‘Survivor 46’ Host Jeff Probst Explains He Doesn’t Have a Vote on Tribal Council

How can someone be expelled from Survivor Without being expelled? Well, that same scenario played out in this week’s episode of Survivor 46.

All the begging, pleading and prayers in the world couldn’t save Bhanu Gopal from elimination after the Yanu tribe lost their fourth consecutive immunity challenge. Bhanu’s tribemates made no secret of their intention to expel him, and because Bhanu had no immunity idol or any votes to cast (after losing it on a trip), there was no way to save himself.

With such a foregone conclusion hanging over Tribal Council – and after confirming the voting plans of everyone present – ​​Jeff Probst dispensed with the formalities and instead extinguished Bhanu’s torch without any names being written on parchment.

The driver explained his decision in the last episode of his Catching Fire with Jeff Probst podcast. “It’s very rare to have a tribe like this where everyone knows what’s going to happen,” Probst says on the podcast. “There is no mystery, there is no uncertainty and it offers us the opportunity to do something different.”

And that something different meant no longer chaining Bhanu with such an obvious result. “In this case, what he allowed us to do was let Bhanu finish his story on his terms. And I love how he handled it because he stayed true to himself. He was authentic. He was sincere. His tribemates were very receptive and, at the same time, no doubt grateful that he was leaving. But he allowed Bhanu to bring some level of agency in bringing closure to his experience. That’s all. We will extinguish your torch and your game will be over.”

That approach, the host says, reflects how the producers handled Bhanu’s breakdown throughout the episode. “He is mourning the death of him in the game…. So let us witness this spiritual death through his eyes and the eyes of his tribemates and stay out of the way.”

And contrary to what some might think, Probst says editing is never trying to make something look better or worse than it really was. “The key factor for us is always the same. It has to be authentic to what the player experienced and tell their story in a respectful way. We’re not going to bury anyone, but we’re not going to try to protect anyone either. It’s not about that. “It’s about showing what happened.”

While some viewers have criticized someone so mentally and emotionally unprepared for the game that will be presented on the show, Probst responds to that. “For my two cents, if we had the chance to go back and do this again, I would put Bhanu on the show in a heartbeat. Because that’s the kind of authenticity we desperately seek. And make no mistake: I’m not saying you should be like Bhanu. I’m saying be yourself and trust. That’s the only play. Bhanu drove his tribemates crazy. That was clear. But it’s not because he was a compassionate and caring person. He drove them crazy with his lack of playing skills.”

To find out more from the host about the latest episode of Survivor 46– including all the behind-the-scenes work that went into getting a simple song on air – check out Catching Fire with Jeff Probst.

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