Fans are just weeks away from witnessing the hotly-anticipated premiere of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,” which will see the return of 24 iconic former castaways as they once again vie for the title of “Sole Survivor” and the prize money that comes with it.

Despite featuring the return of legendary old-school players like Cirie Fields, Benjamin “Coach” Wade and Ozzy Lusth, as well as “New Era” champions like Kyle Fraser, Dee Valladares and Savannah Louie, many fans and former players alike have criticized the series’ largest-ever cast for “cutting” certain fan favorite castaways from participating in the milestone season.

While longtime host and executive producer Jeff Probst has spoken at length about how difficult the casting process was for Season 50 – which required producers to whittle down a pool of more than 750 eligible castaways to a finalized cast of just 24, in a new interview with Vanity Fair, he opened up about his reaction and response to former players who expressed their “hurt” and “disappointment” at not landing a spot on the historic installment.

Probst Says Backlash From Former Players ‘Hurts My Heart’

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“It hurts my heart,” Probst told Vanity Fair’s David Canfield, referring specifically to statements issued by former castaways like Carolyn Wiger (“Survivor 44”) and Jerri Manthey (“Survivor: The Australian Outback”; “Survivor: All-Stars”; “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains”), both of whom were in consideration for a spot on Season 50 before being “cut” from the final cast.

After the official cast announcement dropped in May 2025, Carolyn was among the first – and most local – of the former players who took aim at producers for allegedly promising her a spot on Season 50, with sources at the time claiming that Wiger was “furious” after being “cut.”

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The Season 44 finalist similarly argued that she was being “punished” for joining the cast of rival reality competition series “The Traitors.”

Manthey, who would have celebrated her fourth “Survivor” appearance alongside Colby Donaldson if she’d landed a spot on the milestone installment, similarly admitted she was “devastated” after the cast announcement dropped.

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“I know what I’ve been through, and people that are old enough to watch season 2 when it was happening in real time – those people understand what I’ve sacrificed and what I’ve given up in my life for [‘Survivor’],” she said in a video posted to Instagram shortly thereafter. “Forgive me, it’s really hard to feel underappreciated on that level.”

Probst Gives ‘Cut’ Season 50 Hopefuls ‘Benefit of Understanding’

While Probst has been candid about just how “brutal” the casting process was, he’s now opening up about how reactions from “cut” players like Wiger and Manthey have affected him personally.

“People think I probably don’t care – that somehow I’m immune from it,” he told VF, adding, “No. I’m a deep-feeling person.”

Despite admitting that he felt “hurt” by backlash from certain former players, the host added that he’s also learned to “hold space” for players like Carolyn and Jerri to express their feeling honestly, arguing that everyone deserves “the benefit of understanding.”

While the cast of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” won’t be undergoing any last-minute changes before its premiere on Wednesday, February 25, Probst’s hoped his comments would  hopefully serve as a “big lesson” for fans and former players alike who have used their dissatisfaction with the season’s cast to spread negativity online.