Jeff Probst revealed that Survivor‘s landmark Season 50 will feature all returning contestants.
The longtime host had previously said there wasn’t yet a plan in place for the forthcoming chapter of the popular reality competition TV series.
Probst disclosed details about the fiftieth season during a Survivor Q&A with EW Editor-in-Chief Patrick Gomez on Saturday night at the Ovation Hollywood complex in Los Angeles.
“I just got an idea,” he said towards the end of the event. “Survivor 50 is coming down the corner. The truth is, we really do focus on 47 and 48, that’s what we’re heading out to shoot next, and then we have to shoot 49. But we know 50 is coming, so I am curious, is there a feeling, should 50 be another season with new players and don’t make it a big deal?”
After the audience yelled a resounding no, Probst asked “Or should it be returning players?”
After getting a positive response to his second question, Probst announced, “In the spirit of, sometimes letting the game be in the hands of the fans, I feel like — and there are a couple of people from CBS right now going ‘Oh my God, what is happening?’ — I feel like we should just commit and make this the moment where we decide that Survivor 50 will be returning players. I don’t know what is going to happen after this, but I’m pretty sure we’re committed.”
Survivor had first started to bring players back with Survivor: All-Stars in Season 8. The franchise’s mothership series is currently in its 46th season but hasn’t had any returning contestants since Season 41. The host and showrunner already told EW that there would be no returning players in season 47 or 48 (and likely 49 at this point) either.
While Probst has officially confirmed that Season 59 will be all returnees, just like Seasons 20 & 40, he didn’t divulge any information about the theme. It will likely be some time before the theme is announced.
Season 50 of Survivor will begin filming around Memorial Day 2025 to air in the spring of 2026 on CBS.
