Jeff Probst says the latest “Survivor” victim 'romanticized' his quit and didn't own it

Dalton Ross
·4 min read
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It was another shocking ending to an episode of Survivor 45 this week. Shocking because for the second time in four episodes, somebody quit the game. And that somebody this time was Sean Edwards.

There were a lot of similarities in Sean's decision to leave the game on day 9 as there were to Hannah Rose's similar move back on day 3. Both announcements came at Tribal Council, stunning their tribemates who had planned to vote a different way. But host and showrunner Jeff Probst believes there was one critical difference between the two instances, and he spoke about it on the latest episode of his On Fire podcast with cohosts Rick Devens (Survivor: Edge of Extinction) and Jay Wolff. He also revealed what likely would have happened had Sean not quit.

Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 45'
Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 45'

Robert Voets/CBS Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 45'

"Just for some clarity, as much as you know anything going into Tribal, Sifu was going home," Probst told his cohosts. "That's what all of our interviews said." But Probst points out that Sean did not know that for sure, and a question from the host may have led Sean to think otherwise.

"I think Sean thought… that he might be in trouble, and he started to question if he was the vote," Probst said on the podcast. "Because people tell you things, but you don't always know the truth until you see your name on the parchment. And then when I asked him, 'So, Sean, if this is it, what's this journey been about?'… I think he thought it was a giveaway, and I think he thought, 'Oh man, it is me. They're blindsiding me.' And so he starts talking about these powerful lessons that come with failure. And that's when I knew, 'Oh, he's quitting.'"

But the host thinks the reason for the quit may not quite match what was said by the player. "Sean had been playing a very clever game," Probst said. "He's a very clever guy. I'm going to be super clear: This was another engineered quit. And I ought to be honest, I think Sean tried to craft a narrative that worked for him because… Sean wasn't exhausted. He wasn't worried about food or bad sleeping. This was a sudden discovery, as in that exact moment at Tribal he realized, 'Whoa, hang on. I think I got what I needed. I'm good, thanks so much.' I realize — no disrespect to him — I realize he's missing his family, but it's not like you're out there for another six months. It's barely two more weeks."

Sean Edwards on 'Survivor 45'
Sean Edwards on 'Survivor 45'

Robert Voets/CBS Sean Edwards on 'Survivor 45'

After Devens chimed in, pointing out that "I know you miss your husband, but the people deciding to stay and play the game and live out this dream don't love their loved ones any less," Probst added emphatically how "Jeremy Collins' wife was pregnant. He took that love and used it to win. So the reason Sean frustrated me is that I don't think he owned it. Hannah, equally frustrating, but she owned it. She said, 'Look, I hate everything about Survivor.' Sean romanticized it. And I am happy that Sean's in love. Everybody knows I love love. I think it's awesome… I'm just saying that romanticizing it felt to me like maybe a way to soften the idea of being voted out fourth in a game you imagined winning."

In the end, it doesn't seem the host was buying what the player was selling as his reason for stepping out of the game. "I'm not beating up Sean," Probst said. "I really am not. If he found a deeper connection to his husband, that is ultimately what Survivor's about — the experience. I'm just saying, owning it is also part of the experience."

You can read Sean's reaction to Probst's comments, and for much more inside intel from Probst on the latest episode, check on On Fire: The Official Survivor Podcast.

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