Jeff Probst shares his current favorite "Survivor" contestants and reflects on 25 years of hosting at the 2025 Emmy Awards.
"Survivor" host Jeff Probst is addressing controversial comments made about former show contestant Parvati Shallow.
The Emmy-winning reality host recently took some heat after he asked Season 31 winner Jeremy Collins on the Oct. 22 episode of the "On Fire" podcast whether Shallow should be considered a two-time winner of the reality competition. Collins answered no because Shallow's second win was from the Australian version of the franchise, as opposed to the original U.S. series.
Instead, he infamously said she has "one and a half wins."
Now, Probst is denying claims that he asked Collins the question with the intention of receiving a certain answer, adding that he genuinely has no opinion on the debate. "Somehow, Jeremy's answer, his own opinion as a player, got attributed to me," Probst said in the Wednesday, Nov. 19 podcast episode.
"And now I'm the one who said that Parvati's win doesn't count," he added. "I didn't say it. I don't even have an opinion."
"If you think that was a leading question, and I was hoping Jeremy would answer that way, you don't know me," the "Survivor" host said. "I have opinions. I state them all the time. I often regret them later, but I don't have an opinion on this. I've never played."
'Survivor' contestant Parvati Shallow addresses Jeremy Collins' comments
Shallow, who won Season 16 of the U.S. franchise in 2008 and recently won the latest "Australian Survivor" season titled "Australia vs the World," criticized the contestant's remarks in the comment section of an Instagram post.
"A couple of straight men trying to discredit a woman," she wrote. "Get a new move boys."
The reality TV star recently spoke on the "Drop Your Buffs" podcast to explain why she felt the need to address the controversy over her second win.
"I heard that there's just a lot going on in the 'Survivor' universe, some back and forth about my two-time win," Shallow said. "I just think I had to say something because 'Survivor' is one of those things that was woven into the fabric of my destiny in this lifetime."
She continued: "Everyone who goes out and plays 'Survivor' is so brave because we are letting the control of our story out of our hands and putting it into someone else's hands so I just hope that that person who takes our stories is someone who has respect for all people and all walks of life and can tell our stories with integrity and honor."
Jeff Probst addresses criticism from Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers
The longtime "Survivor" producer faced hefty backlash online following Collins' comment, including from "Wicked: For Good" actor Bowen Yang and comedian Matt Rogers.
"Jeff Probst, you're not going to get away with calling Parvati Shallow a one and a half time winner of Survivor... I don't think so, honey," Rogers said on a Nov. 12 episode of "Las Culturistas" podcast. "Do not play with me about Parv."
Rogers continued to slam Probst by calling "Australian Survivor" a more difficult and better-produced version of the show.
Probst acknowledged the comments made by the "Las Culturistas" co-host and said, "Matt, I hear you, and it was funny. You got the wrong guy. Retape that with Jeremy and Jeremy, you can take all the grief."
"I don't have anything to do with Survivor Australia. That's its own show done in another country by other producers. I've only heard good things. I know people really enjoy it," he added.
Jeremy Collins doubles down on his comments about Parvati
Despite immense disapproval, Collins is holding his ground. "The games are different, so I count that win as half a win. I don't want to take anything away from Parv. I think Parv's great. I think she played a great game, but the game is different ... That's all I'm saying," Collins said.
Probst proceeded to praise Shallow as a player, adding that he considers her among his personal Mount Rushmore of "Survivor" winners alongside Sandra Diaz-Twine, Tony Vlachos and "Boston" Rob Mariano.
"Those are the only four people on my Mount Rushmore. Yes, Parvati," Probst said. "One of the most dominant to ever play, incredibly charming, mischievous, devious, duplicitous."