Jeff probst robert herjavec biography

Emmy voters have re-lit Jeff Probst‘s torch.

For the first time in 13 years, the “Survivor” ringleader finds himself nominated in the Best Reality Host race at the Emmy Awards. Remember, he won this category four times in a row between 2008 and 2011 (the first four years of the category’s existence), but then he was strangely snubbed thereafter. In the time since, RuPaul Charles (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) has doubled Probst’s record by winning eight consecutive trophies for hosting. Can Probst now reclaim his time in the Emmy spotlight?

For this year’s contest, Probst and RuPaul are competing against Alan Cumming from “The Traitors,” Kristen Kish from “Top Chef,” and the six “Shark Tank” hosts: Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec and Daymond John. It’s the first host nominations for Cumming and Kish, and the fourth for the “Sharks.”

“Survivor’s” only other Emmy nomination this year is for Best Reality Cinematography, a category it previously won in 2010 for the popular “Heroes vs. Villains” installment. The other two historical wins for the long-running reality TV show are Best Non-Fiction Program (2001) and Best Sound Mixing (2001), both for the first-ever “Borneo” season.

SEE Watch our lively chats with hundreds of 2024 Emmy contenders

Gold Derby recently caught up with Probst on the red carpet at an Emmy FYC event for CBS/Paramount. He confirmed that the upcoming 47th, 48th and 49th seasons of “Survivor” will likely feature “new players,” and that Season 50 will be the highly anticipated returning season. “I mean, that’s the idea. Let’s make 50 that’s the first time that we bring people back so we can really lean into that and have fun with that,”

Jeff Probst has been the face of Survivor for over two decades, guiding players through alliances, betrayals, and dramatic tribal councils. But one comment he made years ago about Donald Trump has found its way back into the spotlight – and not for the reasons you might expect.

With Trump recently inaugurated as the 47th President of USA, fans are revisiting an old interview where Probst compared the former reality TV star to one of Survivor’s most controversial contestants.

The resurfaced remarks are sparking fresh conversations, raising eyebrows, and leaving fans wondering about what exactly Probst meant, back then.

What does Jeff Probst’s Trump-Varner comparison mean now?

Jeff Probst’s 2015 interview via Entertainment Weekly has resurfaced in the wake of Donald Trump’s recent inauguration as the 47th President of the United States. In the interview, the famous host compared contestant Jeff Varner’s bold gameplay to Trump’s unconventional approach to public life.

At the time, the comment didn’t spark much controversy, but with Trump back in the spotlight, fans are taking another look at Probst’s remarks. While discussing Varner’s gameplay, Probst said:

Back in 2015, this comparison seemed harmless. Trump, then a presidential candidate, was shaking up political norms, and Varner was making waves in Survivor by refusing to stick to the usual strategies. However, Varner’s later actions on Survivor: Game Changers in 2017 brought a darker context to Probst’s remarks.

During a tribal council, Varner outed fellow contestant Zeke Smith as transgender. This moment caused widespread outrage and solidified his status as one of the most controversial contesta