Following the second episode of "Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance," viewers found out that there would be an extra special expansion during episode three. The two tribes, Ta Keo and Bayon, would be split into three tribes, which is an extremely rare twist! But whatever the producers and host Jeff Probst decide to do seems to be working because, 31 seasons later, "Survivor" has proved that it really is a miracle show.
With two tribes expanding into three, there's bound to be a ton of drama as alliances get broken up and new ones form. With two castaways voted off, and 18 remaining, the split works out perfectly with six players per tribe, according to Inside Survivor. The newest tribe, which will be Angkor, will consist of Abi-Maria Gomes, Jeff Varner, Peih-Gee Law, Tasha Fox, Andrew Savage and Woo Hwang. The new Bayon tribe will have Jeremy Collins, Kelly Wiglesworth, Spencer Bledsoe, Kimmi Kappenberg, Stephen Fishbach and Monica Padilla. And the new Ta Keo tribe will feature Ciera Eastin, Joe Anglim, Kass McQuillen, Keith Nale, Kelley Wentworth and Terry Deitz.
As Probst announced this expansion, he seemed really excited for what's coming in week three. As someone who has been hosting the show for 16 years, it's amazing how different every season can turn out. You truly never know what is going to happen, and it's interesting to see different contestants interact and strategize in different ways. The contestants really do control the outcome of the show, and he wants to make sure fans realize that.
"I liked this shot because it reminds you that the Survivors dictate the show and the story," Probst captioned a behind-the-scenes photo when he took over the show's official Instagram account. "If they want to sit they sit, if they want to walk they walk. Our crew goes wherever they go and our crew will sit with them for as long as it takes. Rain storms, intense heat, leeches, it doesn't matter. It's their journey and we are there to document it."
As one of the most popular shows on the air, it takes a lot of hard work from the producers and Probst to make "Survivor" as good as it is. However, there was a time when things weren't going so well, and fans almost said goodbye to our favorite TV host. Back in 2008, "Survivor" really saw its downfall, and Probst thought about quitting because he started to feel "burned out" and a little "self-conscious" that he was known as just the host of "Survivor."
"My Achilles heel for a lot of my life was that nobody saw me as a storyteller, that they saw me as a white guy with dark hair who was just a game show host," he told the New York Times. "The frustration and exhaustion were enough."
Instead, CBS president Les Moonves told him to take a few months off to "re-energize" while they made some changes to the production team. Moonves then "focused squarely on the show's success formula: serving the loyal audience and not worrying about doing more than that," reported the NY Times.
Probst came back ready to fight, and continued on stronger than ever.
For "Second Chance," executives took the show and strategy to the most extreme by bringing back contestants and "so-called all-stars" chosen completely by fans. "When I told some producer friends what we were doing, almost every one of them said, 'You mean pick one contestant?'" said Probst. "I said, 'No, the entire group.' They said, 'You're trusting an entire season to the fans?' The answer's yes, because our fans get it. They're a part of our longevity."
All his past doubts are completely gone as the show continues to be a huge success and dominate ratings. "I feel like I've been given the greatest gift and no one really realizes it," explained Probst. "Mark and CBS have given us this great franchise, and they let us go make it. And then we bring them back episodes and they say, 'Great, go make it again.'"
When Probst took over the official Instagram, he posted a shot of the crew during week two's challenge. "I just love shots like this because this is pretty much every day on location," he wrote. "A super cool challenge, lots of cameras and crew and a group of crazy contestants all vying for a million dollars! Talk about a great job! I truly lucked out."
Tune in to "Survivor: Second Chance" Wednesdays on CBS at 8 p.m. EDT.
