Jeff Probst Defends 'Survivor 50' Cameos From MrBeast and More Celebs

Celebrities enjoy Survivor, just like Us — and that’s why a few famous faces have cameos in Survivor 50.

“Once we committed to turning the game design over to the fans, the next question became: ‘How far can we go with this idea!?’” host Jeff Probst explained to Variety in an interview published on Monday, January 5. “We knew some of Survivor‘s biggest fans happen to be celebrities, so we thought sprinkling a few of them in with their own unique twists felt like a fun way to make the game even more unpredictable!”

Probst, 64, added that the milestone season’s celebrity cameos “definitely caught the players off guard in some really exciting ways, and added another layer” of fun to the competition.

In addition to the 24 players returning to the cast from previous seasons, Survivor 50 will feature guest appearances from a handful of celebrities, as seen in the December 2025 trailer. These stars include MrBeast, Jimmy Fallon, Zac Brown and Billie Eilish.

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Though the decision sparked some backlash from fans, Probst explained how these cameos will be valuable to the game.

“I think it’s a legitimate concern when you start adding layers like celebrities, that they can overshadow the game and take it off course. Our job was to make sure that we stayed true to what we’re doing on Survivor, which is exploring this continuous social experiment. And now we’re adding another layer,” he told the outlet.

Probst continued, “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.’ 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?”

The longtime reality TV host also reiterated that these celebrities are big fans of the show, with some pitching the idea to be on the show themselves.

“With Jimmy Fallon, it was on his show. Jimmy texts me ideas all the time about Survivor, and we put some of them in the show, and we’ve always talked about this idea,” Probst concluded. “I think people will see, when they see these play out, I think they’ll understand these are legit Survivor fans who wanted to be a part of 50.”

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Survivor 50, which celebrates 25 years of the CBS competition, is themed “In the Hands of the Fans.” Viewers were given the opportunity to vote for what the season would look like, including the game’s twists, whether the finale is live or taped and more.

“I wanted it to be a thank you to the fans because that’s the whole reason we’ve been on so long is their loyalty of sticking with us,” Probst told Entertainment Weekly in February 2025 when voting opened. “Even if they don’t love every idea, they don’t quit on us.”

Survivor 50 premieres on CBS Wednesday, February 25, at 8 p.m. ET.