‘Survivor: Philippines’: Jeff Probst’s future beyond season 26 almost assured

Is there an end date coming up to “Survivor”? If there is, we have not come anywhere close to it yet. The CBS show has been a strong force for several years on Thursdays and now Wednesdays, and the network has not shown any sign just yet that it will be ending.

With that in mind, there comes another question: will Jeff Probst be around for the rest of the show’s run? The host / executive producer has signed one-year contracts as of late, but even if one is not signed yet for seasons 27 and 28, it sounds like it will be soon. In an interview on Rob Cesternino’s podcast, Jeff said that even though there are still details to work out, he will be back for more of the show.

Probst comes across rather well in the interview, especially since he comes off as extremely smart and self-aware about some of the criticism that comes his way. He explained that his more combative attitude at tribal council is really more of an end result of the way in which the game has changed, and he never tries to directly influence or give off any clue as to who is going home. (Hilariously, he did admit that he accidentally said Jeff Kent’s full name once during a challenge, but no one caught it.) He also discussed the ever-present returning players debate, and said that while bringing people back traditionally does well for the show’s ratings, he also admitted that they have really used up many of the good players that people want to see multiple times. This is the importance of good casting, and he cites Malcolm, Lisa, Jeff, and Abi-Mario as four people from this season who have turned out to be gems.

Regardless of if you are a Jeff fan or a Jeff hater, it is hard to deny that the man has single-handedly helped to shape the game into what it is today. It’s a fascinating full podcast to listen to, since he also discusses more details about this season, some of his favorite moments of 25 seasons, and why men are brought back more on the show than women.