Survivor returned on our screens this month, with long-time host Jeff Probst fronting the series for its 42nd season.
Probst has hosted Survivor since its inception in 2000 and has been a constant on the show since.
He got his start in television on the FX network, hosting Backchat, a half-hour talk show that featured him reading and replying to viewer questions. For the same network, Probst, alongside comedian Orlando Jones, hosted Sound FX.
From there, the 60-year-old moved to VH1 to host Rock & Roll Jeopardy!, a riff on the original Jeopardy! game show that focused entirely on questions relating to post-1950s popular music. Probst filmed 100 episodes of the show before it was cancelled in 2001.
Probst also wrote and directed his own feature film, Finder’s Fee, a thriller that revolves around a found lottery ticket. It starred a young Ryan Reynolds, as well as established stars such as James Earl Jones, Robert Forster and Matthew Lillard.
The film received generally positive reviews and has a score of 60 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Probst directed a second film in 2014 entitled, Kiss Me, which starred Mayans MC actor Sarah Bolger and Hannah Montana star, Emily Osment. Rita Wilson, Jenna Fischer and Missi Pyle also appeared in the movie.
Last year, the presenter addressed fans regarding the legacy and popularity of Survivor, saying: “For 21 years you’ve been with us, we appreciate it. We love making this show, we’re out here right now making more. So Survivor 41 will be the beginning of the third decade of Survivor, it premieres in September. I hope you like it, we’re trying some new things.”
Whilst he has mostly been occupied by Survivor since its premiere, he also hosted daytime talk show, The Jeff Probst Show between 2012 and 2013 before it was cancelled after just one season.
Probst has also appeared as himself in a variety of sitcoms including Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother and Life in Pieces.
He has been married twice, first to psychotherapist, Shelley Wright and then Lisa Marie Russell, who he wedded in 2011.
Season 42 of Survivor premiered 9 March on CBS and airs every Wednesday night at 8pm ET/PST.
