Inside Jeff Probst’s Days On ‘Survivor’ And Thoughts On Future Host

For more than two decades, Jeff Probst has been the face of “Survivor,” guiding players through challenges and Tribal Council drama. The host is now sharing his behind-the-scenes routine and sharing his perspective on the kind of host the show would need if the time ever comes for him to step away.

Probst has been the host of “Survivor” since it debuted in 2000, and throughout the years, many things have changed. Back then, each season was taped in a different location, but for the past decade, Fiji has become the reality show’s home.

In an essay for Business Insider, the 64-year-old host shared his daily grind while on the island. The new era of “Survivor” has players stuck on an island for 26 days, and although Probst says work doesn’t really stop until the end, a regular day for him begins at 6 a.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m.

He wakes up to the morning sun and the sounds of the ocean, then works out before delving into “Survivor” work. Probst says exercise is good for his mental health, adding, “I feel better when I do it. I feel like I let my body know, ‘We’re going back into war, let’s go’.”

While players fend for themselves when it comes to food, Probst and the crew are fed by a catering team. At home, Probst says he only eats a meal or two a day, but his appetite changes while on the island, and he indulges in burgers with a side of fries and ketchup.

“Whatever I’m craving, I give into it. I don’t judge at all because the environment is so different,” he says, adding, “I don’t eat burgers that often, but on location, I have one at least a week. Then, when I get home, I’m back to a pretty healthy way of eating,” he explained.

Part of Probst’s job as host and executive producer on “Survivor” is rehearsing challenges before contestants play. Since they only get one take, the show has a Dream Team that consists of crew members who test the challenges.

“Our only chance to really look at how we’re going to film the challenges is getting the Dream Team of people together and rehearsing it,” Probst says. It’s a way to ensure the challenges proceed without issues and to figure out how best to capture the action when the contestants play.

“Sometimes, I’ll shoot a challenge with the players in the morning, have a quick break for lunch, and then 90 minutes later, I’ll be out to rehearse the next challenge with the Dream Team,” Jeff shared.

In between those tasks, he also makes other decisions, such as how an immunity idol should look or where advantages will be hidden.

As Probst said, there isn’t much to do on the island once they wrap up for the day. “We live on a little island, and there are no restaurants, there isn’t a movie theater,” he said.

Instead, he tries to have “date nights” with his wife, where they watch a show they both like at the same time, even when they’re apart. “I’ll put it on my iPad, she’ll put it on her iPad, and then we’ll say 3, 2, 1, and hit play. So that’s kind of a fun way for us to bond,” the host shared.

Apart from that, if he gets a few minutes to himself, his preferred form of entertainment is watching police interrogation videos on YouTube. “I love those subtle shifts in power dynamics, watching how people respond and what tells they have,” he explained.

While Probst wants to keep hosting the show for as long as he can, he knows the day will eventually come when he steps away from “Survivor.” As he told People, one of the biggest mistakes networks make when replacing hosts is focusing on their popularity.

“They look at their hair color and how many Instagram followers they have. That’s not what it’s about,” Probst explained, adding that the future “Survivor” host should be “endlessly curious” and “fearless.”

“You’ve got to follow your gut. It’s so hard for people to do today because we criticize each other online all day, and then you second-guess your instincts. Screw that. You’ve got to have them,” Probst said.

“Survivor 50,” featuring all returning players, premiered on February 25 on CBS.