Jeff Probst

Jeff Probst
Probst in 2016
Born	Jeffrey Lee Probst (1961-11-04)November 4, 1961 Wichita, Kansas,U.S.
Occupations	Television presenter television producer author
Years active	1996–present
Spouses	Shelley Wright ​ ​ (m.1996;div.2001)​ Lisa Ann Russell ​ (m.2011)​

Jeffrey Lee Probst(/proʊbst/;born November 4, 1961)is an American television presenter and producer and young adult fiction writer. He is best known as theEmmy Award-winning host of the U.S. version of the reality television showSurvivorsince 2000. He was also the host ofThe Jeff Probst Show,asyndicateddaytime talk show produced byCBS Television Distributionfrom September 2012 to May 2013.

Early life

Probst was born atWesley Medical CenterinWichita, Kansas,the oldest of three sons to Jerry and Barbara Probst.His family moved toBellevue, Washingtonwhen Probst was 15 years old.After graduating fromNewport High Schoolin 1979, Probst attendedSeattle Pacific Universitybut left before graduating to pursue a career in television.Soon after leaving college, he began working atBoeingMotion Picture/Television studio as a producer and later narrator ofmarketingand training videos.

Career

Probst in 2008

In addition toSurvivor,Probst once hostedFX's original half-hour show dedicated to answering viewer letters,Backchat,along withSound FX,a music series featuringOrlando Jones(1996). Probst also hosted theVH1seriesRock & Roll Jeopardy!from 1998 to 2001 and was a correspondent for the syndicated programAccess Hollywood.He also wrote and directed the Lionsgate released film,Finder's Fee.Peoplemagazine named Probst one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2001. He often contributes toJeopardy!by givingSurvivorrelated clues from the show's venues, has twice appeared onCelebrityJeopardy!,first in 2001 and again in 2003, and made several cameo appearances during the April 1, 2010, episode.He was a frequent guest star on the sketch showMADtv,guest-starring once a season since the show's 9th season. He hosted "Celebrity Superfan Roundtable" forHoward Stern.

Probst is the host ofSurvivor,a globally-syndicated American reality show which he has hosted since its inception in 2000. He has stated that he had worked hard to get a meeting with series creatorMark Burnettas he believed the show was "something special." Probst caught Burnett's eye in 1999 when he interviewedSandra Bullockwhile working forAccess Hollywood.Burnett was impressed by Probst's ability to garner honest answers from media trained celebrities and felt that his relative anonymity would allow the show to be built "from the ground up."Probst has won fourPrimetime Emmy Awardsas the host of Survivor. He delivers the series's signature catch-phrase to losing contestants, "The tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go," which was included inTV Land's "The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catch Phrases" special in 2006.

On October 20, 2008,TV Guidereported that Probst was developing a new reality TV series forCBScalledLive For The Momentthat was to feature people with terminal illnesses being taken on "the last adventure of their life" before they die.Only the pilot was aired, on January 28, 2010.

On April 1, 2009, Probst appeared on theCBSreality television specialI Get That a Lot,in which he worked a cash register.

In October 2011, he appeared as himself on thesitcomHow I Met Your Mother,in the episode "The Stinson Missile Crisis".

In January 2012, Probst was announced as director of his second feature film, coming-of-age storyKiss Me,starringJohn CorbettandSarah Bolger,with production scheduled to begin in Los Angeles the following month.

From September 10, 2012, Probst hostedThe Jeff Probst Show,asyndicateddaytime talk show produced byCBS Television Distributionfrom September 2012 to May 2013. CBS did not pick up the show for a second season, citing low ratings.Between October 2012 and January 2014, Probst hosted the recurringAdult Swimspecial, "The Greatest Event in Television History,"which consisted of remakes of 1980s TV show title sequences.

In February 2013, Probst teamed up with Christopher Tebbetts to release the first ofScholastic's adventure seriesStranded,aimed at middle school students, grades 4–6. It follows the story of Vanessa, Buzz, Carter, and Jane as they are left on a deserted island and forced to fend for themselves. It started out as a regular vacation but when a storm sets in, the kids are shipwrecked in the middle of the South Pacific without any parents. They must find a way to work together if they are ever to get off the island.Strandedis the first of the three-book series.

In November 2013 and January 2014, Probst appeared as himself on the sitcomTwo and a Half Menin twoseason 11episodes, "Some Kind of Lesbian Zombie"and "Baseball. Boobs. Boobs. Baseball.".

In December 2016, Probst appeared as himself on the sitcomLife in Pieces,in the episode "Swim Survivor Zen Talk".

Probst with his wife Lisa Ann Russell

Personal life

Probst was married to his first wife, psychotherapist Shelley Wright, from 1996 to 2001.In 2004, after filming onSurvivor: Vanuatuwrapped, he began dating one of the contestants, Julie Berry.They broke up in early 2008.

Probst married his second wife, Lisa Ann Russell, on December 5, 2011.Through this marriage, Probst is a stepfather to Russell's two children, son Michael (b. 2004) and daughter Ava (b. 2006), from her former marriage to actorMark-Paul Gosselaar.Probst has stated that he and his wife amicably share custody with Gosselaar and his second wife, and that the children consider all four to be parents.

Probst keeps the snuffer that he uses to snuff the torches when a contestant is voted out of the game as a souvenir after every season ofSurvivor. He has written a book calledStranded,based on the showSurvivor.As an ordained minister, he has presided over the weddings of several of his friends.

Awards

On September 21, 2008, Probst won the firstPrimetime Emmy AwardforOutstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program.He won the same award in 2009, 2010, and 2011. TheLos Angeles Timesattributed Probst's track record in the category to his penchant for interacting with contestants on a compassionate personal level unseen in any of his competitors, transcending his role of host to that of counselor.

Filmography

TV

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999–2001	Rock & Roll Jeopardy!	Host	100 episodes
2000–present	Survivor	Executive director, producer and host	46 seasons, 567 episodes
2001–2003	Celebrity Jeopardy!	Contestant	2 episodes
2002–2004	Fillmore!	Raycliff	8 episodes
2003–2007	Mad TV	Guest star	5 episodes
2011	How I Met Your Mother	Himself	1 episode
2012–2013	The Jeff Probst Show	Host	170 episodes
2013–2014	Two and a Half Men	Himself	2 episodes
2013	Survivor: Blood vs Water Preview	Host and executive producer
2014	The (206)	Actor	Season 2, Episode 12
2016	Life in Pieces	Himself	Season 2, Episode 7 (Swim Survivor Zen Talk)
2017	Family Guy	Voice	Season 16, Episode 7 (Petey IV)
2022	Saturday Night Live	Himself	Season 48, Episode 4 (Jack Harlow)

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2001	Finder's Fee	Director, writer
2014	Kiss Me	Director, producer

External links

• Official website
• Jeff ProbstatIMDb
• CBS.com profile
• Jeff ProbstatThe Interviews: An Oral History of Television
• Jeff Probst onBackchat