Jeff Probst

Wow.

So on that, so again, when I did Survivor, because Jeff treated it like a real show, and Jeff Probst, who's been doing Survivor since 2000, for 26 years now, he is really immersed in the game.

He's talking everything.

He knows a lot of people's names.

amazing.

RuPaul gets a little help.

also RuPaul's an older man you know what I'm saying but Jeff Probst is running that show like when you do Drag Race when you do challenges you get like you know the field producers to come and run the challenge with you and show you how to do things Jeff is running the challenges with you Jeff is showing you how everyone everything works Jeff is reading all the story beats like I was so impressed by after 26 years how he is still so like it is his fucking game he loves it he loves it

Wow, that's so fascinating.

In this episode, I chat with journalist and critic Callum Marsh, author of the new book, True Lies, The Art of Reality Television.

The book dives deep into the history and evolution of unscripted TV, featuring interviews with the likes of Jeff Probst and Gordon Ramsay.

It unpacks the formats, the scandals and the cultural impact of a genre that was often dismissed as trash TV.

Who would have predicted accurately how popular reality would continue to be? This whole idea that reality TV is this like trashy, poorly made thing is just, it's never been true.

I mean, you spoke to some really high profile people in your research for this book.

Obviously, Gordon Ramsay, who you already mentioned.

You also talked to Jeff Probst.

I guess like in talking to those people, did it, and across your research, did it change the way you think about the people that make these shows? Yeah.

Drew from Survivor, the kid that was on Jeopardy, he posted on Ramble last night.

When Jeff started the merge thing, he was just like, this has an ick factor.

These people trying to get airtime.

Eric begging to eat the grub.

Yeah, I'm a big sitter down to pee.

And then Omer got a

shout-out on Simpsons from Jeff Probst.

Yeah,

You're alone on the island.

In fact, it's like Jeff Probst just said to you, look, I got nothing for you.

Meet you back at camp.

Because that's basically what's going on here.

That's an easier life than having to gather everybody and force them to confront each other.

There's a reason he didn't get Jeff Probst's job.

He's better at the mat stuff.

I think...

We were wondering last week at the, uh, next time on survivor, is this going to be a Jeff probe? freak out fake out you know like you're merged is what I would say and this time he's like you don't gotta earn the merge but you gotta earn the merge feast and these guys go nuts for these grubs they come out start chomping them down for what turns out to be no reason I love Brady and Eric specifically

yeah I mean Brady does it just because he's straight up hungry and he's like I'll eat that and he eats these things in literally three chomps you know a couple times because he'll eat one after as well but Eric is like please can I have one too Jeff please please can I have one as Brady's like taking him down okay we'll give him and then he gives him one and he does eat it and uh he says quote this isn't me being funny he says quote you just made a little boy's dreams come true this is Eric telling Jeff Probst this because he let him have a grub in advance of the grubs he's gonna have to take down in the challenge JD

I mean, if he could have waited literally two minutes and the dream still would have come true twice because he's getting

two grubs.

Production starts in the UK in early 2027.

Finally, outwit, outplay, outlast, and wish Survivor host Jeff Probst a happy 65th birthday.

Michelle Franzen, ABC News.

All

Well, on that note, there's a second email from Tyler following up with stuff...

In an interview with Dalton Ross for Entertainment Weekly, Jeff Probst explained that there was security on standby to ensure the safety of the contestants.

Okay.

The in-game psychologist was also there to debrief Brandon.