Over the past 25 years, Survivor has welcomed contestants from all walks of life — teachers, firefighters, athletes, even actors. But host and executive producer Jeff Probstsays one concept fans shouldn’t expect is an all-celebrity season.
“We’re open to anyone, but I don’t think we’d ever do an all-celebrity season,” the Emmy-nominated host exclusively tells Men’s Journal. “Survivor is pop culture, so when someone like Mike White wants to play, it makes sense. If you’re compelling, we don’t care what your background is.”
White, the Emmy-winning writer, director, and creator of The White Lotus, joined Survivor: David vs. Goliath back in 2018 and quickly became a standout. (He’s also set to compete on the milestone 50th season, premiering Spring 2026.) Beyond his gameplay, his perspective as a storyteller resonated with Probst. “We were lucky to have him,” he tells MJ. “He’s arguably the greatest storyteller we’ve ever had on the show.”
Probst makes it clear that Survivor has no interest in chasing star power for its own sake. But that hasn’t stopped famous fans from dreaming about making it out to Fiji. Dylan Efron, fresh off his Peacock’s The Traitors win, exclusively told Men’s Journal he’d jump at the chance to play.
“I would,” the beloved TV personality said earlier this year. “I think it’s more their call. Getting on that show is pretty tough, so I think that’s up to Jeff Probst. I don’t know if they have other show winners on Survivor even. I feel like they like to find the people who’ve never been on a show before. So as much as I love Survivor, I think it’s in their court.”
Efron grew up a fan of the series. “Oh, as a kid? Yeah. I watched all the original seasons and then I took a break when I was in college,” he says. “Recently I started watching some seasons again. All the original seasons were my favorite, and then I rediscovered it.”
Whether Probst would hand him a buff is another story, but for Efron and plenty of other celebrity fans, the dream of outwitting, outplaying, and outlasting remains very much alive.
Survivor season 49 premieres on CBS Wednesday, September 24 at 8/7c.
