Jeff Probst calls Survivor 47 winner one of franchise's 'best overall players' (exclusive)

Survivor 47 culminated in a coronation. Rachel LaMont was granted the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million check that goes with it when a jury of her peers (and former tribe mates) handed her a 7-1-0 victory over Sam Phalen and Sue Smey on Wednesday night’s finale. But while Rachel’s victory seemed almost assured thanks to her all-around strong game and big immunity idol play, Sam put up a strong fight at the final Tribal Council as he attempted to debate his way to victory.

He ultimately came up short, but it was an impressive performance in itself, especially coming after his dramatic come-from-behind win in the final four fire-making competition against Teeny Chirichillo. Entertainment Weekly spoke to host and showrunner Jeff Probst to get his thoughts on the newest winner, the final Tribal Council battle, that tense fire-making contest, and more.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, share your thoughts on your latest Survivor winner, Rachel LaMont.

JEFF PROBST: I think Rachel will go down as one of the best overall players to ever compete on Survivor. She made the most of every opportunity, and when in trouble, always found a way out. Her dominant challenge performance speaks for itself, and her final argument to the jury about why she deserved their vote was very well-crafted with just the right amount of confidence and humility. And in addition to all of those player qualities, she was also a really fun human. I enjoyed talking to her at challenges and Tribal Council.  

Tell us about what you saw during that final Tribal Council, because while Rachel appeared to have the stronger résumé, Sam did an admirable job of pleading his case and credentials, and the two went back and forth at each other quite a bit.

I came into final Tribal thinking Rachel probably had the upper hand given the momentum she was riding over the last few days. But as we settled into it and Sam started making his case, I found myself leaning in more and more, shifting in my seat as I realized this is not a done deal. What makes these new-era final Tribal Councils so fun is the jury. Today’s Survivor player takes agency over their vote. They are no longer persuaded by groupthink, which often happened in earlier seasons. So while one person may think Rachel’s game dominated and therefore she deserves to win, another jury member might see Sam’s scrappy play from the bottom as the more noteworthy game. 

I know I say this a lot, but new-era Survivor was designed to be a different game, and you’re seeing that in action with every new season. You can’t play today’s new-era Survivor the way Survivor was played in the old era. It won’t work. You have to be willing to constantly adapt and take risks. And the reward is that if you do that and you manage to get to the end, you have a shot at winning due to the jury recognition and respect you will garner. But if you simply try to hold on and not fail, it won’t matter if you get to the end, because no jury member will reward that kind of game.  

What did you make of Sue's performance, and how did the revelation that she was actually 59 years old go over?

I loved Sue. I hope Sue inspires other 50+ women to apply. She really showed that if you have the drive, you can amaze yourself. Sue competed against people nearly four decades younger than her. Just take that in. It’s a massive accomplishment! If there was an issue with Sue’s game from the jury point of view, I think it would be the lack of risks she took. It speaks to what I just said about how you get to the final three. Being loyal is commendable and finding an idol is impressive, but it’s what you do in the gaps that wins you a season of Survivor.  

Finally, what was it like sitting there watching the Teeny and Sam fire-making competition, especially as Sam started to catch up and Teeny watched their lead evaporate?

The Survivor 47 fire-making challenge was the most dramatic, nail-biting, could-go-either-way showdown we’ve ever had! It was as dramatic in person as it was watching it back on television. And the metaphor of the wind and the impact it might have played really speaks to how many things have to go right for a player to win this game. 

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