'Survivor' 2015 Cast: Jeff Probst Reveals How 'Cambodia' Is Different From Other Returning Player Seasons
Survivor host Jeff Probst recently said that the upcoming season's returning players are different from those brought back in past seasons.
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Probst is currently filming the next season of Survivor, which features 20 previous players coming back for a second chance at the $1 million.
The host spoke with Entertainment Weekly on the first day of filming and revealed how the cast of Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance is kinder than previous seasons where they brought back returning players.
Probst explained, "typically it's different in that returning players are more of a pain in the a-. And it always disappoints me that they try to push us around when we're saying, 'Look, we know you know the deal. We get it. And you're our stars. That's why we invited you back. But don't push so hard. Let's just do this with the same respect.' And they typically don't. It doesn't mean we don't invite them back. We love them. It comes with the turf."
He added that with this group of players, they don't necessarily have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to playing the game again.
"We sent them on this huge journey though old, historic parts of Cambodia, and they were smiling every part of it because some of them have been waiting 15 years," Probst said. "And so they don't take it for granted, and they appreciate it, and they remember, 'Wow, this is a big deal. There are 350 people out here creating this adventure for me!' And I will remind future players: For what it's worth, even though you might have only played two years ago -- Kelly [Wiglesworth], Terry Deitz, and Jeff Varner were super kind and a joy to work with."
He said that as a result of this positive energy, the vibe is very "electric." The desire to play again is something present in many of the returning players, particularly San Juan del Sur's Jeremy Collins and Pearl Islands' Andrew Savage, according to Probst.
Previous seasons featuring returning players, particularly All Stars, had a lot of bitterness throughout the season, making for an arguably unpleasant experience for the audience. Most fans are hoping that the new season will have some crazy gameplay without all that nasty, personal bitterness.
Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
