Survivor fans are up in arms. They say that Zac Brown's appearance on the show's landmark 50th season means that the show has lost some of its original roughness.
But, Jeff Probst has defended his inclusion, according to Page Six. He particularly had issues with the notion that the show had become "softer" over the years.
In case you're not caught up on Survivor's latest season, let me fill you in. Zac Brown just... appeared on the island one day, much to the shock of Cirie Fields, a fan favorite contestant. She explained about the situation, "We're in a bubble. So to walk out on the beach and see Zac Brown standing in front of me, it's like, 'How did you get in?'"
She added, "We've never had someone from the outside come be a part of this. That let me know that Season 50 was about to be off the rails. Mind-blowing things that would never happen in the Survivor of old are happening on Season 50."
And Zac Brown wasn't alone - Jimmy Fallon, Billie Eilish, and MrBeast were among those also chosen to make Survivor 50 special.
Jeff Probst explained in an interview, "We experiment with all kinds of new ideas, and we tried to usher in the most unpredicatability we've ever had." Unpredictable is the right word, in my opinion - I certainly wasn't expecting Zac Brown!
He continued, "Whether or not you like the season is subjective, but it's not that something didn't work. We've made bad choices in the past. I just don't think we did in 50."
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Celebrities Have Criticized 'Survivor' For Zac Brown's Appearance
Parvati Shallow, a legendary winner of Survivor, had her grievances with how Zac Brown was portrayed. Brown apparently had more screen time than some of the contestants.
In reference to a scene where contestants were spearing fish to eat, Shallow said, "They showed [Brown] catching the fish, and then they didn't show Ozzy catching one."
But Probst had a pretty humble realization. He explained that the country music star could have been a bit more impactful, rather than just serving as a reward for contestants.
