‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Reveals Castaway He Thinks Will Win ‘Edge of Extinction’

Survivor: Edge of Extinction premiered with a bang and a twist Wednesday, introducing fans to a whole new host of castaways—as well as some familiar faces.

Returning as veteran players to the ongoing season of the CBS reality show are Aubry Bracco (Survivor: Kaoh Rong, Survivor: Game Changers); David Wright (Survivors: Millennials vs. Gen X); Kelley Wentworth (Survivor: San Juan Del Sur — Blood vs. Water, Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance); and Joe Anglim (Survivor: Worlds Apart, Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance).

One of these returning competitors could walk away with everything, host and executive producer Jeff Probst told Us Weekly prior to the premiere.

“Joe will have the hardest time, but he’ll last a while; his record is undeniable,” he explained. “Once you get to individual portion, people know they just can’t risk it. David is the dark horse, the one people don’t really understand. My pick is Wentworth to win the game. She’s got so many skills. I would never vote these four early. They have too much experience.”

As the first eliminated castaway, Reem Daly, figured out after the season premiere’s tense tribal council, Edge of Extinction comes with a major twist for eliminated castaways—Extinction Island.

When Daly walked away from the tense tribal that sent her home, she found on the path to exit the island a choice: follow one path to leave the game and go home or follow another, get on a boat and take your chances. For the first castaway of the season, the choice to head off to Extinction Island was clear. But Probst teases it won’t be an easy way out.

“The sign is a bit of a trap because it doesn’t reveal how difficult the conditions are going to be,” Probst told the outlet. “Even something like a handful of rice – you have to find the rice and then do a little work to get the rice. That will be the only rice that you get. There won’t be a tin where you can eat as much as you want. Here’s your rations, see you tomorrow. If you want it, you’ll stay.”

For fans who say undermining the tribal council decision with Extinction Island is counterintuitive to the game, Probst disagreed.

“I’m a fan of the losers’ bracket. I like the second chance. I like the underdog,” he admitted. “I like telling the winner, ‘If you’re so good, beat me again.’ It’s not a right or wrong. I totally respect people thinking this breaks the rules, I just don’t agree. The idea is to try to go deeper with the show. I’m curious why people are playing Survivor. Why come out here and do this to yourself? I think Extinction Island will do this. On Survivor, the worst day is when you don’t have a challenge because you have to sit there. On Extinction Island, there are no challenges, no rewards, no fried chicken. You have rice and time. You’re going to lose your mind out there.”

Survivor: Edge of Extinction airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Photo credit: CBS