Jeff Probst, host of the reality series Survivor, recently discussed a notable moment from the latest season where he led contestants in chanting about fried chicken and waffles during a reward challenge. He explained the origin of the spontaneous cheer on his podcast.
The event occurred during an episode of Survivor 48 when the players were presented with the meal as a reward. What began as Probst describing the food quickly turned into a repeated chant involving the host and the competing players.
On the latest episode of his On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast, Probst stated the chant stemmed from the "playfulness of the players with each other and with me." He added that such moments happen when "everybody being open to having some fun and taking some chances."
Probst explained the choice of phrase, saying, "The phrase fried chicken and waffles is just so fun to say." He noted it "conjures up this fantastic meal," leading him to suggest everyone start chanting it.
He also mentioned the idea was partly inspired by a prior moment in the season where player Shauhin Davari performed a tribal chant, suggesting it contributed to the overall atmosphere allowing for such spontaneous acts.
Rachel LaMont, who won Survivor 47 and serves as a cohost on the podcast, provided insight into the player perspective. She noted the playfulness exists not just with the host but among the players themselves who live together and develop inside jokes.
Survivor 48 has also seen other recent interactions between Probst and the contestants draw attention, including the refusal by the Final 8 players to accept a traditional rice negotiation offer. This was the second consecutive season where the standard negotiation did not result in players receiving rice.
Discussing the rice negotiation refusal on his podcast, Jeff Probst stated he was not surprised by the outcome. He explained that production anticipated such a refusal might occur in later seasons of the "new era" of the show.
Probst reasoned that players in recent seasons, such as Survivor 48, come into the game aware that rice is not initially provided, influencing their mindset. He added that the decision by a prior group to decline the offer could influence later casts.
LaMont commented on the rice negotiation as well, suggesting the nature of the challenge tied to the offer might affect the players' willingness to sit out for rice.
