Survivor host Jeff Probst on player exit: 'That is a very clear quit'  

Warning: This article contains spoilers about the season premiere of Survivor 45.

Survivor 45 kicked off Wednesday night on CBS with three new teams battling it out, but let's be honest — when it came to intrigue, drama, and dysfunction, it was all about the Lulu tribe.

There was Emily Flippen challenging Bruce Perreault, who returned after being medically evacuated just minutes into season 44. Then, Brandon Donlon had a panic attack during the very first challenge and could not climb up a ladder. Finally, Hannah Rose threatened to quit (without actually using the word) unless her tribe voted her out, so they did exactly that.

Below, Jeff Probst weighs in on all of that and more from the premiere, including whether Hannah's actions count as a quit.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Obviously, a very tough few days for Brandon, a guy that has been applying to be on the show since he was 11 years old. What was going through your mind when he could not get up that ladder?

JEFF PROBST: I was thinking the same thing with Brandon that I think anytime something like that happens: This is why you are out here. And I know that might sound uncompassionate, but it's the opposite. My hope for every player is that you get what you need out of this adventure. Nothing more, but nothing less. Brandon will never forget that moment. Yeah, it was dramatic and emotional and taxing, but he survived it, and as a result, he's different and he's still in the game.

That's what this adventure is about. The game is designed to take you on this journey. It's the McGuffin, that moment. It will be as important in Brandon's life as anything else that's going to happen on this show because he was humiliated and panicking in front of everyone in the game he most desperately wants to do well on. Well, that's part of Survivor. That's why I always say players are courageous when they agree to do it. It's not for the faint of heart, as Brandon just found out.

I loved in the next challenge when you basically say that to him as he's struggling and you were like "This is what you wanted!"

It's analogous to having a vote at Tribal Council. I always say to the players in the pregame before we start, that I feel for everyone who gets voted out. But I also know that without a vote-out, there are no stakes. And that's why it's so satisfying when you survive another Tribal Council. It's the same with Brandon. If the challenge was easy and all you had to do was walk and didn't have anything to take you out of your comfort zone, then what's the point of doing it?

Every time somebody jumps into the ocean they're reminded, "Oh my God, the ocean is turbulent!" Even on a calm day, the ocean is tough to deal with, and now you have a rope ladder which is unsteady, and you're trying to pull yourself up with your body weight, and that's not something Brandon does every day. And on top of it, you hear me yelling at you, and all of your tribemates saying, "Hurry!" It's a lot to manage. That's why he is out there.

Where did the inspiration come from to have the two tribes compete against each other in a Sweat and Savvy competition, and how surprised were you neither of the teams completed it in time?

Well, we wondered how it would impact things if we had them do it in front of each other — just adding that peer pressure of watching the other tribe also trying to do what you're doing. We actually anticipated it would have the opposite effect and that both groups would end up finishing. So I was shocked when I got word that neither group finished it, because we put our Sweat and Savvy tasks through the same rigorous testing every time. And in our testing, our Dream Team completed it as [designed].

But it's just another reminder that you can never fully predict what will happen until you turn it over to the players. And I'll admit from a game design, I was delighted to see them fail because it created more uncertainty and it forced the players to adapt in new ways and that's always what we want.

Also, after a few seasons of people getting it done — albeit struggling with getting it done — it's nice to have them fail just for the sense of, this is not automatic. As a viewer, you might think, "Oh, it's tough, but you get it done." But well, maybe not.

Well, it's a really good point you bring up because in the previous seasons when they did complete Sweat vs. Savvy, they usually completed it right at the end of the time allowed. And we always were very proud of that because we spend a lot of time testing the Sweat and Savvy to make sure that if we say you have four hours, that it's going to take you most of those four hours.

So it only makes sense that there was going to come a time when somebody just wouldn't get it done. They picked the wrong pair, or the day was very hot, or they got a cut very early and it was bothering them. So many things can impact that, but I agree with you — glad to see the fail.

I don't even know if I necessarily have a question about Emily, but I just love her energy so much and in a weird way, it's refreshing to have that contrarian personality out there and the drama that gives you. As a host, when she's saying all that stuff at Bruce at the marooning, are you just beaming inside?

I know what you mean, so I guess I'm beaming, but that's sort of in my subconscious. Emily is already one of my favorite players, specifically because of her willingness to be herself and play the game on her terms. And in her case, that includes speaking her mind seconds into the marooning. I love that she laid Bruce out because he was trying to get a reaction. I was also really impressed by Bruce's calm response, which is probably part of the advantage of being a second time player because he could just sit there in the stillness and assess what he wanted to do.

What I'm most curious about now is if this is going to be Emily's approach the entire game and if she can sustain that, or if she's doing this as a bit of a test and she's going to gauge the reactions and then adapt her gameplay to suit her tribe. Because I don't know if you can go 26 days at that speed, but based on what happened at Tribal Council, she might've gotten a second life, and now the question will be what will she do with it?

Hannah seemed to be quitting without actually saying the word quitting. What was your take on her asking the tribe to vote her out, and then threatening to leave if they didn't?

Oh, that's a quit. Yeah, 100 percent. That is a very clear quit. I think what Hannah was doing was giving her tribe a fair warning that if you do not vote me out or agree to let me go home right now, then this tribe of six will quickly be down to four because I'm not staying. That's what I read.

And as difficult as it is, especially if you were in an alliance with Hannah, when someone is that dead set on quitting, I think the smart move is to let them quit and then adapt your game. Because it was very clear to me this was not a typical, "Oh, bamboo's really rough to sleep on." This was, "Yep, I made a bad decision and I'm going to course correct right now and go home." And the first call I made was to [casting director] Jesse Tanenbaum and Dr. Liza, our head psychologist, to say, "Add this into our data, because we got it wrong. We missed something with Hannah. She shouldn't have been on the show."

I missed it too, in the sense that when I spoke to her before the game, I thought she was so enthusiastic and excited to get out there. So I was really surprised.

I think Hannah is a reminder that Survivor is 100 percent real, and that's what she offers us as an episode 1 quit, because as everybody else was suffering the same way she was, nobody else even considered going home. I mean, quits in general are very rare on Survivor anyway. And it could happen again. She might not be the last person to quit, but it's good news for everybody else.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Hannah Rose addresses her Survivor 45 quit: 'Sorry to the haters'
• Survivor 45 recap: To quit or not to quit?
• Survivor 45 deleted scene shows tribe in desperate race for fire
• How to get on Survivor: Behind the scenes of casting season 45
• Jeff Probst reveals how Survivor will be different at 90 minutes
• The Survivor 45 cast reveal secrets they won't tell the other players
• Bruce Perreault reacts to playing Survivor again after being medically evacuated
• Survivor 45 players deliver controversial franchise hot takes
• Meet the cast of Survivor 45
• Survivor contestants explain why they will win season 45
• The Survivor 45 cast share first impressions of their castmates
• Medevaced Survivor player Bruce Perreault returning for Survivor 45