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Jeff Probst’s defiant message to ‘Survivor 50’ critics over Zac Brown backlash: ‘I’ve also got a backbone’

Published

1 hour ago

May 14, 2026

Jeff Probst isn’t afraid to “outwit, outplay, outlast” fans, but also recognized that the tribe has spoken out against “Survivor 50.”

The longtime, Emmy Award-winning host took qualms with superfans spinning a narrative that the show’s once ruthless narrative has softened over the years.

“We experiment with all kinds of new ideas, and we tried to usher in the most unpredictability we’ve ever had,” Probst told Variety.

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“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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Of the myriad new additions to the evolving series, “Survivor” enlisted the help of a celebrity panel — including Jimmy Fallon, Billie Eilish, MrBeast and Zac Brown — to collaborate on new twists for the show.

Fan-favorite contestant Cirie Fields was taken aback by seeing the “Country Fried” singer — who is also a close Probst friend — appear on the island in Fiji during Season 50.

“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 said.

“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.”

Brown’s guest spot became a hot topic on social media after viewers watched the country singer spearfishing to feed immunity challenge winners and then playing them music while they ate.

Additionally, Brown appeared in a number of individual confessionals and received more air time than a few contestants.

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Legendary “Survivor” winner Parvati Shallow also criticized Brown’s appearance, and noted, “They showed [Brown] catching the fish, and then they didn’t show Ozzy catching one.”

In hindsight, Probst wouldn’t change much about Brown’s visit, but admitted that the country star could have impacted the game instead of serving as a reward.

“It’s fascinating to me that a couple of people, most of them either former players or people who will never play, criticize the show, and it gets momentum,” he said.

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“I tell anyone who wants to listen: If that’s your goal, to somehow impact our point of view, it will fail. We trust what we’re doing. If you think we’re going to re-edit because you thought there was too much Zac Brown, you’ve not been reading interviews with me.”

He added, “I couldn’t be more serious. I love ‘Survivor.’ I love joy. I love fans. I’ve also got a backbone. It’s gonna take more than that to knock me over.”

Probst, 64, began hosting “Survivor” at its inception in 2000. One decade into hosting the popular competition show, Probst became disillusioned by the audience’s desire to revel in conflict.

“I didn’t like the stories we were telling, and I was losing my joy of the format, therefore my joy of the job, therefore my joy of life,” Probst said.

“I didn’t want vitriol and who can be the meanest, most spiteful person.”

At one point, he tried to quit, but was met with resistance by executive producer Mark Burnett after confessing he was “done” with the gig.

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It was Burnett who recognized that Probst likely needed some time off, in addition to more responsibility on the back end of the show.

“CBS was initially horrified. They didn’t want stars to be given showrunner status,” Probst said. “But I was so argumentative and sure that it was the right thing to do that I convinced them.”

“It was the best move I’ve made in my career.”

While recognizing the cultural impact, Burnett admitted that playing “Survivor” is similar to a “management training test.”

“If someone works for you, can you fire them and have them shake your hand after?” Burnett wondered.

“At ‘Survivor,’ you’re voting people out — firing them every week — then you’re asking the very people you fired to give you $1 million. That’s a tricky thing to do.”

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Reunification Of Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless Sees 24% Ratings Increase For ‘First Take’

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4 minutes ago

May 14, 2026

Addison Blake

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Tech entrepreneur flees Washington due to companies being ‘villainized’

Published

1 hour ago

May 14, 2026

Addison Blake

A prominent Washington tech entrepreneur is joining the growing exodus of business leaders fleeing the Evergreen State, citing a “dramatic” shift in the state’s tax climate following the passage of a controversial new “millionaire tax.”

Jesse Proudman, the founder and CTO of the privacy-focused generative AI platform Venice.ai, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the state he once called a “startup sanctuary” has become increasingly hostile to the very people who fuel its economy.

“I started three companies here in the state. I have been an entrepreneur my whole life here,” Proudman said. “The business climate when I started my first company was very entrepreneurial-friendly, and the startup community was looked upon as a contributing member of the city. Over the last number of years, that has changed dramatically.”

Proudman, who previously founded the private cloud company Blue Box and the crypto-investing platform Makara, is now serving as a spokesperson for Let’s Go Washington. The political committee is currently spearheading a massive signature-gathering effort to repeal the tax measure before it can take root.

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The tax, pushed through by the Democratic-controlled legislature during the 2026 session and signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson in March, imposes a 9.9% levy on annual income exceeding $1 million. While it is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2028—with the first payments due in 2029—the mere threat of its implementation is already shifting the state’s demographics.

“We have until July 2nd to gather about 325,000 signatures to put this on the November ballot,” said Hallie Herzberg, Director of Communications for Let’s Go Washington. “The people deserve the right to vote on this. It’s already driving businesses, employers, and families out of the state.”

The move marks a seismic shift for Washington, which has historically been one of only a handful of states with no personal income tax. However, the legal ground shifted in 2023 when the state’s Supreme Court upheld a 7% capital gains tax, effectively opening the door for broader income-based levies that critics argue violate the state constitution’s requirement that property (which includes income) be taxed at a uniform rate.

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State Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle), the Senate Majority Leader and the bill’s primary sponsor, has dismissed concerns of “tax flight.”

“The reality is the millionaire tax is not likely to result in businesses leaving,” Pedersen told a local FOX affiliate following the bill’s signing. He later told Fox News Digital that there is “no evidence” that high earners will migrate to lower-tax jurisdictions like Florida or Texas.

Data from the Association of Washington Business (AWB) suggests otherwise. A recent survey reported by The Center Square found that 44% of business leaders in the state are considering moving their personal residences elsewhere. Furthermore, Washington businesses reported they are now more than twice as likely to expand outside the state than within it.

For Proudman, the decision has already been made. He plans to relocate his life and business interests to Austin, Texas.

“It’s no longer a friendly place to conduct business,” Proudman said. “Startup companies are being villainized. With the passing of this tax, we have looked at alternative places to move, and we’ll probably end up in Austin.”

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Proudman warned that while the tax is currently branded as a “millionaire’s tax” to gain public favor, the long-term economic consequences will eventually hit middle-class residents as the tax base shrinks.

“They are targeting a very highly mobile cohort of the population,” Proudman argued. “When those folks leave, this will become a tax on everybody. The voters are unwittingly creating an incredibly worse tax situation for themselves. Washington is already the 45th worst state from a tax point of view. This is a constitutionally illegal tax that ultimately will apply to everyone.”

Sen. Pedersen’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s latest request for comment.