Season 46 of Survivor is on the horizon, with more castaways vying to win the title of Sole Survivor. Fans will once again be picking and choosing their favorites, as the castaways themselves pick and choose their allies and enemies as the show airs on the 2024 TV schedule. Of course, there are things people should never do if they want to win Survivor, but it’s always interesting to see the lengths some will go to and who emerges as a big bad on the show. However, if viewers at home were hoping to see some more villain-like contestants on the show, don’t count on it.
Survivor is known to have a villain or two on each season, and sometimes those folks emerge as fan favorites. However, longtime host Jeff Probst has officially declared that he has no interest in villains saying on Rob Has a Podcast:
I mean, the first person to win was one of the biggest villains, still, of all time, Richard Hatch. Mark understood something, and in the hands of somebody else, I can tell you for sure, Rob, there would be more ‘villains,’ more ‘negativity,’ more yelling at each other, it’s not gonna happen when I’m part of the show. I’m just not interested in it.
On a show like Survivor, you definitely have to expect there to be at least one villain who would do anything to win, make allies just to crush them, and more. So it’s a pretty big surprise that Probst has confirmed that those types of castaways will not be on the show. What isn’t surprising, though, is the fact that fans are now roasting the host and the series, with user TheDylanHeta hilariously sharing that the host has not always disliked villains:
Jeff: I don’t like Villains Me: Explain this then…#Survivor pic.twitter.com/A4QmdmS3b2February 26, 2024
Especially with reality shows, villains are all the rage. It’s what makes the show so much more entertaining to watch. You have to have that little bit of drama and that person that just makes your skin crawl that you also can't look away from. Veetohs shared some great examples of this, including one from the popular reality series The Traitors, which is all about messy fun and betrayals:
proof that probst has no pulse on what’s popular. villains are up in popularity with shows like house of villains and traitors being at the forefront
The CBS reality show may be an entertaining one to watch regardless of who's on it because the concept alone is intriguing. However, it really is only interesting to watch when there's a diverse mix of personalities and strategies. As ryansreputation shared Survivor is really only Survivor if you have someone to root against:
there is no survivor without villains btw pic.twitter.com/8fKAZ47pcHFebruary 26, 2024
Many, like @Ryan__Kaiser, pointed directly to the villain tribe from the Heroes vs. Villains season of Survivor to prove why bad guys are needed on the show. It is hard to imagine a season without players like Sandra, Boston Rob or Parvati (who all have played multiple times, by the way).
This show would’ve never made it beyond 40 (or 4) without these people but go off Jeff 🙄 #Survivor
Making a similar point, @RobsFactChecker worte:
Imagine this season of #Survivor without the Villains tribe.
It’s pretty disappointing that villains will not be on Survivor anymore. The series has been on for over 45 seasons. There has to be something that will still keep the show fresh and exciting. Tommy Smokes of Barstool Sports thinks it may be time for Survivor to eliminate Jeff Probst and find a new host:
I can’t believe I’m saying this but Survivor may be better off without Jeff Probst
However, it's worth pointing out that other fans see Probst's perspective, noting that they want villains in the game, but they don't want evil people playing. @TheABragg posted:
We still have villains. What do you call Jesse destroying Cody’s game? That’s Parvati type stuff, real villainy. What I don’t want to see if someone like Colton just ripping someone down for my entertainment. Being evil doesn’t make for a good villain on #survivorFebruary 26, 2024
While it’s almost impossible to imagine Survivor without Jeff Probst, it’s also hard to imagine the series without any villain whatsoever. This wouldn’t be the first change Survivor has had as of late, especially in the casting department, but I have to agree with the fans. Villains are what make a show entertaining, as they are fun and make you love to hate them.
Season 46 will still surely be a great season to watch once it premieres on February 28 no matter what though, especially since Survivor is keeping the longer episodes; just don’t expect too many big bads to pop up.
