Jeff Probst Teases What to Expect From Podcaster Jon Lovett on 'Survivor'

Jeff Probst is ready to put Jon Lovett in the Survivor narrating hall of fame.

“Jon Lovett is one of the greatest storytellers that we will ever have on Survivor,” Probst said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly published on Tuesday, September 17. “He’s up there with Mike White. This is a guy that wrote for [Barack] Obama. He is a really amazing thinker and fascinating to talk to.”

Before joining Survivor and cofounding Crooked Media, Lovett, 42, worked as a speechwriter during the Obama administration and worked with presidential candidates John Kerry and Hillary Clinton. From Probst’s perspective, Lovett’s talent with rhetoric was a blessing, especially during confessionals.

“On a show like Survivor, where you rely on the players to be the narrators, having somebody like Lovett is just this beautiful gift to us,” he reflected. “Because no matter what the situation or how you pose a question, he will give you a compelling answer. That was the most exciting part of Lovett.”

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Probst teased that Lovett’s knowledge and fandom of Survivor also made his words even more meaningful — especially for the viewers at home.

“When you add into it that he’s a massive super fan and has studied this game from different vantage points, including a political point of view, meaning he’s been in the world of politics so long,” Probst explained. “He can look at the politics of Survivor in a fresh way and explain it to the audience in a fresh way.”

When the Survivor 47 trailer first dropped in May, fans and “Pod Save America” listeners were surprised to see Lovett as one of the castaways. While many recognized the “Lovett or Leave It” podcast host at home, Probst acknowledged that being recognizable could either hurt or help Lovett.

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“I think the biggest question for Jon is going to be: Are there people that know him either from his face or his name?” Probst said. “And how will he handle dealing with if somebody understands he is a celebrity in his own right and that he’s obviously a very bright guy? That could be a big obstacle for him to get out from under early on. It could also be part of the toolkit that gets him very deep in the game. That’s going to be on Lovett.”

In addition to Lovett, there are 17 other players vying for the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million dollar prize.

Survivor 47 premieres on Wednesday, September 18, on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. It is also available to stream on Paramount+.