Let’s start with your initial reaction when Jeff said that at Tribal Council.
JEFF PROBST:I’m pretty sure my reaction was the same as viewers watching at home.
My brain had to rewind and play it back.
And if you watch the reaction at Tribal, Zeke’s tribemates seemed to go thru the same moment.
They heard it… but had to process it… and then once it landed they responded quite vocally.
And while they were sharing their feelings with Varner, I was still running it in my head.
This… just… happened.
What did you make of what I would describe as their unified disgust at what had happened?
But this is a unique situation that falls outside the normal boundaries.
You just don’t do that to someone.
Witnessing that moment was so powerful because from my seat at Tribal, I could see it all.
It was one of the most surreal moments I’ve ever encountered on the show.
Zeke was so composed in his response to what Jeff Varner did.
How impressed were you with his reaction?
That’s why we asked him back to play a second time.
And yet I was still blown away by how he handled the entire situation.
His composure was astounding.
I was also very impressed with the compassion Zeke showed Varner.
I wonder if some people will say he shouldn’t have hugged him or shouldn’t have forgiven him.
This is how change and acceptance happens.
My story with Zeke goes like this.
I met Zeke in casting and loved him.
I still have my original notes from that meeting.
We knew we were doingMillennials vs. Gen Xas a theme and we wanted him on the Millennials tribe immediately.
It wasn’t until after he left that I was told he was transgender.
And I have to add it was never a question of Zeke being worried his story would come out.
,Zeke is a massiveSurvivorfan and his point with us was very clearhe wanted to be seen as aSurvivorplayer.
Not the first transgenderSurvivorplayer.
I really respected that distinction and I understood it.
The tribe was clearly all shaken by this incident.
How wereyouafter Tribal Council finished?
I don’t really remember a lot about my own feelings in the moments after Tribal.
And then the other concern was Jeff Varner.
I spoke withVarnerthe day after it happened and I think he was still in a bit of shock.
It was clear he was upset and the realization of it all was still washing over him.
I do believe he wishes he could take the entire event back.
I hope Varner is able to take this moment and turn it into something positive.
Finally, we always take a sneak peek at what’s coming up.
I know we have a merge on the horizon.
And I have to imagine the Nuku tribe will still be decompressing from what just happened.
ButSurvivorwill be back next week… and someone will be voted out.
