The host of the hit series, which celebrates 50 seasons this year, went the extra mile to prepare for the show
Gail Schulman/CBS
NEED TO KNOW
- Prior to becoming the host of Survivor, Jeff Probst went to therapy “every day” for weeks to get into a players’ mindset
- “It’s a human adventure — group politics and group dynamics under stress, surrounded by people you don’t know and can’t trust. That’s the cornerstone of it,” Probst tells PEOPLE about the show
- His new book, Survivor: Forged by Fire is available on Feb. 24
Jeff Probst didn’t just want to host Survivor — he wanted to truly understand it.
The 64-year-old has hosted all 50 seasons of the hit reality series over the past 25 years and is now sharing that journey in his new book, Survivor: Forged by Fire, available Feb. 24. The book features never-before-seen photos from all 50 seasons, along with archival material and journal entries from Probst.
In the book, which he calls “a visceral, visual journey inside the world of Survivor,” Probst recounts learning he had been chosen for the job and reveals that one of his first calls was to his therapist.
Monty Brinton/CBS
“I couldn't stop thinking about the show, and months went by before I even got a call to let me know I was in the running,” Probst tells PEOPLE about landing the gig. “Once I got the job, I called my therapist and said, ‘I have this incredible adventure to go on, and I need to learn about group dynamics.’”
In the weeks leading up to his flight to Pulau Tiga to film the first season, Probst says he spent much of that time meeting with his therapist.
“We would meet every day, and she would say, ‘Here’s what people under stress might do,’” the host recalls. “I think [those conversations] shaped how I was going to approach my job as a guide.”
Robert Voets/CBS
“The trick,” Probst says, was to stop thinking of Survivor as a game show. “It looks like a game show. It acts like a game show. It's called a game show. But it's not,” he explains. “It's a human adventure — group politics and group dynamics under stress, surrounded by people you don't know and can't trust. That’s the cornerstone of it.”
Probst adds, “Those weeks I spent studying group dynamics really helped me get ready to run a Tribal Council where you might have 12 or 13 people, all with different agendas, but all part of a community.”
His therapy journey, Probst says, “one hundred percent,” helped him relate to the players and form a deeper emotional connection. “I found the perfect show for me because I am built that way,” he says. “I love the idea of community and self-examination.”
Robert Voets/CBS
Reflecting on his impact, Probst adds, “How much influence did I have on the format of the show? I don't know. I just know how I saw it. It's about people in all ways. And through the years, the one positive constant is that despite all the self-doubt that all of us have and the imposter syndrome that all of us might feel at different times, we can amaze ourselves.”
That self-discovery, he says, is the heart of Survivor. “Survivor kicks you physically, emotionally and psychologically, and you’ve got to find a way to get up,” he says. “And when you do get up, you realize, ‘Oh, I wasn't as bad as I thought. It beat me down, but you know, I got up, and I came home a different person.’”
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Survivor: Forged by Fire is available now, wherever books are sold.
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