This is Why You Play Survivor. Each week Jeff Probst will answer a few questions from fans submitted on Twitter for each episode of Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance. This week’s questions: 1) How many seasons has the show been on? 2) Who is your favorite season and why? 3) What is your favorite moment in Survivor history? 4) Who is your favorite player of all time? Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance airs Sundays at 8:00pm on CBS. For more Survivor Second Chance photos, fun, and videos, visit our Survivor Page, check out all the spoilers on CBS.com, and follow me on Twitter @tanyabozzo. [BLANK_AUDIO]
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About Jamie
Jamie Kern Lima is a staff writer for Survivor Fan Hub. She was raised in Denver, Colorado, and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. She is a graduate of Binghamton University. When she isn't writing about TV shows and reality television news, Jamie is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America. You can follow her on Twitter @SurvivorFanHub.
Survivor Second Chance Cast Talk Playing Again During Their Tribal Council
“It was tough for me. It wasn’t really the best experience, so it was just the reality of wanting to get it over with as quick as possible. When I came here to see if I could be part of the family and they have this family thing and this reunion, and I saw how much they care, and I just felt good about it. So it wasn’t even the choice because I don’t know how I would have done that show, but the choice here felt better and felt like the right decision for me.”
On the way home from the Marquesas Tribe, Jeff Probst and Russell Hantz were caught in a violent thunderstorm that threatened to crash their plane. Probst and Hantz were able to repair the aircraft, but the experience scared them, and it served as an early warning about their fate. When the planes landed, Probst told himself that he would never allow himself to get on a plane like that again. He also vowed that he would never do a reunion show, and there would be no third chance for him to play again. In spite of these convictions, Probst has since changed his mind, and now has signed on to play for a third time.
The second chance for Probst began in 2006, when he joined the Heroes vs Villains season. The decision to join that season came during an exciting time for Probst. He was on a roll. While many others struggled through the rigors of a Survivor boot camp in Fiji, the host managed to complete the challenge as the first to arrive. Jeff was elated when he learned he was one of the 17 castaways chosen for the show.
Although Probst did well throughout the competition, it was his blindside of Rudy Boesch that made him a fan favorite. After Boesch was voted out, Probst became the next target and faced an early exit from the game.
Many viewers were horrified that Probst had been voted out, as he had seemed so strong and confident. Many fans wanted Probst to return to play another game, but he had made up his mind and vowed never to do another Survivor adventure.
However, five years later, when fans saw Probst’s return for the show’s 20th season, he was met with harsh criticism for his return. “I was a complete joke,” Probst admits. But he had a good reason. He wanted to make his family proud, and he felt that the family should be part of his celebration for reaching the milestone.
Now that Probst has seen that his family has been accepting of his decisions, he is now ready to have a better experience.
For his second chance, Probst knew that if he could bring a positive experience to his family and friends, then it was okay for him to come back. “It’s really funny. I got a call about doing this reunion show that I really thought was a joke. And then when I got the offer from CBS and they said we wanted to talk to you about it and then the phone didn’t ring for a year, and I said okay, my wife said this is getting out of hand. And then three months later they wanted to meet with me again and my wife said, now I know this is for real this time, she went to work right after we talked and told me, there’s a deal you gotta sign. So that was a very short conversation.”
“I like the idea that, you know, ‘Hey, you’re not in this season and here’s what’s going to happen. And you’re not going to call us every week and get us riled up and keep yourself in this, and then we’re going to let you out.’ It’s much better. It’s a very different game and a much more satisfying game because it was a little one-sided the other way. Because I have no idea if I would have gone further than I did. I’ve always gone into it with an open mind. And I would have gone further than I did, but I wasn’t going to let my family think that I was a big joke, as they would have believed otherwise.”
So for Probst, a second chance means that if he’s asked, he will do it. But he also understands that this is not a competition. “I think when you’re putting out Survivor, you’re asking for people to be a part of your family. And that’s a commitment. I mean, these people are your family. You’re looking for a partner in crime. You’re looking for a partner. And it’s not like you have three families and you pick the one you think is going to make the best team. These are real human beings and you make those connections. So when you’re asking people to be part of your family and you invest that much time and money and effort, and then it doesn’t turn out the way I want it to, it’s going to be hard for them. I don’t need to go back and go back and show them how it’s done. If you can’t show someone else how it’s done, how do I know you can teach me how it’s done?”
Probst knows that he is part of a team and it is up to him to lead by example. “You have to teach this game to people if you want to have it be successful. If you want people to give it a try and succeed, then it’s got to be taught right, and that takes a lot of effort. It’s like anything else. The more you do it, the more you understand it. This is why I like to coach people and teach them so they can be more successful at this game than they were last time.”
In spite of all the controversy around his return to play Survivor, Probst has found that his return has been received well by his fans. “I am grateful that people have reacted in the way they have. I have no delusions about any of this. I can’t tell you what to think of me. And I’m not going to. I’m not going to tell you what I did, because you have no idea. I’m going to tell you what I did, because I know that’s the best way to look at it. I’m grateful to the viewers. I think they appreciate it.”
“They know I can survive in the game. And they know I didn’t go for the money. And they know I didn’t do it for my family. And they know it’s a new experience that I can’t go back and try and recreate. It’s hard for me to accept that, because I’m a competitive person. But they’ve all been good to me since I got out of the game and it hasn’t affected our relationship in any way.”
He also shared that his second time out there was much more rewarding than his first, so he knows it will be more enjoyable for him
