Jeff Probst explains why 2 “Survivor 49” gamers have been changed by alternates

The Survivor 49 cast has been revealed — however two of the 18 faces seen weren’t initially presupposed to be there. That’s as a result of Jason Treul and Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu have been dropped at Fiji as alternates. However then, for the primary time ever, two gamers have been despatched dwelling earlier than the beginning of the sport, which led to the alternates turning into precise contestants simply hours earlier than filming started.

What triggered the early dismissal of 1 male and one feminine contestant the day earlier than the marooning? It appears they could have began taking part in Survivor earlier than Survivor really began. The largest rule for contestants on location earlier than the sport begins is to not interact in any communication in any way — no speaking, no gestures, no verbal or bodily contact of any type between rivals. And it seems that rule might have been damaged.

Survivor producers take their guidelines relating to equity very severely, which is why a community requirements and practices consultant is on location at some point of the season to verify every thing is on the up and up. And now we all know what occurs for those who don’t observe these tips.

Host and showrunner Jeff Probst mentioned the stunning resolution to exchange the 2 gamers with alternates. “What I can say concerning the motive we made the transfer is that this,” he tells Leisure Weekly. “Survivor has guidelines and requirements, and if a participant crosses that line, we act. It’s one of many causes we convey alternates, is to have our personal insurance coverage.”

After all, that is normally not the insurance coverage they’re guarding in opposition to. “Usually, we convey alternates in case anyone will get sick or has a panic assault and might't start the sport. That's very, very, very uncommon there. However regardless why we introduced them there initially, they’re additionally there to function a reminder that we do put numerous significance on the integrity of the sport, and we gained't let something or any individual put that in jeopardy.”

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It’s additionally a reminder to anybody making use of to be on Survivor that you’re by no means actually on the present till you might be on the present.

“Casting on Survivor is rarely static,” Probst notes. ”It's all the time alive. It's all the time in movement proper up till the sport begins. And sometimes, we convey 18 gamers to Fiji and we convey two alternates simply in case one thing sudden occurs. And this season, one thing sudden occurred and we eliminated two gamers from the sport and our two alternates — who thought they have been there simply as insurance coverage realizing that more than likely they’d be invited again subsequent 12 months to play — have been all of a sudden thrust into the sport. It was a shock, for certain.”

That additionally implies that Jason and MC got here into the sport in a really completely different headspace than the others who knew they have been taking part in from the second they landed in Fiji.

“For Jason and MC to be advised 12 hours earlier than the sport begins, the large query is, will that be a bonus or an obstacle?” wonders Probst. “I are likely to suppose it's a bonus, since you've spent every week observing, however with out the strain of considering you have been going to must play and put it into movement.”

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However then fairly then progressively ramping up over a couple of days, the alternates needed to go from zero to 60 instantly. “Jason and MC discover themselves on this marooning problem that 12 hours in the past they have been dreaming would possibly occur someday and all of a sudden it's proper in entrance of them,” Probst says. “This can be a utterly distinctive scenario, and it’s a cool layer to this experiment. Possibly there's one thing in there about how we do the pre-game with gamers. When the season's over, we will certainly consider if we thought it had an influence. And, in that case, what sort of influence.”

And the influence from alternates isn’t just from Jason and MC. That’s as a result of Sage Ahrens-Nichols was an alternate on Survivor 47, and Sophie Segreti was an alternate on Survivor 48, making this probably the most alternate-heavy season ever.

“We’ve 4 alternates taking part in,” Probst says. “After we let you know you're an alternate, we let you know what which means. It means we would like you on the present. We simply don't have a spot for you this season. And we actually imply it. While you make the decision to a participant, you say ‘Excellent news, dangerous information. The dangerous information is we don't have a spot for you this season. The excellent news is we'd such as you to be an alternate.’ There's clearly disappointment, however what I hope comes from it is a reminder that we're normally superb with our phrase. And if we let you know we would like you on the present, it's only a matter of when.”

However even when they let you know the when, you’re nonetheless prone to not listening to these magic phrases of “Welcome to Survivor” for those who don’t observe all the principles alongside the best way. “The phrase ought to unfold,” Probst notes of what occurred to the 2 eliminated gamers. “Simply because we let you know you're on the present — till the sport begins, you're not on the present.”

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