There are long-running reality competition shows, and then there’s Survivor. CBS’ groundbreaking show continues to be popular decades later, with Season 45 recently premiering. Showrunner and host Jeff Probst is back to guide us through the game, and I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Probst recently found out he’s an internet “zaddy”, but I’m more amused about a current Survivor contestant calling him “grandad.” Aging can be difficult, especially when it’s done on camera.
Jeff Probst is heavily involved in the show’s day to day production (see how to stream Survivor Season 45 here), on top of hosting the show and its various events. He recently spoke with GQ about the show’s continued success, where the 61 year-old Emmy winner was asked if he was familiar with being called “zaddy” online. After getting a crash course about what the term means, he responded by saying:
Fatherly, brutal. I like it in that context because at least it’s a flattering assassination. But no, I have not heard that.
Clearly Jeff Probst doesn’t spend too much time googling himself or scrolling through the memes that accompany every new episode of Survivor. Because if he did, he probably would have seen these comments, and fans calling him zaddy. But I actually feel like he hasn’t aged much throughout the show’s run, despite spending so much time filming in the sun. Good thing he’s got that signature hat.
While Survivor fans often have a strong reaction to Jeff Probst, the same can also be said for the castaways competing on each season. It’s always fun to see how starstruck the superfans get when interacting with him, especially back when Survivor’s loved ones visit was still a thing (bring it back!). It turns out that one of the current castaways equated him to a grandfather, which I can’t get over. As he shared:
Brace yourself for this one. There’s a player on a recent season of Survivor who said to me, ‘You were like a father figure to me—now it’s more like a granddad.’ I don’t look in the mirror and see a granddad! I remember my dad telling me that you don’t know you’re the old guy until you are.
Talk about a shot to the ego. Despite these grandad comments, Jeff Probst is still killing it and looking basically ageless on the 45th season so far. And considering that Probst is a producer on the show, the last thing I’d do as a contestant is piss him off by calling him old. Talk about a bold choice. Then again, the current cast definitely has some strong personalities, with one castaway admitting that she auditioned after being mad about Gabler’s win a few seasons ago. The first episode featured someone quitting, so there’s no telling what’s coming next.
Probst and company are on a hot streak, as Survivor 44 pulled out a surprise Emmy nomination. It should be fascinating to see how the game continues to change, and how long Probst plans on hosting the show from Fiji.
Survivor airs Wednesdays on CBS. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.