Why do the Emmys hate Jeff Probst?

I can't believe I have to do this again. I thought reason, common sense, and justice would prevail. I figured there was no way such a national injustice already stretching seven long years could somehow stretch another five. I put my faith in the people, and the people failed me. Considering the "people" in question were Emmy voters, perhaps I should not be so surprised.

So let me ask again: WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!? I'm referring, of course, to the Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Series category and the fact that the best reality host on the planet has not only not won in 12 years, but has not even gotten a nomination. And that host is Survivor master of ceremonies and orange hat enthusiast Jeff Probst.

Robert Voets/CBS Jeff Probst on 'Survivor'

What gives? I mean, we already went over this! I wrote a screed back in 2018 illustrating this epic absurdity, and yet here we are again. For those of you too busy to click on the above link, allow me to refresh your memories with a bit of history.

The Emmys first created the reality host award in 2008. The winner? Jeff Probst. In 2009? Probst again. 2010? You guessed it… Probst. 2011? Yet another trophy for Probst. It's no wonder the torch-snuffer extraordinaire kept winning. He was the only host on the planet running a show in temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees. He was the only host to have to deal with a cyclone. He was the only host even daring to work outside! (Okay, that's not technically true. The delightful Phil Keoghan has traveled the world for years on The Amazing Race, but sadly isn't allowed to do much more than stand on a mat.)

Not only was Probst out in the elements getting knocked over by waves while waist-deep in the ocean, or getting poured on at Tribal Council, or trying to avoid heat stroke, but he did it all without all the in-studio tools used by other hosts. No teleprompters. No note cards. And no IFB earpiece so producers could feed him questions or info along the way. He was, both literally and figuratively, on an island.

Robert Voets/CBS 'Survivor' host Jeff Probst

But after four straight Emmy wins, Probst was not even nominated in 2012. And he has not been nominated since. How did the guy who was recognized four years in a row as the best in the business suddenly not become good enough to even be nominated? And don't come at me with any nonsense about the competition being too stiff.

Just look at the folks who have been honored in the 11 years of voting since Probst last got a nom: Betty White was nominated three straight years for a dumb prank show called Betty White's Off Their Rockers; Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg got a nom for Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party, while James Corden was honored for the one-and-done The World's Best. Yes, The World's Best!!!! (So much for truth in advertising.) Not only that, but the Sharks from Shark Tank have been nominated for each of the past three years, meaning that yes, someone named Mr. Wonderful has three more Emmy nominations than Jeff Probst over the past decade. (And for that reason, I am out.)

And then there are all the game shows. Lord, all the game shows! How did Probst lose a spot in 2017 to Alec Baldwin for hosting a revival of Match Game? Did Ellen DeGeneres really got nominated in back-to-back years for Ellen's Game of Games? Yes. Yes, she did. And then there is Jane Lynch, who was not only nominated three times for Hollywood Game Night but actually won. Twice!

Pardon my French, but are you freakin' kidding me? That is pure lunacy. No other host on the planet works under the degree of difficulty that Probst does. But the fact that he has been doing it for so long (23 years and counting) means that Emmy voters — and, honestly, audiences as a whole — have taken his excellence for granted.

Robert Voets/CBS Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 43'

Even beyond his probing questions and ability to delve deeper after picking up on facial expressions and visual cues at Tribal Council — which can last for over an hour and are, once again, done without any notes, teleprompter, or earpiece — Probst is a master at the little things that go unnoticed. His ability to narrate the action during a challenge in real time (and often in extreme weather) is unparalleled. He calls those challenges live — no retakes here! — and often seems even more animated than the contestants themselves.

Which brings up another reason why this unfathomable Probst snubbing is so egregious: While the host was still in his 30s when Survivor began, he's now doing all of this at the age of 61 and has never seemed more enthused, attacking challenges with a gusto rarely found in someone half his age. That's something to consider when every single nominee over the past decade has enjoyed working in air-conditioned comfort.

Television Arts & Sciences Academy ballots for the 2023 Emmys are due back on June 26. Who knows? Maybe enough people will come to their senses and put the best reality competition host back where he belongs — in the pool of nominees. Or maybe the faceless jumbotron screen host of South Korea's Siren: Survive the Island will be deemed more worthy. We will learn soon enough when the nominees are announced on July 12, but if there is any justice, voters won't be prematurely snuffing Jeff Probst's torch for a 12th straight year. Or else I'll have to write this whole damn article all over again… again.

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