Jeff Probst says future Survivor loved ones visits are not dead
The host still loves love, so family members could be returning to the island.By Dalton Ross
May 04, 2023 at 08:00 AM EDT
"Who's ready for some love?"
You could make an argument that those were Jeff Probst's favorite words to say every season on Survivor. Why? Because Jeff Probst loves love! It also meant the host was about to watch the contestants be reduced to blubbering fools as their siblings, spouses, parents, and children ran awkwardly to them across the sand.
Ah, yes… the Survivor loved ones visit. A classic piece of gooey heart-warming television that used to make millions of viewers simultaneously go "Awwwwwww…" twice a year. And then COVID hit.
After taking a year off from filming, Survivor finally returned, but with some modifications due to COVID safety precautions. Gone was the 39-day season, due to an extended quarantine period (and since CBS cut costs by getting rid of a third of its shooting schedule, those days are never coming back). Gone also was the loved ones visit due to no outsiders being allowed to penetrate the cast and crew's COVID-free bubble. Just this week the cast of Survivor 44 had to settle for letters from home instead of an actual visit. (If you're curious which loved ones the players would have invited, you can find out here.)
However, now that restrictions are being lifted, could the loved ones visit return? One Survivor fan asked exactly that to the host and showrunner on the latest episode of the On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast, and Probst said love may be returning to Survivor after all.
"Initially, it was COVID-related," said Probst of the reason they stopped the visits, which, in years past, found Johnny Fairplay mourning his "dead" grandma and Colby Donaldson hilariously berating his brother. "We couldn't bring any visitors to location. But now that restrictions are being lifted, yeah, we may consider doing it again."
Probst's main concern now relates to the shorter shooting schedule and the question of whether enough time has passed for the reunions to be as impactful. "26 days is a factor," he said. "To me, it's right on the edge of wondering if it's enough to warrant it. But when you see even the loved ones' letters come, you realize it's still hard to be away and be isolated. So I do think that if we did loved ones that you would get a big reaction."
But fans don't always agree, Probst notes. "What I also think is interesting is loved ones is one of the parts of the show where I have a lot of people say, 'Why with the loved ones stuff? All the emotion and the crying? I could do without that, I gotta tell you, bro.' So it's interesting because I love the loved ones."
Probst notes that his perspective changed when he got married and became a stepdad. "When I got a chance to become a parent, everything changed," he said. "Now, suddenly, I'm not so worried about what they're saying. I'm just trying to make sure the tears don't fall out of my eyeballs and down my cheeks because I get so moved by it all."
In conclusion? "That's my long way of saying I love loved ones. Everyone on the team knows I love love. And it's definitely not a dead issue, and maybe we'll find a way to bring it back."
For many more behind-the-scenes Survivor stories, listen to the On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast.
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