Survivor is one of the longest running and best reality shows, responsible for influencing countless projects that followed. While the show's full catalogue is streaming for those with a Paramount+ subscription, fans are looking forward to Season 50, which will feature returning players. The show will also feature some wild celebrity cameos, with host/showrunner Jeff Probst recently explaining why folks like MrBeast will be showing up in Fiji.
The cast of Survivor 50 features OGs and New Era players, and fans are eager to see how they interact when the show premieres in exactly 50 days. And while folks are curious about how much money Survivor contestants make, they're also wondering why/how these celebrity cameos will factor into the new season. While speaking with Variety, Probst explained the thought process behind this twist, saying:
When you bring in a celebrity like Zac Brown or MrBeast or Jimmy Fallon, you now add idolatry, and you add different perceptions and reputations. Suddenly, people can get off track a little bit, or they lean in, and they want something to do with Jimmy Fallon. A lot of the players said, ‘I’ve always dreamed of being in a MrBeast video.’
There you have it. It sounds like these surprise celebrity cameos are meant to bring out something new in its contestants... even folks like Cirie Fields and Ozzy Lusth who have already played four times. We'll just have to wait and see exactly how folks like MrBeast influence the gameplay when the show returns in February. For what it's worth, longtime fans didn't seem pleased about this announcement.
While it remains to be seen if Season 50 becomes one of the best Survivor seasons, its celebrity cameos have definitely got people talking. It remains to be seen if fans will appreciate famous people popping up during the season, but Probst and company are hoping that it influences the actual gameplay. As he went on:
So the twist is designed to see if you can stay on course with the thought process you should — or how is it going to shift your thought process, and will it do you in?
Personally, I think that these cameos might have a bigger influence on New Era players, who are returning for the first time in Season 50. These castaways are already going into the game after seeing themselves on TV the first time, and adding in folks like MrBeast and Zac Brown might also have the potential to shift their perspective. But that's just my personal prediction; maybe Cirie is a huge Jimmy Fallon fan and I didn't know.
The pressure is on for Survivor 50 to deliver, especially after the bad wrap that Season 49 got last year. Fans didn't love the gameplay last season, including the way Rizo was able to hold onto his Immunity Idol for so much of the game. Both he and winner Savannah are in the cast, and will be competing with legends from the game. Will the OGs or New Era players come out on top? Only time will tell.
Survivor 50 will premiere on February 25th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to wait and see how long it takes for celebrity cameos to start popping up, and if/how it influences the game as a whole.
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