Survivor 45 has had a problem with people quitting.
It began in the first episode when Hannah Rose asked to get sent home to her comfy bed.
Hannah’s tribe had a plan that got tossed out the window when she quit, and it started the season on the wrong foot.
A few episodes later, Sean Edwards also quit. It was noteworthy that Hannah and Sean had been on the same tribe to begin the season.
Hannah spoke about why she quit in an exit interview, but Sean came up with new excuses for why he left the game.
Fan backlash may have led to what Jeff Probst said about Survivor quitters on Wednesday.
Survivor host Jeff Probst speaks during Live with Kelly and Mark
Jeff Probst appeared on the November 15 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark.
He spoke about how much he enjoys playing tennis and not being a fan of pickleball players using the courts.
“The truth is, over 45 seasons, less than one percent quit,” Jeff told Mark Consuelas as the segment began.
“So it’s pretty remarkable people actually do it,” Jeff added.
“The one thing you can’t test for in all the psyche testing is the real elements,” Jeff said as he talked about what the contestants deal with in Fiji.
He also noted that the deprivation in the game (lack of food, sleep, etc) is what most leads to people wanting to quit.
Jeff then got to the heart of the interview and declared a change for future Survivor seasons.
“From this point forward, if you’re a Survivor player, and you quit, your torch will not be snuffed,” Jeff stated.
“That’s over. To get your torch snuffed, you gotta play the game,” Jeff finished.
He later added that he needs to “be a little harder” on who gets that moment (the torch snuffing).
Kelly Ripa agreed with the new policy.
Many Survivor fans are likely on board as well. Nobody wants to watch people quitting on a reality competition show.
More from Survivor
Survivor host Jeff Probst does listen to fans. When there is backlash from what’s happening on the show, he can address it now through his podcast (On Fire).
Jeff recently celebrated a Survivor twist finally paying off after several seasons.
Jeff was also shocked by the flash-forward sequence during a new episode. He wasn’t told it would be a big part of the episode, and it was jarring for some viewers.
Early information for Survivor 46 was revealed by CBS, including teasers on extended episodes.
Previous episodes of Survivor 45 are available for streaming on Paramount+.
Survivor airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.