Survival from Jeff Probst

Survivor host Jeff Probst knows too well how the reality show’s castaways play in a game of survival.

He has witnessed many times how each individual masks deceit with willful alliances to achieve the ultimate goal of becoming the game’s sole survivor.

Probst has been at the helm of the reality show that has sparked a global phenomenon, with different versions reaping success worldwide. Now, the reality hit has a local version called Survivor Philippines.

But before Survivor Philippines conquers primetime TV, Probst shares with Filipinos his experiences on the show that has made him a different person.

In an interview at Mark Burnett Productions in Los Angeles, Probst also tells Survivor’s secret behind its hit stature and how he looks forward to the success of the show’s Philippine version. He also gives his pieces of  advice to Survivor Philippines host Paolo Bediones.

How does it feel to be the main man of Survivor?

Hosting the show is the best thing that has happened to me. It has completely been giving me a career and has completely changed my life. The biggest break I have ever had is getting the call that I got the job. It has been eight years and now everything is different. I have a career now that I didn’t have before that. Who knows how long it will last, but I’ve learned a lot. Survivor offers opportunity, a chance about human nature because you’re watching these people struggle and have to dig deep to continue and so it’s been a fascinating job.

What can you say that finally Survivor is coming to the Philippines?

I hope people in the Philippines will enjoy it, because it is fun watching. It’s one thing to watch an American version but it’s different to watch your own culture, people you might know or have the same job as you and the cool thing about Survivor is that it transcends across the world. It doesn’t matter what’s the language you speak, if you take a group of people whether they are from America, the Philippines, Africa if you put them together and say allright you got to build a place to live in, you got to find some food to eat and every three days you got to get rid of somebody and one of you will be there at the end with lots of money. It’s always going to be interesting.

What advice can you give to the staff of Survivor Philippines?

The best advice I can give to the producers is to resist the temptation to mess with the show. This is a temptation that gets in and says, “Oh we really like this person.” Maybe if we do this challenge, maybe this one will stay longer, you do not have to do that. You have to make sure and let the show play because the survivor will give you the better stuff than you’ll ever get by not trying to manipulate it. And I also think that the audience can tell. The audience knows if something doesn’t feel right and they look at the TV show and they say, “I don’t believe it, it’s not real.” And if people watch Survivor, I think you know this is real, that I really did cut on his foot, they (castaways) don’t really like each other. That’s the best advice I can give…to put good people on your show and then let them tell the story.

Do you have any advice to Paolo?

I would say the best thing to do is to be yourself and let your natural curiosity come out rather than act like a host or to act like someone else you’ve seen on TV.

It seems to me the best thing to do is — “If you’re unhappy, be unhappy. If you’re happy let them know you’re happy, just be whoever you are.” And the other big thing is you can never ever let them know what it is you are looking for. You know when you are in Tribal Council interviewing them, you can never be so obvious that they start to sense “Oh, he is picking this person or I wonder if she is the one who is voted out.” Often, you might know who is voted out and you’re going be pretty tricky and you have to be pretty careful on how you ask your questions so you don’t give anything away. Good luck to you. What a great job you’re going to have!

What about during challenges, what is your advice to Paolo?

Now for challenges, I look for conflict. I look for the story. So, Paolo’s gonna be the producer during the challenge and pick up on the facts. During challenge, the host has a different job. You have to be a producer. So that you can say, “You’re falling behind…you’re really doing a great job,” so that you’re creating conflict. They listen to you because they can’t see what’s happening.

Some say you look like Paolo, what can you say?

I’d say if I look like Paolo, “Hey you’re a lucky guy. (laughs). No, ah I don’t know, it’s funny when I saw a picture he had a shirt like a shirt I would wear and I said “Wow, we kinda look a like.” Maybe that’s a good sign. Maybe you guys will have your show run as long as ours. We’ve been lucky and I think a big part of a reason is that we have not messed with the show. It’s always the same show.

What are your tips for the castaways?

The advice for the castaways is totally different from the advice for Paolo. If you’re on Survivor, you should never say anything good in tribal council.  Never! Always do your best and because every time you open your mouth, you could get yourself in trouble. Here is the problem, when you are in a reality show, you want to be on TV. So Paolo, if they start not talking, you just have to start ignoring them. You will win, Paolo! You will always win because you don’t talk to them. The first time you go to Tribal Council and some may give you a bad answer, I just ignore them. I ignore them for two Tribal Councils. I don’t talk in the challenge and suddenly, you hear them, “I got something to say, I’m going to tell you something!”

What’s your message to all the Survivor fans in the Philippines?

To the fans of our show in the Philippines, we thank you so much for watching our show and for enjoying it. You’re helping keep us on the air and you guys now have your own version. Hopefully, it will be on good run for you guys.

What do you think can the people expect from Survivor Philippines?

I think, it’s gonna be fun to see a version in your own country. It’s that there’s going to be little customs, culture and little ways that people interact with each other that is specific on where you’re from. And I think while it’s probably going to be fun to watch a version from America or Sweden or France, it will be really fun to see your own culture and those little whatever it is. Whether it is a hand shake or whether it is that you use while talking, it’s going to feel really that it is your show and the audience will like it. We have somebody in our show who watched the show from home, year after year and every day. She said, “I want to be on the show” and that totally changed her life. So, maybe that will happen with someone on the Philippines.

Do you have any plans of visiting Manila?

No plans to visit the Philippines right now, only because we’re traveling so much with our show. But hopefully when it’s said and done, I would like to do some more traveling and the Philippines will definitely be on my list. I have to come and watch your version of Survivor.

What’s the secret of Survivor?

Survivor, I think, it’s just good storytelling in the end. We’ve been really lucky to have good producers, good camera people and sound people because all of those guys matter. You put all the emphasis on the challenges and you forget the staff, it won’t work. You put all the emphasis on the producers and forget about the Tribal Council, it won’t work. You need everybody. You need to get the shot and you need to get the audio, and you need to ask the right questions and have good survivors. And so all those tiny pieces make up the show.