December 24, 2025 • 23 mins
In 2025 we had so many amazing people stop by Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. Here's one of our favorites!
Jeff Probst joins us to discuss the 48th season of "Survivor" and whether or not Andrew will ever be a contestant.
OG Air Date February 24th, 2025,
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The on air moments that had the whole studio talking.
This is the year's best from Elvis Duran in horning
show Sadie's Benz Interview Lounge.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Who's making a lot of money?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Is you carry good, Jeff? Very good people down at
Paramount CBS because of this little show called Survivor. And
this Wednesday we are so excited to announce there will
be another season. Beginning Wednesday is season forty eight on CBS.
(00:35):
We welcome the head dude in charge, Jeff Probes. It's
good to be back. It's been about two decades since.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It has now.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
I heard your microphones on the microphone gone there nothing
your studio, nothing works, nothing works.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Not even the people in it now. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
The last time we had you on, Jeff was I
think twenty seventeen, and we heard the reason why you
haven't done any press since then is because we just
really tacked you off.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah it was.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
It was a grueling interview, as we all remember, that
made national and international news.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Unfortunately you wiped it from the internet so no one
could ever hear it. It was an incident. Yeah, but
I wasn't happy with you. I'll tell you what happened. Okay,
I was kind of joking. Sorry, Oh my god, I've
forgotten what happened because now I panicked. We keep pushing
our Andrew. Yeah, and we keep pushing his agenda to
get him on Survivor. Yeah, and he's failed forty eight times.
(01:33):
I'm still charming though, Andrew. Anyway, you must be a
little excited about forty eight this. Wait, but can we
just clear the air. There really was not an incident.
I was joking, Okay, Oh I wasn't. Okay, yes, no,
I'm I'm very excited to have season forty eight. Honestly,
(01:54):
I mean, oh, there's Andrew all right, now it's complete.
So Andrew, how many times have you have you tried
for I don't want to make this all about you.
By the way, we have, for sure talk about the game.
We got to talk about so.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
Many exciting things, right, so many excite things.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah. So seven years that that's how long is Yeah?
So god's the question.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Gandhi and Andrew are best friends, and so you can
say whatever you want to him. Why do you feel
like he has failed to be on Jeff's show every
single time?
Speaker 6 (02:22):
I think he's not honest in his audition tapes.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Well that could do it.
Speaker 6 (02:26):
Yeah, because he is a monster and he's an unhinged,
crazy person. But the videos that I've seen him make,
he presents himself is very reasonable and normal, and I
just don't think that's going to work for him.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Well, honest, you're if that's true, you're hitting on the problem.
Because when people ask me, how do you get on Survivor?
Or what should I put on my audition tape or whatever,
I say, I know this doesn't sound like much, and
you've heard me say this for sure. You have to
be yourself and then people go, yeah, but what do
you mean, Well, that's the problem. Yeah, I don't know you.
If you don't know you, so that's deep.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
You should show.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
I mean really, you should be able to pick up
your phone right now and say, hey, my name's Andrew.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
I work on this radio show. I do this thing.
I do that.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
That should be enough. You don't have to script it
or anything. And to the point of applying a lot,
the woman who won last year, Rachel, applied for six years.
It was seven years before she got on the show
and she won. Yeah, so sometimes it's also timing. You know,
you're still evolving as a as a human, and you're
getting more stories and getting more interesting and better.
Speaker 6 (03:24):
At I just be like, I'm Andrew, I'm a devious
bitch and leave it there and it would work out well.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Say repeat after her, I'm Andrew, I'm Andrews bitch, and I'm.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
A devious bitch. Wow, I'll see your season fifty. Yeah,
I will say.
Speaker 5 (03:42):
Ever since you told me to apply, a lot in
my life has changed, and you kind of inspired me
to get off the couch of my own life and
start living. There's a lot of things that I saw
in myself that maybe I wasn't super confident, but I
actually have gone out there and done skydiving, which I
never thought I would do. I ran a half marathon.
I never thought I could do that. I drove twenty
(04:04):
five hundred miles across the country with Gandhi and Diamond.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Like.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
There's so many little things that I started doing and
I just realized, like, I can't wait for permission.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
You just have to go out there and do it.
You have a great life. You should even worry about
survivor just go live. You're right, But Elvis, let's just
take one second on what he was just talking about
because if you've never watched Survivor, you probably have an
idea that it's this thing, it's this competition games, it's
a reality show. I don't watch reality shows. It's a
maguffin the game. A Survivor lures you because it's addicting,
(04:34):
addictive and addicting, and you want to do all of it.
But and what Andrew's talking about is the transformation that
happens from people who decide to get ab off the
couch and then go live in the jungle and take
on this game. Is they find parts of themselves they
never knew were there or that they hoped were there,
and now they are. So you're already changing because of Survivor.
I get super corny about it because I watch people
(04:54):
transform because they're living in a real jungle taking on
all this stuff, and then they do it and they
come back and like, I'm way more badass than I
ever thought.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
I see.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
I want that for all of us and everyone listening,
if not Survivor, somewhere in life we need these transformations. Yeah, sure,
we love you, Andrew, and you guys don't. Jeff has
promised nothing.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Damn but keep applying.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Come on, man, So look, I mean, so forty eight seasons,
we're talking with twenty year. How have you seen the
people change? How are they different now than they were then?
It's a great question. I hope I have a good answer,
because Survivor is always a reflection of us. If you
(05:39):
go back and look at early seasons, there were things
that happened on the show that would never happen today
because we don't do those things anymore. I said things
on the show years ago I would never say today
because I don't think that way. So we're constantly evolving.
What is really I don't know how people have changed,
but I know what we've changed is the type of
people we're looking for. Early days of unscripted shows, I
(06:01):
think it was natural for people to say we need,
you know, we need a bartender type, some young, good
looking guy, and then we need We don't do that anymore.
I most of the time don't even know what people's
occupation is unless it's central to their character. We're just
looking for humans who are interesting and can tell their story,
and then we put this game design on top of it.
That's what really changed after COVID is the game is
(06:23):
now central to your experience. And the reason that is
is it creates all this uncertainty. So now you're in
a jungle and you've got this crazy, weird game that
you have to play of social politics and physical challenges
and endurance, and on top of all of that is
you're living in this real jungle trying to figure it out.
That's where I think Survivor's gotten really interesting. And our
(06:44):
cast is just incredibly diverse now, I mean the stories are, honestly,
they're kind of unbelievable. Just this season, how many people
we have from different countries, different walks of life, different upbringings.
And then you're forced to sit across from somebody and say, hey,
my name is Jeff, And before you know it, you've
made friends with but you would never even have met
in your normal life. And now the storm is coming
and you're relying on each other. And what he doesn't
(07:05):
know is you've already conspired against him. It's like, I'm
getting goosebumps. You really are very well media trained.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Tell this.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
What's funny is this is me I know, I know,
I mean, you've been deep. Yeah, show our whole team knows.
Oh propes, he's on one of those. He's going to
get into this whole adventure thing spirit of life. You know,
we need it because I want everyone to watch. I
want Wednesday to be all about I don't want you
to record it. I wanted I want Survivor to be
an event as it was back in the Year'll tell
(07:42):
you what, this season has some of the most amazing storylines.
You'll cry in the first two minutes of episode one.
You can't not don't give that away. That's not that's
not a giveaway. It's just just meaning like you you
kind of feel you just feel it. Our storytelling is
pretty good good, and we take you in really fast,
and all of a sudden, you're like, why am I
(08:04):
crying over what this guy just said? I don't even
know this guy, but it's it's a powerful I always
say to people, if you've never watched Survivor, just give
me one episode.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
That's it. Give me ten minutes.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
If you're not in in ten minutes, you'll never be in.
I'm going to bet you're coming back for episode two.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
We got lots to talk about.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
We talk about the game, to talk about how season
fifty is going to be a little different because you're
putting the power into our hands right to watch.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I want to get into that.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Yeah, I want to talk about your crazy connection with
White Lotus.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Oh yeah, you have you been watching? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Well no, I didn't see last night. So did you
wish the first episode? Yeah, we can't talk about it
because I don't want to spoil it, but there's some
crazy stuff going down. I was lucky enough to be
invited by Mike to a premiere where I watched it
in a theater with like five hundred people or something,
and Mike gave a speech beforehand and basically said, this
(08:59):
has been the longest journey this season of anything I've
ever done, the most difficult thing I've ever done, and
I'm so incredibly happy about it. Like, he really puts
his heart and soul into this show. He's trying to
do something, he's trying to explore who we are, and
he's doing it in a really fun way with noxious people.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
We're a bunch of monkey's living in Thailand. That's what
we are.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
If you're trying to figure what we're talking about, the
creator of White Loatus, Mike White. He was actually on
Survivor Yeah Bacon twenty eighteen. He got pretty far. He
did a lot of people think he could have won.
He made it to the end, and then there seemed
to be a moment where he realized, I don't need
to win. The money won't help me the way it
will help somebody else. I just needed to know if
(09:43):
I could win.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
He has cast some friends from Survivor in every season
so far. Yeah, including at least two cameos in the
pilot season three when we saw the Other Night and
there you go, that's so cool.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
What a connection you have with White loadus And.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I don't think it's any surprise if you're a Survivor fan.
Mike White is one of the best storytellers we've ever
had on the show. You know, you go to people
for interviews in every episode for them to tell you
what's happening, and Mike just has that ability to tell
you a story from anybody's point of view and.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Get it right. I'm getting that. Yeah, but you haven't
started watching it now. I haven't. Don't you ruin it? Crazy?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
And how does one guy write so many different types
of people and all of them feel absolutely true. He's
a kid from Pasadena.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I could see you doing that. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Mike White is Mike White's one of the greatest writers
of all time. Give yourself some credit, Jeff Jeff Prosch.
By the way, just turning us on Jeff Probs's here.
We're talking about season forty eight of Survivor, premiering Wednesday
on CBS.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I have two questions. Question one, okay, the first question
is forty eight seasons. Was there any season where you
said this is it, I'm out after this season.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
There have been some moments where where I think just
me and maybe the team are exhausted from the shoot.
Especially it used to be thirty nine days and we
would do two seasons back to back. Yeah, plus all
the preps, so it felt like you were out there
for two hundred days. And I think that's what would
get me is I would just say, oh my god,
I can't believe we're going to come back and do
this again in a couple of months. But then you
(11:20):
get home and you start looking at the edits and
you get reminded why you love it. But I haven't
had that feeling in years. I've never been clearly so
excited about Survivor. And I think the COVID break was
really good for us because it gave us a moment
to step back, take a breath, and say, how can
we flip this game a little bit? And if you
(11:41):
were on location, you would see I'm not the only
one who is this passionate.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Everybody cares about what we do. It's really weird.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
But we have a team that's been together fifteen, eighteen,
twenty years a lot of people. Wow, we've grown up together.
Here's a crazy stat todate we have seventy two babies
have been born from people who met while working together
on our show.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Well, it's so cool.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Wow, not seventy two babies of our crew. Seventy two
met from people who met how many from crew?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
No?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
No, I'm saying contestants baby no, no, but meaning it's
a fair question. These are people that have met while
working on this show, fell in love, got married, have babies.
So if you come to location at any given time,
you'll see eight, ten, twelve kids running around.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
So cool.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
My second part is have you made enough money where
if you wanted to walk away you really could?
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Uh that's answering.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah season one.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Yeah, my wife would say no.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
But we have very different approaches to that.
Speaker 6 (12:43):
When you look at all of the people who have won.
Is there a common thread or like one character trait
about them that you would say, yeah, those those winners
all have this in common.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
I think at this point now I think there is,
and I think it's there is on some level likability.
It doesn't mean you have to be nice. We've had
people who've played vicious games win. But if there's something
about you that isn't that just isn't likable, then people
are reluctant, even if you played a great game to
write your name down for a million dollars, there's just
(13:14):
something about us. Intuitively, we just wanted to go to
somebody that's that's you know, deserves it. And so often
what you'll see is somebody who's played a very tough game.
They will say, look, I know I blindsided you, but
I knew if I didn't, you were coming from me,
and you need to respect that. And then people say,
you're right, I was, and I do respect that, and
then they go on to be friends. So there is
(13:35):
something about in life. If you're fun to be around
and you make people feel good about themselves, you're probably
going to go a little further than somebody who's just
you know, a punk. Maybe you should listen to.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Him Conde as soon as he said liability group, she is.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Officially dommenus of our show. Hey, so I saw this game.
It's called Survivor The Tribe. The Tribe has Spoken, designed
by Jeff pro Yeah, you got your own game. Yeah,
we've been working on that for a while. I partnered
with this company, Exploding Kittens, which is a so Elon
(14:11):
Lee is a good buddy of mine. So we teamed
up in his team and myself and made this game.
And I I can now say, if you're a Survivor fan,
it pretty closely resembles What's your There's what's your name?
Stephanie is a Survivor fan.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
She has it.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
She's nodding at a creepy, creepy rate. But the reviews
have been really great because aside from living in the jungle,
you're playing Survivor and it's pretty addictive and pretty fun,
and you get to test your ability to persuade, cajole,
you know, live, manipulate, and and the box is cool,
the car, everything is straight from the game. So one
(14:48):
thing we couldn't figure out. Fire just burns some furniture. Hey,
so where okay, where can we get now you can
get that like a Target. You can get Amazon anywhere,
you know. I'm sure the Paramoun store they've gone it. Yeah,
Hairmount store will have it at some point.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
No, I don't think they have it now.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I'm kind of weird, kind of weird. I think they're
they're working on it, but it's out. It's selling. I know,
I'm sellding like I'm bragging on my own game. It
is selling like crazy because A we have good fans
and B people are playing it and saying that it
plays really well. So that's what we worked on. Because
Survivor's a game, so we wanted the card game to
(15:29):
mirror the game, and I think it does what Nate.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I was talking to Jeff and he said, you went
through how many versions of this game? Yeah, like probably eighty.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Whoa wow, But that is you know, that really is
Nate game design. Even on Survivor, when we have a
new advantage or a twist, it has to marinate for
a while and you sit on it.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
You go, Okay, so what else would a player do
with it?
Speaker 4 (15:48):
And then you two weeks later you go, oh my god,
thank god we didn't put that in the game.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Here's what could have happened and then you adjust it.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
So in making this game, we would just sit around
my house and my a table in my house and
just quick gleat play versions because you're working with game designers.
So there's a shorthand. So it is Survivor. The tribe
has spoken, it's the game, and you know there's if
not you, someone in your life is a Survivor lover
and they'll be watching the season premiere of season forty eight.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
So good Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
So I'm assuming that season forty nine is where you're
working that now. So season fifty, right, this is gonna
be a little different. Yeah, tell everyone what's going on.
How are we in charge of season fifty? Okay, So
the theme of Survivor fifty is in the hands of
the fans. That's the name of the season and what
we're gonna We've done where you vote players in, we've
done that. What we've never done is let the fans
(16:39):
decide the game design. So every week, starting with the
premiere Wednesday night, there'll be four categories you can vote on,
and throughout the season you'll vote on more so that
when it's done, the fans will have designed the kind
of game they want to see played in fifty The
players won't know. We're not going to reveal anything. We
will know and the players will find out as it unfolds.
But it's everything from We have a thing called the
(17:02):
Final Four fire Making Challenge. Some people love it because
it's incredibly dramatic. Other people think the game should be
pure and you shouldn't have it. Then vote to not
have it. We're gonna just see what happens.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
When do you open this up?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
It starts after the premiere. There's the first four categories,
so you vote on like the aesthetic. You can decide
the color scheme of the season. Then you can decide
if you want them to have rice or no rice.
You can decide if you want the Final four fire
Making Challenge, and we also have one if we should
bring back our Live, Big Live Reunion finale, you have to.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Yeah, so we miss that.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
So we'll learn all about this Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, it starts on Wednesday, and then you'll have more
categories throughout the season. Interesting question from someone texting us, Jeff,
what up they call you by the name?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
When will we have an all female cast?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
I think the cattiness and drama would be fantastically survival
it's not a bad idea.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I'd say it's not a bad idea.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
How about geriatric version, like Survivor jeriatics bad idea.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
By the time Andrew gets on there, he'll.
Speaker 6 (18:03):
He'll be ok the Golden Bachelor.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
They should have the Golden Survivor.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Yeah, you know, the the idea of just doing all
women or all men, it is interesting. You just have
to sort of really again marinate on it, think through
it because the dynamic and the different approaches to life
is interesting. For instance, when you list all of the
greatest quote unquote characters of Survivor, a majority of them
(18:28):
are men. Why what is it about what we allow
men to say and do socially versus women's right.
Speaker 6 (18:37):
Well, specifically that text that said the cattiness and drama
would be out of control, My thought was, I don't
think women and men are that different, but women get
called caddy and men get called strategic when they're doing
the exact same thing. So I would love to see that.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
I want to be on the all gay Survivor. We're
just a bunch of caddy bitches. Just the thought you're gay?
What on occasion?
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Oh my god, jip props. He's blushing. I did you know?
For a second, I was like, Ah, should I have
said that?
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Come on, now, you're on my favorite show on CBS,
which is CBS Sunday Morning.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
And one of the things they asked you was about
you're you when you're hosting, when you're doing your thing?
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Do you ever get nervous? Do you ever?
Speaker 4 (19:31):
I mean, are you just always this naturally relaxed, because
you seem relaxed to me, even if you're asking people,
you know, if they're gay.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Right.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Well, yeah, John asked me if I was you ever
get nervous like before season starts or and I don't.
And I know that sounds weird, but I I feel
like when the red light goes on and it's like
the tally light of a camera, that's when I'm the
most zoned in. And when I'm zoned in, I'm just
in the moment. What often happens on Survivor is something
(20:01):
will happen. It could be something crazy that happens that
I'm involved with a Q and A or something, and
then I get the cut to look at and I'm like,
I wonder what I said after that?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I don't remember it.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Like months later, because you know, when you're doing an interview,
I'm sure this happens to you. You're doing a great interview.
When the interview's over, you don't always remember what you
talked about. It's done, it's trapped. Yeah, but you were
in it. I'm not taking notes about how it's going.
I'm just trying to be there for the player to
respond and drive the story or answer the question. That's
the thing. It's second nature to you. You don't even
think about it. You're just you're you're are you straight?
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Hold on? Yes? I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Maybe that's why he'd blush.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Well, look all of the above.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
If you just turned us on, Jeff Probes, of course
is here season forty eight just turned me on.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I know you do this all day, big fella.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
I have one question. No, you've three at this point,
having watched forty eight seasons. Do you think you could win?
Speaker 2 (20:59):
No?
Speaker 4 (21:00):
No, because I would get annoyed that at some point
I would say, I would say, here's the thing about Nate,
and I'm just going to say it right now. If
he tells that story one more time, you know I
I would definitely because you you got to really be
able to hold your stuff together and say, you know,
to yourself, counted count to one hundred. If I have to,
(21:20):
let's keep it together. And then in interview, when it's private,
you can speak your truth. I tend to speak my
truth a little, just a little too fast, and regret
it almost every time, never ever regret that at all.
Filters are for babies. Let's not filter what we need.
You're right, I don't really regret it. That was a
great question, by the way, thanks both of asking great questions.
(21:40):
I shouldn't I should have stayed home today, could have.
Speaker 7 (21:43):
I think, Oh my gosh, I think Universal or Disney
should do like like you know how they have the
Indiana Jones experience in like one of those parks.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
How cool would the Survivor one be?
Speaker 4 (21:56):
You know what's funny about you about that is we
started doing these beach drops and they're kind of what
you're talking about on a smaller level where we set
up some big challenges. You can weave palm fronts, and
we just did one Saturday in Manhattan over at the
Chelsea Factory. They're really fun. So we're heading toward the
(22:17):
cool well with that's it the game. I want everyone
listening to by at least three of these.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Thanks for mentioning your game.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
The Tribe is spoken available at Target, Yeah, I'm sure
online all over the place as well. We've got season
forty eight of Survivor premiering Wednesday night on CBS, and
that same night you'll find out how you can be
controlling yep in Survivor fifty. Yeah, so we have a
whole thing with fifty. Fiji Airways is going to brand
a jet for us and we're going to some families
(22:47):
are going to win trips to Fiji to come to
base camp and see Survivor. It's it's going to be
a really fun year.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
You would think that after forty ex seasons you're running
out of new ideas because I know we've been on
how many seasons we had. You haven't had a new
idea since Jimmy Carter was president.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
We just keep stealing them from other people.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Well, you know that's a pretty good approach. Yeah, you're right,
it's still theirs and make it yours, Jeff. It's always
an honor to have it fun to be back here. Yeah,
thank you, even though you'll never have our Andrew on
until geriatric survivor is out.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
And you never know. Jeff props everyone
The on air moments that had the whole studio talking.
This is the year's best from Elvis Duran in horning
show Sadie's Benz Interview Lounge.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Who's making a lot of money?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Is you carry good, Jeff? Very good people down at
Paramount CBS because of this little show called Survivor. And
this Wednesday we are so excited to announce there will
be another season. Beginning Wednesday is season forty eight on CBS.
(00:35):
We welcome the head dude in charge, Jeff Probes. It's
good to be back. It's been about two decades since.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It has now.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
I heard your microphones on the microphone gone there nothing
your studio, nothing works, nothing works.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Not even the people in it now. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
The last time we had you on, Jeff was I
think twenty seventeen, and we heard the reason why you
haven't done any press since then is because we just
really tacked you off.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah it was.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
It was a grueling interview, as we all remember, that
made national and international news.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Unfortunately you wiped it from the internet so no one
could ever hear it. It was an incident. Yeah, but
I wasn't happy with you. I'll tell you what happened. Okay,
I was kind of joking. Sorry, Oh my god, I've
forgotten what happened because now I panicked. We keep pushing
our Andrew. Yeah, and we keep pushing his agenda to
get him on Survivor. Yeah, and he's failed forty eight times.
(01:33):
I'm still charming though, Andrew. Anyway, you must be a
little excited about forty eight this. Wait, but can we
just clear the air. There really was not an incident.
I was joking, Okay, Oh I wasn't. Okay, yes, no,
I'm I'm very excited to have season forty eight. Honestly,
(01:54):
I mean, oh, there's Andrew all right, now it's complete.
So Andrew, how many times have you have you tried
for I don't want to make this all about you.
By the way, we have, for sure talk about the game.
We got to talk about so.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
Many exciting things, right, so many excite things.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah. So seven years that that's how long is Yeah?
So god's the question.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Gandhi and Andrew are best friends, and so you can
say whatever you want to him. Why do you feel
like he has failed to be on Jeff's show every
single time?
Speaker 6 (02:22):
I think he's not honest in his audition tapes.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Well that could do it.
Speaker 6 (02:26):
Yeah, because he is a monster and he's an unhinged,
crazy person. But the videos that I've seen him make,
he presents himself is very reasonable and normal, and I
just don't think that's going to work for him.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Well, honest, you're if that's true, you're hitting on the problem.
Because when people ask me, how do you get on Survivor?
Or what should I put on my audition tape or whatever,
I say, I know this doesn't sound like much, and
you've heard me say this for sure. You have to
be yourself and then people go, yeah, but what do
you mean, Well, that's the problem. Yeah, I don't know you.
If you don't know you, so that's deep.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
You should show.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
I mean really, you should be able to pick up
your phone right now and say, hey, my name's Andrew.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
I work on this radio show. I do this thing.
I do that.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
That should be enough. You don't have to script it
or anything. And to the point of applying a lot,
the woman who won last year, Rachel, applied for six years.
It was seven years before she got on the show
and she won. Yeah, so sometimes it's also timing. You know,
you're still evolving as a as a human, and you're
getting more stories and getting more interesting and better.
Speaker 6 (03:24):
At I just be like, I'm Andrew, I'm a devious
bitch and leave it there and it would work out well.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Say repeat after her, I'm Andrew, I'm Andrews bitch, and I'm.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
A devious bitch. Wow, I'll see your season fifty. Yeah,
I will say.
Speaker 5 (03:42):
Ever since you told me to apply, a lot in
my life has changed, and you kind of inspired me
to get off the couch of my own life and
start living. There's a lot of things that I saw
in myself that maybe I wasn't super confident, but I
actually have gone out there and done skydiving, which I
never thought I would do. I ran a half marathon.
I never thought I could do that. I drove twenty
(04:04):
five hundred miles across the country with Gandhi and Diamond.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Like.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
There's so many little things that I started doing and
I just realized, like, I can't wait for permission.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
You just have to go out there and do it.
You have a great life. You should even worry about
survivor just go live. You're right, But Elvis, let's just
take one second on what he was just talking about
because if you've never watched Survivor, you probably have an
idea that it's this thing, it's this competition games, it's
a reality show. I don't watch reality shows. It's a
maguffin the game. A Survivor lures you because it's addicting,
(04:34):
addictive and addicting, and you want to do all of it.
But and what Andrew's talking about is the transformation that
happens from people who decide to get ab off the
couch and then go live in the jungle and take
on this game. Is they find parts of themselves they
never knew were there or that they hoped were there,
and now they are. So you're already changing because of Survivor.
I get super corny about it because I watch people
(04:54):
transform because they're living in a real jungle taking on
all this stuff, and then they do it and they
come back and like, I'm way more badass than I
ever thought.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
I see.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
I want that for all of us and everyone listening,
if not Survivor, somewhere in life we need these transformations. Yeah, sure,
we love you, Andrew, and you guys don't. Jeff has
promised nothing.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Damn but keep applying.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Come on, man, So look, I mean, so forty eight seasons,
we're talking with twenty year. How have you seen the
people change? How are they different now than they were then?
It's a great question. I hope I have a good answer,
because Survivor is always a reflection of us. If you
(05:39):
go back and look at early seasons, there were things
that happened on the show that would never happen today
because we don't do those things anymore. I said things
on the show years ago I would never say today
because I don't think that way. So we're constantly evolving.
What is really I don't know how people have changed,
but I know what we've changed is the type of
people we're looking for. Early days of unscripted shows, I
(06:01):
think it was natural for people to say we need,
you know, we need a bartender type, some young, good
looking guy, and then we need We don't do that anymore.
I most of the time don't even know what people's
occupation is unless it's central to their character. We're just
looking for humans who are interesting and can tell their story,
and then we put this game design on top of it.
That's what really changed after COVID is the game is
(06:23):
now central to your experience. And the reason that is
is it creates all this uncertainty. So now you're in
a jungle and you've got this crazy, weird game that
you have to play of social politics and physical challenges
and endurance, and on top of all of that is
you're living in this real jungle trying to figure it out.
That's where I think Survivor's gotten really interesting. And our
(06:44):
cast is just incredibly diverse now, I mean the stories are, honestly,
they're kind of unbelievable. Just this season, how many people
we have from different countries, different walks of life, different upbringings.
And then you're forced to sit across from somebody and say, hey,
my name is Jeff, And before you know it, you've
made friends with but you would never even have met
in your normal life. And now the storm is coming
and you're relying on each other. And what he doesn't
(07:05):
know is you've already conspired against him. It's like, I'm
getting goosebumps. You really are very well media trained.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Tell this.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
What's funny is this is me I know, I know,
I mean, you've been deep. Yeah, show our whole team knows.
Oh propes, he's on one of those. He's going to
get into this whole adventure thing spirit of life. You know,
we need it because I want everyone to watch. I
want Wednesday to be all about I don't want you
to record it. I wanted I want Survivor to be
an event as it was back in the Year'll tell
(07:42):
you what, this season has some of the most amazing storylines.
You'll cry in the first two minutes of episode one.
You can't not don't give that away. That's not that's
not a giveaway. It's just just meaning like you you
kind of feel you just feel it. Our storytelling is
pretty good good, and we take you in really fast,
and all of a sudden, you're like, why am I
(08:04):
crying over what this guy just said? I don't even
know this guy, but it's it's a powerful I always
say to people, if you've never watched Survivor, just give
me one episode.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
That's it. Give me ten minutes.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
If you're not in in ten minutes, you'll never be in.
I'm going to bet you're coming back for episode two.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
We got lots to talk about.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
We talk about the game, to talk about how season
fifty is going to be a little different because you're
putting the power into our hands right to watch.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I want to get into that.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Yeah, I want to talk about your crazy connection with
White Lotus.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Oh yeah, you have you been watching? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Well no, I didn't see last night. So did you
wish the first episode? Yeah, we can't talk about it
because I don't want to spoil it, but there's some
crazy stuff going down. I was lucky enough to be
invited by Mike to a premiere where I watched it
in a theater with like five hundred people or something,
and Mike gave a speech beforehand and basically said, this
(08:59):
has been the longest journey this season of anything I've
ever done, the most difficult thing I've ever done, and
I'm so incredibly happy about it. Like, he really puts
his heart and soul into this show. He's trying to
do something, he's trying to explore who we are, and
he's doing it in a really fun way with noxious people.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
We're a bunch of monkey's living in Thailand. That's what
we are.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
If you're trying to figure what we're talking about, the
creator of White Loatus, Mike White. He was actually on
Survivor Yeah Bacon twenty eighteen. He got pretty far. He
did a lot of people think he could have won.
He made it to the end, and then there seemed
to be a moment where he realized, I don't need
to win. The money won't help me the way it
will help somebody else. I just needed to know if
(09:43):
I could win.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
He has cast some friends from Survivor in every season
so far. Yeah, including at least two cameos in the
pilot season three when we saw the Other Night and
there you go, that's so cool.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
What a connection you have with White loadus And.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I don't think it's any surprise if you're a Survivor fan.
Mike White is one of the best storytellers we've ever
had on the show. You know, you go to people
for interviews in every episode for them to tell you
what's happening, and Mike just has that ability to tell
you a story from anybody's point of view and.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Get it right. I'm getting that. Yeah, but you haven't
started watching it now. I haven't. Don't you ruin it? Crazy?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
And how does one guy write so many different types
of people and all of them feel absolutely true. He's
a kid from Pasadena.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I could see you doing that. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Mike White is Mike White's one of the greatest writers
of all time. Give yourself some credit, Jeff Jeff Prosch.
By the way, just turning us on Jeff Probs's here.
We're talking about season forty eight of Survivor, premiering Wednesday
on CBS.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I have two questions. Question one, okay, the first question
is forty eight seasons. Was there any season where you
said this is it, I'm out after this season.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
There have been some moments where where I think just
me and maybe the team are exhausted from the shoot.
Especially it used to be thirty nine days and we
would do two seasons back to back. Yeah, plus all
the preps, so it felt like you were out there
for two hundred days. And I think that's what would
get me is I would just say, oh my god,
I can't believe we're going to come back and do
this again in a couple of months. But then you
(11:20):
get home and you start looking at the edits and
you get reminded why you love it. But I haven't
had that feeling in years. I've never been clearly so
excited about Survivor. And I think the COVID break was
really good for us because it gave us a moment
to step back, take a breath, and say, how can
we flip this game a little bit? And if you
(11:41):
were on location, you would see I'm not the only
one who is this passionate.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Everybody cares about what we do. It's really weird.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
But we have a team that's been together fifteen, eighteen,
twenty years a lot of people. Wow, we've grown up together.
Here's a crazy stat todate we have seventy two babies
have been born from people who met while working together
on our show.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Well, it's so cool.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Wow, not seventy two babies of our crew. Seventy two
met from people who met how many from crew?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
No?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
No, I'm saying contestants baby no, no, but meaning it's
a fair question. These are people that have met while
working on this show, fell in love, got married, have babies.
So if you come to location at any given time,
you'll see eight, ten, twelve kids running around.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
So cool.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
My second part is have you made enough money where
if you wanted to walk away you really could?
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Uh that's answering.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah season one.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Yeah, my wife would say no.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
But we have very different approaches to that.
Speaker 6 (12:43):
When you look at all of the people who have won.
Is there a common thread or like one character trait
about them that you would say, yeah, those those winners
all have this in common.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
I think at this point now I think there is,
and I think it's there is on some level likability.
It doesn't mean you have to be nice. We've had
people who've played vicious games win. But if there's something
about you that isn't that just isn't likable, then people
are reluctant, even if you played a great game to
write your name down for a million dollars, there's just
(13:14):
something about us. Intuitively, we just wanted to go to
somebody that's that's you know, deserves it. And so often
what you'll see is somebody who's played a very tough game.
They will say, look, I know I blindsided you, but
I knew if I didn't, you were coming from me,
and you need to respect that. And then people say,
you're right, I was, and I do respect that, and
then they go on to be friends. So there is
(13:35):
something about in life. If you're fun to be around
and you make people feel good about themselves, you're probably
going to go a little further than somebody who's just
you know, a punk. Maybe you should listen to.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Him Conde as soon as he said liability group, she is.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Officially dommenus of our show. Hey, so I saw this game.
It's called Survivor The Tribe. The Tribe has Spoken, designed
by Jeff pro Yeah, you got your own game. Yeah,
we've been working on that for a while. I partnered
with this company, Exploding Kittens, which is a so Elon
(14:11):
Lee is a good buddy of mine. So we teamed
up in his team and myself and made this game.
And I I can now say, if you're a Survivor fan,
it pretty closely resembles What's your There's what's your name?
Stephanie is a Survivor fan.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
She has it.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
She's nodding at a creepy, creepy rate. But the reviews
have been really great because aside from living in the jungle,
you're playing Survivor and it's pretty addictive and pretty fun,
and you get to test your ability to persuade, cajole,
you know, live, manipulate, and and the box is cool,
the car, everything is straight from the game. So one
(14:48):
thing we couldn't figure out. Fire just burns some furniture. Hey,
so where okay, where can we get now you can
get that like a Target. You can get Amazon anywhere,
you know. I'm sure the Paramoun store they've gone it. Yeah,
Hairmount store will have it at some point.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
No, I don't think they have it now.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I'm kind of weird, kind of weird. I think they're
they're working on it, but it's out. It's selling. I know,
I'm sellding like I'm bragging on my own game. It
is selling like crazy because A we have good fans
and B people are playing it and saying that it
plays really well. So that's what we worked on. Because
Survivor's a game, so we wanted the card game to
(15:29):
mirror the game, and I think it does what Nate.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I was talking to Jeff and he said, you went
through how many versions of this game? Yeah, like probably eighty.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Whoa wow, But that is you know, that really is
Nate game design. Even on Survivor, when we have a
new advantage or a twist, it has to marinate for
a while and you sit on it.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
You go, Okay, so what else would a player do
with it?
Speaker 4 (15:48):
And then you two weeks later you go, oh my god,
thank god we didn't put that in the game.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Here's what could have happened and then you adjust it.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
So in making this game, we would just sit around
my house and my a table in my house and
just quick gleat play versions because you're working with game designers.
So there's a shorthand. So it is Survivor. The tribe
has spoken, it's the game, and you know there's if
not you, someone in your life is a Survivor lover
and they'll be watching the season premiere of season forty eight.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
So good Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
So I'm assuming that season forty nine is where you're
working that now. So season fifty, right, this is gonna
be a little different. Yeah, tell everyone what's going on.
How are we in charge of season fifty? Okay, So
the theme of Survivor fifty is in the hands of
the fans. That's the name of the season and what
we're gonna We've done where you vote players in, we've
done that. What we've never done is let the fans
(16:39):
decide the game design. So every week, starting with the
premiere Wednesday night, there'll be four categories you can vote on,
and throughout the season you'll vote on more so that
when it's done, the fans will have designed the kind
of game they want to see played in fifty The
players won't know. We're not going to reveal anything. We
will know and the players will find out as it unfolds.
But it's everything from We have a thing called the
(17:02):
Final Four fire Making Challenge. Some people love it because
it's incredibly dramatic. Other people think the game should be
pure and you shouldn't have it. Then vote to not
have it. We're gonna just see what happens.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
When do you open this up?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
It starts after the premiere. There's the first four categories,
so you vote on like the aesthetic. You can decide
the color scheme of the season. Then you can decide
if you want them to have rice or no rice.
You can decide if you want the Final four fire
Making Challenge, and we also have one if we should
bring back our Live, Big Live Reunion finale, you have to.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Yeah, so we miss that.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
So we'll learn all about this Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, it starts on Wednesday, and then you'll have more
categories throughout the season. Interesting question from someone texting us, Jeff,
what up they call you by the name?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
When will we have an all female cast?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
I think the cattiness and drama would be fantastically survival
it's not a bad idea.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I'd say it's not a bad idea.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
How about geriatric version, like Survivor jeriatics bad idea.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
By the time Andrew gets on there, he'll.
Speaker 6 (18:03):
He'll be ok the Golden Bachelor.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
They should have the Golden Survivor.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Yeah, you know, the the idea of just doing all
women or all men, it is interesting. You just have
to sort of really again marinate on it, think through
it because the dynamic and the different approaches to life
is interesting. For instance, when you list all of the
greatest quote unquote characters of Survivor, a majority of them
(18:28):
are men. Why what is it about what we allow
men to say and do socially versus women's right.
Speaker 6 (18:37):
Well, specifically that text that said the cattiness and drama
would be out of control, My thought was, I don't
think women and men are that different, but women get
called caddy and men get called strategic when they're doing
the exact same thing. So I would love to see that.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
I want to be on the all gay Survivor. We're
just a bunch of caddy bitches. Just the thought you're gay?
What on occasion?
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Oh my god, jip props. He's blushing. I did you know?
For a second, I was like, Ah, should I have
said that?
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Come on, now, you're on my favorite show on CBS,
which is CBS Sunday Morning.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
And one of the things they asked you was about
you're you when you're hosting, when you're doing your thing?
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Do you ever get nervous? Do you ever?
Speaker 4 (19:31):
I mean, are you just always this naturally relaxed, because
you seem relaxed to me, even if you're asking people,
you know, if they're gay.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Right.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Well, yeah, John asked me if I was you ever
get nervous like before season starts or and I don't.
And I know that sounds weird, but I I feel
like when the red light goes on and it's like
the tally light of a camera, that's when I'm the
most zoned in. And when I'm zoned in, I'm just
in the moment. What often happens on Survivor is something
(20:01):
will happen. It could be something crazy that happens that
I'm involved with a Q and A or something, and
then I get the cut to look at and I'm like,
I wonder what I said after that?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I don't remember it.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Like months later, because you know, when you're doing an interview,
I'm sure this happens to you. You're doing a great interview.
When the interview's over, you don't always remember what you
talked about. It's done, it's trapped. Yeah, but you were
in it. I'm not taking notes about how it's going.
I'm just trying to be there for the player to
respond and drive the story or answer the question. That's
the thing. It's second nature to you. You don't even
think about it. You're just you're you're are you straight?
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Hold on? Yes? I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Maybe that's why he'd blush.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Well, look all of the above.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
If you just turned us on, Jeff Probes, of course
is here season forty eight just turned me on.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I know you do this all day, big fella.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
I have one question. No, you've three at this point,
having watched forty eight seasons. Do you think you could win?
Speaker 2 (20:59):
No?
Speaker 4 (21:00):
No, because I would get annoyed that at some point
I would say, I would say, here's the thing about Nate,
and I'm just going to say it right now. If
he tells that story one more time, you know I
I would definitely because you you got to really be
able to hold your stuff together and say, you know,
to yourself, counted count to one hundred. If I have to,
(21:20):
let's keep it together. And then in interview, when it's private,
you can speak your truth. I tend to speak my
truth a little, just a little too fast, and regret
it almost every time, never ever regret that at all.
Filters are for babies. Let's not filter what we need.
You're right, I don't really regret it. That was a
great question, by the way, thanks both of asking great questions.
(21:40):
I shouldn't I should have stayed home today, could have.
Speaker 7 (21:43):
I think, Oh my gosh, I think Universal or Disney
should do like like you know how they have the
Indiana Jones experience in like one of those parks.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
How cool would the Survivor one be?
Speaker 4 (21:56):
You know what's funny about you about that is we
started doing these beach drops and they're kind of what
you're talking about on a smaller level where we set
up some big challenges. You can weave palm fronts, and
we just did one Saturday in Manhattan over at the
Chelsea Factory. They're really fun. So we're heading toward the
(22:17):
cool well with that's it the game. I want everyone
listening to by at least three of these.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Thanks for mentioning your game.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
The Tribe is spoken available at Target, Yeah, I'm sure
online all over the place as well. We've got season
forty eight of Survivor premiering Wednesday night on CBS, and
that same night you'll find out how you can be
controlling yep in Survivor fifty. Yeah, so we have a
whole thing with fifty. Fiji Airways is going to brand
a jet for us and we're going to some families
(22:47):
are going to win trips to Fiji to come to
base camp and see Survivor. It's it's going to be
a really fun year.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
You would think that after forty ex seasons you're running
out of new ideas because I know we've been on
how many seasons we had. You haven't had a new
idea since Jimmy Carter was president.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
We just keep stealing them from other people.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Well, you know that's a pretty good approach. Yeah, you're right,
it's still theirs and make it yours, Jeff. It's always
an honor to have it fun to be back here. Yeah,
thank you, even though you'll never have our Andrew on
until geriatric survivor is out.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
And you never know. Jeff props everyone
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