ABOVE: Watch Jeff Probst on Global’s The Morning Show
TORONTO — Jeff Probst said Thursday he is constantly asked by Canadian fans of Survivor why they’re not allowed to compete on the show.
“It’s a rights issue,” he said during an appearance on Global’s The Morning Show. “We can only have Americans.”
The exclusion of Canadian castaways hasn’t hurt the popularity of Survivor north of the border, though. After 28 seasons over 14 years, it remains a top-rated show on Global.
“It’s been that way from the beginning and now that there’s social media and you can talk to people much more easily, I really see it,” Probst said of the loyalty of Canadian fans.
“I don’t know what the love affair, is but I love the love affair.”
Probst insisted that — unlike many reality shows — Survivor is real.
“We’ve had likable winners, unlikeable winners. We don’t worry about who’s going to win. We don’t create stories.”
Probst downplayed criticisms from former competitors about the way they were portrayed on the show.
“What’s interesting is the people on the show who come off as heroes always say the same thing: ‘They pretty much got me as I am.’ And the people who come off as villains say, ‘I got a bad edit.'”
The 52-year-old Emmy-winning host also told The Morning Show who’s his all-time favourite competitor.
Probst won’t go so far as to name his least favourite, though.
“There’s people I don’t like as humans, but I give people credit,” he said.
“Survivor is an ass-kicker. It is hard.”
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8pm on Global.
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