Jeff Probst says Survivor 50 cast stayed 'open' until Rizo and Savannah impressed producers

Jeff Probst confirmed that the final two spots on the Survivor 50 cast remained undecided throughout the filming of Survivor 49, with producers intentionally keeping their options open until Rizo Velovic and Savannah Louie emerged as clear standouts.

The revelation explains why the milestone season’s lineup was only finalized after Survivor 49 concluded, resulting in both Velovic and Louie returning almost immediately after their original season ended.

Probst said the decision to leave casting flexible was deliberate. Rather than preselecting a set number of players from Survivor 49, the production team agreed to evaluate the season as it unfolded and only extend invitations if contestants made a significant impact. Probst said, 

“What we agreed to as a group was, ‘If somebody makes a big impression, we’re going to want them on 50. So let’s go into 49 with our own state of flux,’ and what happened was two players impressed us.”

The approach meant Survivor 49 filmed without any guarantee that its players would be represented on Survivor 50, despite the latter being a landmark all-returnee season. According to Probst, no demographic targets or quotas were guiding the decision. He said, 

“We did not go in looking for two players. We didn’t go in saying, ‘If we do it, it has to be a person of this age or this gender.’ We didn’t have anything. We just said, ‘Let’s just stay open.’”

Survivor 50 casting decision tied directly to Survivor 49 outcomes

Nearly all contestants for Survivor 50 got revealed on May 31, when Jeff Probst shared details about the majority of the 24 familiar faces just before they headed out to compete - though a couple of spots were kept quiet on purpose.

These spots were set aside for people on Survivor 49 - a season already filmed but still unreleased when choices for cast members were locked in.

The identities of the final two players were revealed during the first look at Survivor 50, confirming Rizo Velovic and Savannah Louie as the final additions. Their selection followed a deep run on Survivor 49 that saw both players reach the Final Four.

Louie and Velovic entered Survivor 49 as allies and remained closely aligned through the premerge and postmerge phases. After a power shift left them outnumbered at the merge, they regrouped with Sophi Balerdi and advanced despite a 7–3 disadvantage. All three reached the Final Four, with their alliance ultimately fractured by the fire-making twist.

Louie won the final immunity challenge and selected Balerdi to sit next to her in the Final Three, sending Velovic into fire-making against Balerdi. Louie defeated Velovic in the challenge, eliminating him on Day 25. Velovic later served on the jury and voted for Louie to win Survivor 49, which she did with five jury votes.

Earlier in the finale, Louie reflected on Velovic’s elimination and voiced hope that he would return. She said, 

“I hope he gets the chance to come back, and I know he has it in him to be a winner. I feel like, in the future, this game is his.”

Those remarks proved prescient. Probst said the final decision to cast both players came extremely late in the process. He said, 

“We didn’t decide on Rizo and Savannah until we had our Final Three. It was that late into '49 and that close to 50! And remember, it wasn’t a situation where we had to have players from 49 to fill out our roster for 50. We just made the decision to stay open to the idea throughout the shooting of 49, see how it all played out, and then decide.”

According to Probst, the invitations were extended almost immediately after Survivor 49 concluded. He said, 

“We set up a Zoom the morning after the finale. They walked in, and I was waiting on the Zoom to invite them to be a part of our most historic season ever! We were so happy that they both said yes.”

Preseason interviews confirmed that Velovic and Louie were asked to return to Fiji within hours of celebrating Louie’s Survivor 49 win. Both accepted immediately and had less than two weeks at home before departing again.

Probst also used the casting announcement to emphasize the scope of Survivor 50, which he described as a season designed to appeal to longtime viewers and newcomers alike. He said, 

“This is the most excited I have ever been to launch a new season of Survivor. Diehard Survivor fans are going to love it! Newer fans who’ve only been with us for a few years are going to love it! Families are going to love it! Kids are going to love it! And I really hope people who have never watched Survivor will give us a try. Because I genuinely believe if you watch just one episode, you’ll be hooked.”

He added that the upcoming season represents a culmination of the franchise’s history and emotional stakes. Probst said, 

“That’s how confident I am in what this season delivers. It’s big, it’s fresh, it’s completely unpredictable, it’s emotional, it’s shocking, it’s full of redemption and revenge, of support and betrayals! Ultimately, the fans will decide where it ranks, but there is no doubt this will go down as one of the all-time great seasons of Survivor.”

With the full cast now confirmed, Survivor 50 is set to premiere with a three-hour episode on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Stay tuned for more updates.