For the milestone 50th season of Survivor US, the show’s producers handed over control to the fans. Viewers were able to vote on key elements of the game — including idols, advantages and tribe swaps — before filming began, and the players only learn about the results as the season continues.
One thing fans definitely didn’t get to vote on, however, was for the show’s host Jeff Probst to break out into an uncharacteristic rap during this week’s episode. The iconic TV personality — who is also one of the show’s producers — asked the contestants to snap their fingers to create a beat as he began spitting bars.
“Now this season’s in the hands of the fans / They’re calling the shots, it’s out of our hands / They picked the buffs you’re wearing today / And the rice and supplies, well, they said ‘No way’,” he rapped.
The bizarre moment was truly a fever dream, with fans describing it as both “cringe-inducing” and “hilarious”.
Following his elimination, Quintavius “Q” Burdette shared his honest thoughts on Jeff’s rapping skills with PEDESTRIAN.TV, as well as his regrets from the experience and which contestant he thinks will win the season.
Firstly, I have to ask — Jeff’s rap received quite a mixed reaction on social media. Was it better or worse in real life?
No, no, it was worse in real life. But I think that the part they showed on the show was good! It was okay. The real-life version of it was offbeat with the snap and it just didn’t sound right. It didn’t make any sense at the time. But when you put the music to it, it sounds okay! I wouldn’t suggest that Jeff go make a Spotify hit out of it, but it was okay.
The season is subtitled In The Hands Of The Fans — and fans absolutely didn’t get a choice on seeing that. But which fan decisions surprised you the most in the game?
Finding out that the fans voted 80 per cent for advantages, or something like that, that was kind of crazy to me. And then the extent of the advantages, like the Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol… Billie Eilish, I love you, but it’s too difficult. Genevieve had to send it to somebody totally random that she may or may not ever get to play with, and it just complicates it a lot. But that’s season 50! It was supposed to be very difficult and unpredictable for the players, and that’s exactly what it was.
I’m so sad we didn’t get to see you more this season. How are you feeling about your elimination now?
I’m feeling as good as you can feel after being voted out. I know I left way too soon, and I think everyone else watching feels the same way. But you have to get over it, you have to move on, you have to look at the next thing and the bigger picture and ask, ‘Could I have done anything different that could have preserved me a day long?’. And I look at that and everything I can ever think of is still no. Just with that group that I was with, there was no way for me to save myself in that scenario, with no vote and with the idols being what they were for the season. So it is what it is.
Are there any moments you regret from the game? Because viewers were especially confused when you asked Mike White to vote for you.
With the Mike White situation, let me explain. I told Mike to vote for me because he said in front of Stephenie that he was voting for her. Stephenie started to freak out and she was like, ‘I’m gonna play my Shot in the Dark, I’m not even gonna vote, blah, blah, blah’. And I knew if those three — Mike White, Christian and Angelina — stuck together and voted and Stephenie played her Shot in the Dark, it didn’t matter who they voted for, they’re going home. But if I could get them to vote for me, and then Emily, Stephenie and Ozzy voted Angelina on a re-vote, those three could still vote and Angelina couldn’t, so that’s a three-two. But the votes had to be on me, the person who already didn’t have a vote anyway. So it was a strategy to try to save myself, but also save Stephenie in a way and keep her Shot in the Dark in her pocket, because I couldn’t play mine anyway because I didn’t have a vote.
The more and more I think about it, even now, it was the right plan, just with the wrong people.
You had a few established connections in the game with your Survivor 46 co-stars Charlie and Tiffany, and of course, you had a one-sided feud with Aubry. From your perspective, what was the pre-gaming like this season?
I understand everybody talked to somebody. You’d be crazy to say, ‘I didn’t have a conversation with anybody’. But some of these folks have been together five, six, seven years, so their conversations are a little different and a little more genuine, because they have a better understanding. But you can pre-game all you want — the second you hit the sand and a swap like this happens, all the plans go out the window.
When you left the game, who do you think had the best chance of winning the game?
If I had to go based on who was in my tribe, Christian was in a good spot and Ozzy was in a good spot with his idol. If I had to pick somebody, I’d probably say Tiff, just because of our close relationship outside of the game. That’s an easy pick for me.
Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans airs exclusively on Stan every Thursday.
