Jeff Probst says “Survivor” has not changed how it casts its contestants, even though the company behind the show has abandoned its diversity programs.
The host and executive producer told The New York Times that “nothing has changed” in the show’s approach. He called the emphasis on varied backgrounds one of the best developments in the series’ history, saying diversity goes deeper than skin color or ethnicity. Stories improve, he said, when contestants come from different walks of life, and he feels no pressure to do otherwise. “Survivor” premiered on CBS in 2000 and now airs its 51st season on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with live streaming on Paramount+.
The comments arrive against a reversal at the top. In 2020, CBS adopted rules for its unscripted series, including “Survivor,” “Big Brother” and “The Amazing Race,” requiring casts to include at least half people of color. Paramount dismantled its wider diversity apparatus last year as the Trump administration attacked such programs. A memo from co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins ended aspirational numerical hiring goals, stopped the collection of race and gender data for U.S. employees and removed a diversity measure from executive incentive plans. Skydance, which later merged with the company under David Ellison, told regulators it would keep no such policies in place.
Casting chief Jesse Tannenbaum offered the same message to Deadline last year, saying diversity remained a priority for him even without a mandate.
Critics of those programs read the shift differently. America First Legal, a conservative legal group, celebrated when CBS settled a suit from a white “SEAL Team” staffer who alleged illegal hiring quotas. It said the company had returned to merit-based decisions and argued that race-based quotas are unlawful. The settlement did not require further policy changes.
Paramount is now awaiting a judge’s approval on its planned $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, and the companies’ commitments on inclusion could draw attention during that process. Neither Paramount nor CBS has commented on Probst’s remarks.
