Jeff Probst delivers impassioned speech: Competing on ‘Survivor’ is a ‘badge of honor’ compared to other ‘soft’ shows
During the two-hour season premiere of “Survivor 47,” host and producer Jeff Probst witnessed a moment he hadn’t seen in 24 years. Gata tribe member Andy Rueda collapsed at the immunity challenge due to exhaustion, and then he had a public meltdown where he claimed he was going to be voted out, so he was planning on throwing his closest ally, Jon Lovett, under the bus. It all led to Jeff giving an impassioned speech in which he declared it to be a “badge of honor” to compete on “Survivor,” especially when compared to some of the other competition shows out there.
“I was fighting for my life,” Andy stated openly after returning to the game following his check-in with the show’s medics. “I’m on the bottom. I see it in their eyes when I crack open a coconut and they didn’t cheer for me. They cheered for Jon. They don’t like me.” The other tribe members then interrupted to tell him that it was in all in his head.
When Jeff asked him if he was conceding defeat, Andy replied, “No, no, no, no. I’m a strategist. I was gonna try everything. My best friend out here is Jon, and as they were finishing the puzzle, I was thinking I was gonna throw him under the bus to try to stay.” The camera then captured the reactions of the other tribes’ contestants, whose mouths were all open in shock.
That’s when Jeff stopped the proceedings and delivered the following inspirational, and dare I say Emmy-worthy, speech: “So, Andy, what’s great about ‘Survivor’ — you might be right, it might be a 5-0 vote tonight. You might be wrong. You don’t know. You fight until I snuff your torch. That goes for everybody. You’re all going to feel down. He’s just the first. This is why you’re out here. You want something soft? Pick another show. ‘Cause you are on ‘Survivor.’ That’s a badge of honor.”
All 18 contestants applauded at the conclusion of Jeff’s lecture, with everyone no doubt feeling a sense of camaraderie at being present for such a first-of-its-kind moment for the long-running franchise. The episode continued like normal after that, with the Gata tribe attending tribal council and casting their first votes. Jon voted for Anika Dhar, while Andy, Anika, Rachel LaMont, Sam Phalen and Sierra Wright all wrote down Jon’s name, sending him home.
For the record, “Survivor” has been around for 24 years and 47 seasons, so Jeff is not just blowing smoke when he calls it a “badge of honor” for the more than 700 people who have competed on it. At the Emmy Awards, the show has amassed 69 nominations and won seven trophies through the years, including four for Jeff as Best Reality Host.
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