The wait is over—Survivor Season 48 hits the 2025 TV schedule, premiering tonight on CBS, kicking off one other intense season of one of many finest actuality exhibits. However whereas followers gear up for the brand new season, hypothesis about Survivor 49 has already begun, and the web desires some insights into the season’s casting. One title, particularly, had followers buzzing—a celeb who has publicly shared his love for the present and whose conveniently timed break in his tour schedule fueled theories he could be heading to the island. Nonetheless, long-running host Jeff Probst–who’s nonetheless dedicated to the present all these years later–has revealed what’s actually happening.
Forward of the Survivor 48 premiere, The Emmy-winning host sat down with TVLine to clear up the swirling hypothesis about Survivor 49 casting. Addressing the rumors straight, Probst confirmed that nation music star Dierks Bentley won’t compete within the subsequent season, regardless of the web chatter suggesting in any other case. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply there was no dialog between Bentley and the present. As he defined:
Someone else put it within the air that Dierks Bentley was going to be on the present. That’s not the case. We did attain out to him. We mentioned, ‘Man, we’d love to speak to you when you’re ,’ and he mentioned, ‘Possibly sooner or later.’ I genuinely suppose he meant it, however he mentioned not proper now.
The excitement round Bentley’s attainable casting began after Probst teased in an interview that Survivor had been in discussions with a widely known character. Bentley’s public enthusiasm for the present and a conveniently positioned hole in his schedule solely added gas to the hearth. However whereas followers hoping to see the “What Was I Thinkin’” performer powerful it out within the wilderness will probably be disillusioned, the singer hasn’t dominated out a future look.
The concept of celebrities competing on Survivor isn’t new, however the actuality TV mainstay made it clear that the present isn’t in search of stunt casting. The Survivor host defined that whereas well-known individuals have reached out prior to now, they don’t get a free cross onto the present simply due to their title. He added:
I’m open to celebrities being on the present, offered they’re good for the present. We stay and breathe with the individuals we placed on the present. There are well-known those who have gotten my quantity and texted me and mentioned, ‘I wish to be on,’ and I’m like, ‘You’re simply not proper for us, man.’ It’s not stunt casting.
Probst pointed to Mike White, the filmmaker and White Lotus creator who competed on and helped change the course of Survivor: David vs. Goliath in 2018, for instance of the form of celeb contestant that does work. White was already a profitable Hollywood author, however his ardour for the sport and compelling gameplay made him an ideal match for the collection.
For now, the solid for Survivor 49 stays a thriller, although followers received’t have to attend lengthy for particulars to emerge as manufacturing gears up. In the meantime, Survivor 48 kicks off tonight, Wednesday, February 26, at 8/7c on CBS or streaming with a Parmount+ subscription. At the least one factor is certain concerning the season: just like the finest Survivor seasons, it guarantees one other season of intense gameplay and backstabbing alliances.