The host is done playing nice with folks who voluntarily leave the game.
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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/dalton-ross-image-ce83ff53fa3441edb1acee0e04702dfc.png "Jeff Probst says 'Survivor' quitters will no longer get torch snuffed (1)")
California Dreams was better than Saved by the Bell. There, I said it.
Published on November 15, 2023 12:26PM EST
Survivor fans were outraged when two of the first four elimination on the current season occurred because players Hannah Rose and Sean Edwards,who otherwise would have been safe, decided to quit the game.
While host Jeff Probst was clearly surprised and disappointed by the quits — even saying that Sean “romanticized” his quit and did not own it —he still went through the ceremonial torch snuffing with both contestants that always occurs when a player leaves the game.
Future quitters will not be so lucky. On Wednesday’s episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, Probst was asked by hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos about the Survivor 45 quitters. “Quitters, man,” responded Probst before seeming to downplay the significance. “Yes, two people quit. The truth is over 45 seasons, it’s less than one percent quit. So it’s pretty remarkable people actually do it."
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Survivor-45-110723-03-c54d43f1593645639678126419e5762b.jpg "Jeff Probst says 'Survivor' quitters will no longer get torch snuffed (2)")
When asked what makes contestants voluntarily leave the game, Probst said that “They just get out there. The one thing you can’t test for in all the psych testing is all the real elements —the rain, the bamboo, the snakes and all that.”
But then Probst took a big, declarative turn. “I want to declare right here on your show that from this point forward if you are a Survivor player and you quit, your torch will not be snuffed. That’s over. To get your torched snuffed, you got to play the game.”
This is not the first time the host has shown disdain for those who lay their torches down. In fact, Probst did exactly that to the torch of the first player to ever quit, Osten Taylor of Survivor: Pearl Islands (season 7), saying “Osten, per your wishes, go home” while snuffing his torch and then throwing it down on the ground. Since then, however, the host appeared to soften his stance on quitters, even at one point telling Lindsey Ogle that she showed maturity in stepping out the game on Survivor: Cagayan (season 28).
It appears that era is now over. It’s unclear what exactly will happen to players in future seasons who quit the game, but a torch snuffing will no longer be part of the process says the host, who is done playing nice in such situations. “You don’t get the moment if you quit, I think,” he told Ripa and Consuelos. "I think I need to be a little harder on that.”
Future contestants be warned, and plan to dig a little deeper if you actually want to have your torch snuffed when your time is up.
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