The long-time host appeared to confirm who lost the Final Four fire-making challenge before airing the segment during the live broadcast.
LOS ANGELES — Jeff Probst may be the most experienced host in reality television, but even he wasn’t immune to the dangers of Wednesday night’s live broadcast.
During the three-hour live finale of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” on CBS, Probst appeared to accidentally sabotage the outcome of the Final Four’s fire-making challenge – revealing that returning “Survivor 49” star Rizo Velovich lost the fire-making showdown before viewers saw it on screen.
When Probst spoke to a live studio audience in Los Angeles, he referred to Rizzo as the final member of the jury, a title that only applies if a fan-favorite is eliminated in the Final Four.
At the time, footage from Fiji had not yet been broadcast to East Coast viewers, meaning millions of fans learned of Rizzo’s fate seconds before watching the game take place.
“That’s it, these guys. They’re a little behind their game, but these guys are going to figure out – what just happened?” Probst interrupted.
“The fire hasn’t happened yet,” contestant Cirie Fields responded, to murmurs from the crowd.
Social media erupted almost immediately, with viewers pointing out the gaffe in real time as the clip began circulating before the segment even finished airing.
Probst later admitted the mistake.
“I love doing live television,” Probst said, joking that it was a “Survivor twist.”
“Now we’re going to watch Rizzo fail in a fire,” he said, to laughter from the crowd.
The unexpected spoiler came during the three-hour live finale, Survivor’s first live reunion in a decade, with Probst busying himself in a jam-packed broadcast that included chatting with returning players from the show’s 25-year history.
Early in the show, Probst welcomed Desiree Fields to the stage to a standing ovation, and Fields became emotional at a fan reception. Mike White, the creator of HBO’s hit series White Lotus, also revealed during the finale that fellow castaways Charlie Davis and Kamilla Karthigesu will guest star in Season 4.
It’s unclear whether CBS will make edits to the West Coast taping.
