play, criticize the show, and it gets momentum,” Probst said. “I tell anyone who wants to listen: If that’s your goal, to somehow impact our point of view, it will fail. We trust what we’re doing. If you think we’re going to re-edit because you thought there was too much Zac Brown, you’ve not been reading interviews with me. I couldn’t be more serious. I love Survivor. I love joy. I love fans. I’ve also got a backbone. It’s gonna take more than that to knock me over.”
However, Probst admitted that there is one thing he would change about Brown’s cameo. Instead of Brown just being part of a reward, Probst would have added a twist that could change the game.
Survivor 50, which is subtitled “In the Hands of the Fans,” has been a celebration of the reality show’s 25th anniversary. In addition to bringing back 24 beloved players, this season’s game mechanics were chosen by fans via an online vote before production began.
One thing that was not mentioned on the ballot was the celebrity cameos. Brown was not the only star-studded appearance on Survivor 50; both Jimmy Fallon and Billie Eilish have been mentioned on the show via advantages they created for the game. Mr. Beast, meanwhile, arrived on location in Fiji to introduce the YouTuber’s Super Beware Advantage.
The twist was unveiled at tribal council and gave the contestants a chance to double the $1 million prize. All they had to do was flip a coin and call it correctly; if wrong, they were eliminated from the game completely. Only one person was brave — or foolish — enough to do it: Rick Devens. The Edge of Extinction alum, who is also a huge Mr. Beast fan, immediately stepped up to the opportunity and miraculously won the challenge, securing a $2 million prize for the season 50 winner.
Survivor 50 airs on CBS Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
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