Jeff Probst
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst (born November 4, 1962) is an American
game show host, executive producer
and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show
Survivor
.
, but grew up primarily in Bellevue, Washington
. After graduating from Newport High School
in 1979, he attended Seattle Pacific University
and worked at Boeing
Motion Picture/Television
studio as a producer
and narrator
of marketing
videos
.
network's original half-hour show dedicated to answering viewer letters, Backchat
, along with Sound FX, a series of afternoon shows surrounding parenting, relationship and medicine (1996). Probst also hosted the VH1
series Rock & Roll Jeopardy!
from 1998 to 2001, and was a correspondent for the syndicated program Access Hollywood
. He also wrote and directed the Lionsgate released film, Finder's Fee
. People
magazine named Probst one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2001. He often contributes to Jeopardy!
by giving Survivor related clues from the show's venues, has twice appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy!, first in 2001 and again in 2003, and made several cameo appearances during the April 1, 2010 episode.
He was also a frequent guest star on the sketch show MADtv
, guest starring once a season since the show's 9th season.
Probst also hosts "Celebrity Superfan Roundtable" for Howard Stern.
He has hosted Survivor
since 2000. He later stated that he had worked hard to get a meeting with series creator Mark Burnett
, because he believed the show was "something special." He delivers the series' signature catch-phrase to losing contestants, "The tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go."
In 2007, Probst founded The Serpentine Project http://www.theserpentineproject.org, a non-profit that empowers youth transitioning out of foster care to reach for their dreams by opening the door to possibilities. The organization recently merged with The Alliance For Children's Rights.
On October 20, 2008, TV Guide
reported that Probst is developing a new reality TV series for CBS
called Live For The Moment that will feature people with terminal illnesses being taken on "the last adventure of their life" before they die.
On April 1, 2009, Probst appeared on the CBS
reality television
special I Get That a Lot
, in which he worked a cash register.
In February 2010, Probst confirmed that he has signed on to host two more seasons of Survivor, putting him through season 22. It was then announced on March 9, 2011 that Probst had extended his contract to host another two seasons of Survivor, contracting him through season 24.
in 1999. He remarried his parents for their 35th wedding anniversary
.
He also officiated at the marriage of Jenna Fischer, star of "The Office."
Probst keeps the snuffer that he uses to snuff the torches when a contestant is voted out of the game as a souvenir
after every season of Survivor.
for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
.
He also won the same award in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game show host, executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
.
Biography
Probst was born in Wichita, KansasWichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, but grew up primarily in Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
. After graduating from Newport High School
Newport High School (Bellevue)
Newport High School is a public secondary school in Bellevue, Washington. It serves students in grades 9–12 in the southern part of the Bellevue School District, including the neighborhoods of Eastgate, Factoria, Newport Hills, Newport Shores, Somerset, The Summit, and Sunset...
in 1979, he attended Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary...
and worked at Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Motion Picture/Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
studio as a producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
of marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
videos
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
.
Career
In addition to Survivor, Probst previously hosted the FXFX Networks
FX is the name of a number of related pay television channels owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group...
network's original half-hour show dedicated to answering viewer letters, Backchat
Backchat
Backchat was a half-hour television show on FX which ran through the mid 1990s right after the network's inception. Hosted by Jeff Probst, the show consisted of him and two designated letter-readers reading viewer letters and responding on air...
, along with Sound FX, a series of afternoon shows surrounding parenting, relationship and medicine (1996). Probst also hosted the VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
series Rock & Roll Jeopardy!
Rock & Roll Jeopardy!
Rock & Roll Jeopardy! is a variant of the quiz show Jeopardy! which centered entirely around popular music. The series was hosted by Jeff Probst and ran on VH1 from August 8, 1998 to May 12, 2001. Loretta Fox was the show's announcer for the first two seasons...
from 1998 to 2001, and was a correspondent for the syndicated program Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
. He also wrote and directed the Lionsgate released film, Finder's Fee
Finder's Fee
Finder's Fee is an American film directed by Jeff Probst from his original screenplay. The story is based on an actual event that occurred to Probst.-Plot:...
. People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine named Probst one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2001. He often contributes to Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
by giving Survivor related clues from the show's venues, has twice appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy!, first in 2001 and again in 2003, and made several cameo appearances during the April 1, 2010 episode.
He was also a frequent guest star on the sketch show MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
, guest starring once a season since the show's 9th season.
Probst also hosts "Celebrity Superfan Roundtable" for Howard Stern.
He has hosted Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
since 2000. He later stated that he had worked hard to get a meeting with series creator Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
, because he believed the show was "something special." He delivers the series' signature catch-phrase to losing contestants, "The tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go."
In 2007, Probst founded The Serpentine Project http://www.theserpentineproject.org, a non-profit that empowers youth transitioning out of foster care to reach for their dreams by opening the door to possibilities. The organization recently merged with The Alliance For Children's Rights.
On October 20, 2008, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
reported that Probst is developing a new reality TV series for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
called Live For The Moment that will feature people with terminal illnesses being taken on "the last adventure of their life" before they die.
On April 1, 2009, Probst appeared on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
special I Get That a Lot
I Get That a Lot
I Get That A Lot is a reality television special that airs on CBS, which sets up celebrities in everyday working class jobs. Hidden cameras are used to capture the reactions of unsuspecting customers and bypassers...
, in which he worked a cash register.
In February 2010, Probst confirmed that he has signed on to host two more seasons of Survivor, putting him through season 22. It was then announced on March 9, 2011 that Probst had extended his contract to host another two seasons of Survivor, contracting him through season 24.
Personal life
Probst was ordained as a minister by the Universal Life ChurchUniversal Life Church
The Universal Life Church is a religious organization that offers anyone semi-immediate ordination as a ULC minister free of charge. The organization states that anyone can become a minister immediately, without having to go through the pre-ordination process required by other religious faiths...
in 1999. He remarried his parents for their 35th wedding anniversary
Wedding anniversary
-Official recognition:In the Commonwealth realms, one can receive a message from the monarch for 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, and any wedding anniversary after that...
.
He also officiated at the marriage of Jenna Fischer, star of "The Office."
Probst keeps the snuffer that he uses to snuff the torches when a contestant is voted out of the game as a souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
after every season of Survivor.
Awards/Nominations
On September 21, 2008 Probst won the first Primetime Emmy AwardPrimetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program was an award created in 2008. On July 27, 2008, it was announced that this category's 5 nominees would all co-host the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards telecast.-2000s:2008: Survivor - Jeff Probst...
.
He also won the same award in 2009, 2010 and 2011.