There are so many things to love about the “New Era” of Survivor that began with Survivor 41 — with Kenzie Petty from Survivor 46 praising the “wokeness” of the beloved competition series in more recent years — however, one thing changed for the worse back in 2021.
Known for his one-liners and roasts that left the castaways — as well as Survivor superfans at home — with their jaws on the floor, longtime host Jeff Probst became too nice when this new and improved version of Survivor rolled around, making it a feel-good show during times when individuals all across America needed it most, but losing sight of the aggression we know and love.
“When the ‘New Era’ started, I was definitely full of positivity, and I wanted to be a show that parents felt good about watching with their kids… There was so much going on in the world. I wanted to say, ‘Hey man, this is a safe show. We’re still going to talk about uncomfortable things. You’ll still root for and against people and all that stuff, but there’s going to be an air of ‘Come on man, let’s just do this. Let’s figure this out. Let’s bring a bunch of people together from different walks of life. Let’s just have some fun and play a game.’ Somebody wins, a lot of people lose.'”
While this was a breath of fresh air, fans of the franchise cannot help but reminisce on the earlier days of Survivor, seeking the return of “Sassy Jeff” in future seasons, as well as more drama overall.
Admitting that he found “a different part of [his] personality coming out at Tribal” during Survivor 46, Probst confirmed in a conversation with longtime Survivor journalist and reporter Dalton Ross that there will be no more Mr. Nice Guy. To see all of the tea that he spilled in his exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, just keep scrolling…
In fact, Ross was on-site in Fiji for the first Tribal Council of Survivor 46, confirming that “Sassy Jeff” is indeed back and better than ever.
He wrote, “While Probst remains very respectful of the contestants, making sure not to divulge any of their secrets, I was also starting to feel that contestants were getting a little too comfortable at Tribal, believing the host would not call them out like he used to do to players in older seasons,” however, this theory has officially been debunked, with Probst confirming that he will get tougher and tougher in future seasons.
“That part of me is starting to come back… I’m ready to saddle back up, get on the horse, and sling a few arrows, so I think over the next year, you’ll start to see that coming back into play, and I hope the players will enjoy the banter and the back and forth.”
With a tease like this, we seriously cannot contain our excitement.
Nonetheless, Survivor superfans better buckle up, because Survivor 46 is sure to be a wild ride. With the highly-anticipated premiere airing on CBS on Wednesday, February 28 at 8pm ET/PT — with brand new episodes to follow every Wednesday afterwards — do not forget to set your DVRs.
With a cast that is nothing short of sensational, this season is sure to be one in a million!
