LOS ANGELES — Jeff Probst might be the most experienced host in reality television, but even he couldn’t escape the perils of a live broadcast Wednesday night.
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During the three-hour live finale of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” on CBS, Probst appeared to accidentally spoil the outcome of the Final Four fire-making challenge — revealing that returning “Survivor 49” star Rizo Velovic had lost the fire-making duel before viewers had seen it play out on screen.
The slip came when Probst, speaking to the live studio audience in Los Angeles, referred to Rizo as the final member of the jury — a designation that would only apply if the fan-favorite had been eliminated at the Final Four.
The taped footage from Fiji had not yet aired for East Coast viewers at that point in the broadcast, meaning millions of fans learned Rizo’s fate seconds before watching it happen.
“This is it, these are the people. Their games fell a little short, but this is the group that is going to figure out — what just happened?” Probst said, cutting himself short.
“Fire hasn’t happened yet,” fellow contestant Cirie Fields responded as the crowd murmured.
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Social media erupted almost instantly, with viewers pointing out the gaffe in real time, as the clip began circulating before the segment had even finished airing.
Probst later acknowledged the blunder.
“I love doing live television,” Probst said, joking that it was a “Survivor twist.”
“Now we’re going to watch Rizo lose in fire,” he said to laughs from the crowd.
The accidental spoiler came during the three-hour live grand finale, the first live reunion broadcast for “Survivor” in a decade, with Probst juggling a packed broadcast that included checking in with returning players from across the show’s 25-year history.
Early in the broadcast, Probst welcomed Cirie Fields to the stage to a standing ovation, with Fields growing emotional at the fan reception. Mike White, creator of the hit HBO show “The White Lotus,” also revealed during the finale that fellow castaways Charlie Davis and Kamilla Karthigesu will have cameos in season 4.
It was not immediately clear whether CBS would edit the broadcast for the West Coast taped airing.
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