Jeff Probst Cries on ‘Survivor’ for First Time Ever in Powerful Moment Between Contestants

Martin Holmes March 27, 2025, 7:31 am

For the first time in 48 seasons, Survivor host and showrunner Jeff Probst broke down in tears on Wednesday’s (March 26) episode after a special moment between two contestants.

The moment happened following a tense immunity challenge, which saw 24-year-old Eva Erickson, who has autism, struggling in the maze puzzle portion of the challenge. Erickson eventually completed the challenge, winning immunity for her tribe, but the overstimulation led to what she called an “autism episode.”

As an emotionally distraught Erickson struggled to compose herself, Probst signalled for fellow contestant Joe Hunter to go over and comfort her. Hunter, a 45-year-old fire captain, was the one castaway Erickson had told about her autism, and so he knew the methods to help calm her down, including hugging her tightly and holding her hands.

Once calmed down, Erickson opened up about her autism to the entire cast, which led to Probst breaking into tears as he discussed the powerful moment and how it could help young people watching at home who might be going through something similar.

“There is a young girl or boy just like you watching right now going, ‘Hey, mom, hey, dad,” Probst said before choking up. “Now you got me. I’m a parent too, and I do see it. Wow, this [crying] has never happened. But I see it too, and that’s why I love Survivor. I really do.”

Probst is married to Lisa Ann Russell and a stepfather to Russell’s two children, son Michael (born 2004) and daughter Ava (born 2006), from her former marriage to actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar.

Speaking to People after the episode, Erickson reflected on the emotional moment, explaining, “The second that I finished [the challenge], all of this stress and pressure that was overstimulating me just took hold of me, and I became ungrounded, and everybody around me didn’t know what was happening.”

“Externally, it just looks like I’m screaming a bunch,” she continued. “But they don’t know what’s going on inside my brain, they don’t know that I physically cannot control myself, I don’t have the capability to calm down here because I’m so overstimulated.”

The collegiate hockey player referred to Joe as her “superhero,” saying his embrace helped calm her down and get her grounded. “And I was able to get my head out of that loop,” she said, “like this loop that’s been spinning and spinning, now I’m able to break that and actually re-center myself and reset and rejoin the game.”

As for Probst’s teary-eyed moment, Erickson shared, “It was crazy seeing Jeff cry — I’d never seen that. Seeing Jeff get so emotional about the situation and thinking about his own family and his kids, that was the moment when it hit me, that this is a moment that is going to be remembered.

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She added, “He’s seen so many people and been through so much through all of years of Survivor, and now seeing that this moment broke him, I was like, okay, this is bigger than I can imagine. It was a big thing for me, realizing, wow, I am actually representing so many people here, and seeing that reflected in how Jeff reacted to this, I was like, this is going to mean so much to so many.”

Probst also opened up about the episode in a personal essay he wrote for Variety. Describing the moment Hunter and Erickson embraced, the Emmy-winning host wrote, “It didn’t matter that none of the other players knew Eva had autism. Most of our crew didn’t either. They didn’t need to. Because in that moment, it wasn’t about the details. It was about something much more universal: vulnerability. Pure and unshielded.”

“Eva stood in that light. In the middle of the storm. And her courage was met not with discomfort or distance—but with care. Her truth was seen. Her struggle was honored,” he continued. And it touched something in all of us—not because it changed who we are, but because it reminded us of what’s already there.”

“That kind of human connection—it’s not just an idea. It’s real. And when it happens, it stays with you. It was an honor to witness. I’ll carry it with me forever,” he concluded.

Survivor, Wednesdays, 8/7c, CBS