Jeff Probst’s Survivor fire is still burning bright.
Indeed, the TV host, who has been with the CBS competition series since day one, revealed that he doesn’t have any plans to leave his stool at tribal council behind any time soon.
“I don’t see an end in sight right now,” Probst told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Sept. 22. “I think the format is one of the greatest formats in TV. I think we’re a good team producing it. I think we’re really good storytellers.”
In fact, the 64-year-old believes Survivor’s ability to capture captivating stories is why they’re still around and heading into season 51.
“One of the hallmarks of Survivor is we’re not like any other show,” he continued. “And it’s deep, rich storytelling where you take conflict and you create suspense and you have tension. And then you resolve it and then you do it again.”
So, as Probst sees it, “I think it could go for a while. I really do.”
But while he evaded giving a specific timeline of when he might snuff his Survivor torch, Probst doesn’t necessarily think he’ll stick around for another 50 seasons.
“Maybe I’m not there for [season] 100, although I don’t know,” he quipped. “If I had a guy behind me, say I’m in a bit of a walker or wheelchair.”
What Probst does know, however, is that he is still up for the challenge of Survivor and the transferrable life lessons he learned while filming season 51.
“You cannot play to not lose in life. You just can’t. You’re doomed. You have to play to win,” he explained. “It may fail. Your business idea, it may lose all your money, but you can’t create a business hoping to not lose money. It just doesn’t work.”
As Probst put it, he wants to “play freely,” noting, “That’s how I’m trying to see my own life.”
Survivor returns to CBS Sept. 23. Ahead of its season 51 premiere, read on to meet the brand-new castaways.
Cristian Chavez
From Salt Lake City, the 25-year-old works in Human Resources.
Kristin Flickinger
The 49-year-old is a crisis management professional.
Mike Pinsky
The 32-year-old New Yorker works in sports.
Jenna Doore
Doore, 30, is a wedding photographer.
Maggie Nestor
Nestor, 40, is a West Virginia farmer.
Rob Antonson
The 40-year-old is an airline gate agent.
Sharonda Cox
Cox, 34, is an OBGYN.
Brady Booker
Booker, 27, is a pro wrestler from Tennessee.
Ana Sani
Sani is a voice actress from Toronto, Canada.
Devin Way
Way, 33, is an actor who currently resides in Los Angeles.
Aaliyah Puglia
Puglia is a 24-year-old chef.
Danny “Kilby” Kilby
The 30-year-old hails from Ontario, Canada, and works as a video game designer.
Carter Krull
The 24-year-old is an Iowa farmer.
Angelica “Jelly” Loblack
The 29-year-old teaches sociology.
Lewis Kelly
Originally from Ireland, the 28-year-old now lives on a farm with his wife in Puerto Rico.
Eric Macksoud
The 34-year-old is a mental health counselor.
Ori Jean-Charles
The New York native, 27, is a personal trainer.
An “Thien An” Nguyen
Hailing from Texas, the 24-year-old is currently in medical school.
Patt Cannaday
Cannaday, 33, is a criminal prosecutor.
Linnea Capobianco
The 25-year-old entrepreneur hails from New Jersey.
Alexis Levine
The Georgia native, 34, is a criminal defense attorney.