Jeff Probst: ‘Survivor’ is designed to be ‘seen through the eyes of kids’

Marcus James Dixon
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In the latest episode of Jeff Probst‘s “On Fire with Jeff Probst” podcast, the long-time “Survivor” host confesses that the CBS reality TV show is purposefully designed to be “seen through the eyes of kids.” The conversation came at the end of the podcast when a fan accused him of making the show only for himself.

“I don’t think he’s wrong in that yes, on some level, I am making ‘Survivor’ for me,” Probst readily admitted, as reported by Dalton Ross (EW). He then added, “But I will say that my version of the show, for me, is seen through the eyes of kids. So that is my point of view.”

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SEE ‘Survivor’ winners list: All seasons

Probst later added, “Everybody knows that works with me, I say, ‘Imagine a 7-year-old at home imagining they’re the one making fire, they’re the one who found an idol.’ So when I meet a ‘Survivor’ family on the street and they say, ‘Our kids love the show,’ the first thing I say is, ‘So how do you think you would do in the jungle? Do you think you could sleep with rats crawling all over you when the rain is coming down?’ And they always say, ‘Yes! I know I could.’ That’s the adventure that we’re putting into their head.”

Are you thinking what we’re thinking? Might we see an all-kids version of “Survivor” in the near future? Remember, Probst previously teased a teenager version of the show at the end of the Season 40 finale in May 2020. “You should apply, especially if you’re young,” he said at the time. “I’m talking teenagers — 16, 17, 18, 19. Do it. Cool parents and a cool school? Who knows. It could happen.”

SEEBrandon Cottom (‘Survivor 44’ exit interview): ‘They were going for the big fish and tonight they got him’

In the four seasons that have followed that announcement, the youngest players to compete on the island have been 19 years old (Swati Goel and Sami Layadi) and 20 years old (Jairus “JD” Robinson, Liana Wallace and Carson Garrett). If an all-kids version is still in the works, we may have to wait a bit longer to see it on our TV screens.

As of this writing, there are still nine contestants in the running to win “Survivor 44”: Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho, Carson Garrett and Carolyn Wiger from Tika, Kane Fritzler, Lauren Harpe and Jaime Lynn Ruiz from Ratu, and Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt, Frannie Marin and Danny Massa from Soka. Who do YOU think will be crowned the Sole Survivor?

SEE exclusive predictions: Who will win ‘Survivor’?

Be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before the next episode airs on CBS. You’ll compete to win eternal bragging rights and a spot on our “Survivor” leaderboard. See our contest rules and sound off with other fans in our reality TV forum. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.

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