From day one, Jeff Probst has been the proud face of reality competitive show Survivor. And even with the ongoing 47th season, the showrunner has no plan of stopping anytime soon. In the midst of this, more than the showrunner title, Probst is a big fan when it comes to participating in the show himself.
While he helps other candidates navigate the tough tasks and puzzles, he himself won’t hesitate to make strategic moves in order to play the game. So, much so that even if his wife is in front of him, he wouldn’t think twice to defeat her and advance in the game.
Jeff Probst Is Ready to Betray His Own Wife in Order to Win Survivor
Hosting 40-plus seasons of a show is not an easy feat, but Jeff Probst continues to do the same with ease. Further, not just with his presentation skills, but Probst has also taken over the titles of executive producer and showrunner of the show. Since 2010, he has continuously worked to incorporate innovative puzzles and tasks to keep Survivor more engaging.
On the personal front, the host has been married to Lisa Ann Russell since 2011. But before her, he was also romantically entangled with Survivor contestant Julie Berry and dated her for four years. While he is no longer friends with her at the moment, in an interview he detailed the first chaotic encounter he had with his now wife.
He first crossed paths with her at a Christmas party thrown by Survivor creator Mark Burnett. She was present there along with a friend of hers, and soon after their relationship turned into something more special. Not only that, but he is also a stepdad to her two kids from a previous relationship and has a great bond with them.
But despite this deep love for his family and wife, Probst remains highly competitive when it comes to winning Survivor. So much so that he would not think twice about taking down his wife to win the game, he added via People:
Absolutely. Lisa and I would have a simple code. Whenever we’d see each other, we’d hold up our fingers. One finger would mean, ‘I love this. Everything’s going great.’ Five fingers would mean ‘I’m in trouble and I’m ready to go. If she held up one, I’d do what I could to keep her in the game. If she gave me four or five, I’d gut her – and then I’d use that move to my advantage. Of course, I say that now, but if I saw someone messing with my wife, I’d go crazy.
Jeff Probst detailed all of this in a playful manner, and along with his hosting and showrunner duties, he’s also a perfect family man. While filming two seasons in a year is not an easy task, which he himself acknowledges, it’s all because of the support that his wife has for him that has made this difficult journey relatively easier for him.
Before Lisa Ann Russell, Jeff Probst was married to Shelly Wright
Fans know that Probst has been hosting Survivor since 2000, but what they might not know is that during the first year of the show he was also a married man. But just a year later, he and his then wife went their separate ways. The host had tied the knot with Shelly Wright in 1996, four years before he took on the iconic hosting gig.
However, this marriage ended in 2001, after which Probst went on to date Julie Berry and later married Ann Russell in 2011. On the other hand, Wright completely stepped away from the limelight after her divorce. She reportedly shifted to Tennessee and pursued a career as a therapist specializing in PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
While the former couple had no children together, rumors suggest that they did adopt a dog together. Further, not a lot is known about her personal life at the moment.
You can watch Survivor on Hulu.
