Jeff Probstsays he knew he screwed something up on the live taping of the "Survivor 50" finale when the energy in the room suddenly changed ... and he's explaining how the major blunder unfolded.
The longtime "Survivor" host joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and broke down the mistake he made live on air, when he announced the loser of a challenge before viewers saw the results.
Jeff says he was backstage preparing for live interviews with contestants as pretaped segments aired ... he wasn't watching the live finale, and was just a little ahead in the script when he came out to talk to Rizo Velovic.
Jeff Probst definitely wants to bury his head in the sand on some far-away island ... because he made a major mistake during last night's live "Survivor 50" finale.
Spoilers ahead!!!
The longtime host totally blew it in a critical moment of the game ... accidentally revealing the loser of the fire-making challenge ... thereby making them the last castaway to take part in the jury.
Rizo Velovic was the castaway in question ... and Probst let the cat out of the bag just as they were about to cut to a commercial -- everyone stunned by the flub.
"Survivor Greece" -- the European country's version of the hit competition show -- has been put on an indefinite pause after a contestant was apparently hit by a tourist boat during filming.
According to the Toronto Sun ... authorities say 21-year-old Stavros Floros was spearfishing for the show off the coast of Saona Island in the Dominican Republic when he was struck by the propellers of a tourist boat.
The Sun reports the accident resulted in a significant injury to Floros' right ankle -- and a partial amputation of the left leg.
"Survivor" host Jeff Probst lost a family member ... his brother, Scott Probst, is dead.
Scott's death was announced Monday by their brother, Brent ... in a social media post, he says ... "Some sad news, our brother Scott is no longer with us. He was a great brother, son and friend. I will miss him so much ❤️ I’m so sad he is gone."
The cause and manner of death is unclear.
Jeff hosted "Survivor" since 2000 and Scott has credits on a handful of episodes ... as a camera assistant and an art assistant.
It's the second death in Jeff's immediate family in less than two years ... his mother, Barb Probst, died back in November 2024 and the reality survival competition show honored her with a tribute card in a season 47 episode.
"Survivor" has no plans to edit or make cuts to their anticipated episode featuring YouTuber MrBeast ... despite reports claiming otherwise, TMZ has learned.
Sources close to production tell TMZ ... reports claiming the show is re-cutting an upcoming episode for CBS's 50th season to reduce or remove MrBeast are flat-out false.
We’re told it’s not surprising a shake-up like this sparked mixed reactions from fans, but the idea producers would go back and re-edit the episode just isn’t happening.
On Friday night, "Survivor" star Romeo Escobar hosted "TMZ After Dark" and transformed the bus into a full-blown "Survivor" challenge!
With DJ RachyRach dropping beats right beside him, Romeo -- who's now an entertainment producer at L.A.'s KTLA-TV -- brought the island to Los Angeles, hiding a “hidden immunity idol” onboard ... and the winning passenger scored a bottle of wine!
Romeo owned the night, strutting the aisle like a runway, breaking into Lady Gaga songs, and keeping the entire bus locked in. The energy carried through the all-out bar crawl, as the tour hit the Burgundy Room, Beaches WeHo, and Saddle Ranch.
"Survivor" is currently in its 50th season, but Jeff Probst told us the show may only just be getting started!
We caught up with the reality show host Wednesday at LAX ... where he admitted he thinks the program has a lot of life left. Like so many fans, we've been on the edge of our seats watching this landmark season, so we had to ask ... could "Survivor" last another 50 seasons?
Parker Posey isn't surprised aboutMike White's 6-pack at all ... telling us "The White Lotus" creator works out like crazy -- and he's got a trainer to boot.
We caught up with the longtime actress at LAX Monday ... and since she starred in Season 3 of the hit HBO show last year, we had to ask her about White's shocking physique.
Lookin' good, Mike White! "Survivor 50" boasts the largest cast of any season ... but Mike stood out right away, as competitors noticed his "bulging 6 pack"!
Watch the clip from last night's premiere ... Mike is beet red when his fellow castaways start thirsting over his chiseled mid-section.
He says, "I've been waiting for this moment for months!"
Representative Lauren Underwood says she's got the skills to win political debates and immunity idols ... telling us Wednesday she'd kill it on the show "Survivor."
The Democratic Congresswoman from Illinois says that she absolutely loves the long-running reality competition show ... and with trust, alliances, and doing whatever it takes to win -- she says that's a lot like Congress.
Watch the clip ... Underwood lays out all the reasons -- including her background as a nurse and her time in the Girl Scouts -- she thinks she'd crush it on "Survivor."
“Survivor” Season 48 contestant Eva Erickson narrowly dodged the gunman who opened fire at Brown University Saturday afternoon, but she says she's not overly worried about another shooting there.
Check out our interview -- the Ph.D. candidate says she feels "safe" while hunkered down at her off-campus residence in Providence, Rhode Island because she assumes the assailant is "long gone," reasoning ... "Lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place." On the other hand, she notes the idea is "horrible" because it feels like the shooter has gotten away.
As you know, there's an intense manhunt for the gunman by local and federal authorities, and the FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information in the ongoing case. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told ABC News Monday authorities "continue to receive zero credible threats to our community, Brown or the broader community," which he's certainly caught some flack for as the suspect remains on the lam.
While Eva feels safe overall, she tells TMZ she and her peers have just as much information as the general public, and the lack of knowledge about the assailant has everyone "on edge." She is pining for the answers to simple questions -- how and how such a tragedy could have happened.
One thing she's sure of -- something needs to change. Eva says it's "insane" students are so vulnerable to gun violence in America, noting ... "I just wanted to go to school and learn and have this community and be safe. And now that's been taken from me." While she says she doesn't have the answers, she looks at lawmakers who are better equipped to advocate for gun safety regulations.
Pep talk from Carolyn Wiger ... she says a fellow "The Traitors" and "Survivor" contestant she's best friends with needs to cut back on his party lifestyle ... and we got her delivering Yam Yam Arocho a strong message.
Our photog caught up with Carolyn at LAX today, and she was on the phone telling Yam Yam he needs to get his s*** together and stop partying if they want to collab.
We asked Carolyn about her passionate plea, and, after catching her breath, she explained she was sharing some wisdom from her own life with Yam Yam.
The guy won "Survivor" season 44 and is on the upcoming fourth season of "Traitors" ... but as far as Carolyn is concerned, he's surrounding himself with the wrong crowd, and it's holding him back from reaching his full potential.
"The White Lotus" mastermind Mike White might just outwit and outlast everyone on the milestone 50th season of "Survivor" -- at least according to former contestant Alec Merlino, who says Mike’s got the brains, and the game, to take it all!
Merlino -- who played alongside Mike inS37 before landing a role as hotel staffer Hutch on the HBO hit show -- says it actually took him a minute to clock just how sharp Mike’s gameplay was, 'cause his secret weapon first time around was all about letting everyone underestimate him.
Catch the clip -- Alec dives deeper into it, saying now that Mike’s a full-blown star, he’s got a new kind of edge.
Brandon Hantz -- a veteran of the "Survivor" universe -- has been arrested on charges of racketeering conspiracy and arson ... while several of his alleged associates are facing murder charges.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas unsealed a 22-count indictment Wednesday charging Hantz and 13 others with a variety of crimes ... alleging they're all members or associates of the Bandidos motorcycle gang in the state.
According to prosecutors, the Bandidos are engaged in a turf war with a rival gang -- B*EAST ... and, the Bandidos allegedly put out a "smash on site" order against their rival, which means members are instructed to assault and even murder members of B*EAST.
"Survivor" villain Jonny Fairplay's grandmother is dead ... and this isn't another elaborate hoax to gain an edge.
The reality TV star tells TMZ ... his grandma, Ellen Jean Hauser, died Friday at Embrace Hospice House in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The cause of death was kidney failure.
Jonny infamously lied about his grandma dying way back in 2003 on "Survivor: Pearl Islands" to advance on the show ... with the cast only finding out he was fibbing until the show was done filming.
