Older might imply wiser, however older may imply reinvigorating a longtime actuality competitors franchise. The Bachelor skilled a surge of renewed curiosity when it staged its first Golden Bachelor season in 2023. It adopted that up with The Golden Bachelorette final 12 months and is now airing season 2 of The Golden Bachelor on ABC.

Seeing such success over within the mansion, would Jeff Probst ever think about staging a Golden Survivor season on the island? The Survivor host and showrunner was requested precisely that on the most recent episode of his On Fire with Jeff Prosbt podcast.

It’s an attention-grabbing query, seeing as how Survivor has truly gotten a bit greyer these days, actually in comparison 2018’s Ghost Island season, when 14 out of 20 contestants had been beneath the age of 30 (together with one teenager within the type of 18-year-old Micheal Yerger).

'Survivor 49' cast deliver scorching hot takes on the franchise (exclusive) Watch 'Survivor 49' players imitate Jeff Probst making fun of them in challenges (exclusive)

Final season’s installment of Survivor 48 featured solely three gamers beneath the age of 30. And of these three, Justin Pioppi (29) and Star Toomey (28) had been on the excessive finish of the last decade, whereas the youngest member of the solid (Eva Erickson) was not even all that younger on the age of 24. The present Survivor 49 has greater than doubled that variety of gamers beneath 30 to seven, however has additionally included contestants which are 52 (Matt Williams), 49 (Annie Davis), and 47 (“Rad Dad” Nate Moore).

So would Probst and CBS ever think about going full AARP with a Golden Survivor version? That was the query from a 65-year-old fan named Jim.

“You recognize, I hear this concept every now and then,” Probst replied on the podcast. “I've actually heard it extra since The Bachelor did it.”

He then launched into his reply. “Right here's the reality as I see it. Primarily based on the variety of folks over, let's say 50, who apply and who we imagine are attention-grabbing and compelling sufficient to be on the present and we imagine can really deal with the extreme physicality — I believe should you simply restricted it to 50-and-over casting, it might be troublesome to do two instances per 12 months. You're taking a look at 40 folks. I simply don't suppose it might work, personally.”

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Probst’s different challenge — past the unsaid but apparent proven fact that the community desires loads of younger, enticing, half-naked folks on a seashore — is {that a} strictly older solid would get rid of the various cross-section of society that Survivor is meant to symbolize.

“I might miss the layers of complexity that include any person like Rizo coping with any person like Nate,” says Probst for example. “I believe that's a part of the enjoyable. In the identical approach that I might miss it if one gender wasn't on the present and we simply did all girls or all males. I believe it's that conflict and the collaboration, the surprising partnerships and studying about one another, that's a giant a part of our format.”

However whereas Probst doesn’t see a senior citizen model of the franchise on the horizon, all just isn’t misplaced for older followers who nonetheless need to check their mettle out within the jungles of Fiji. “Jim, that is my approach of claiming don't wait on Golden Survivor,” Probst finishes. “Apply now to be on this Survivor.”

For extra from Probst on the most recent episode of Survivor 49, take a look at the On Fire podcast.

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