Survivor, you don’t look a day over 50. The very first episode of Survivor aired 25 years ago today on May 31, 2000. Who knew that a quarter of a century later, Jeff Probst and CBS would still be churning out seasons of the reality competition hit? Survivor unveiled the cast for its milestone 50th season on Wednesday, May 28, just in time for Survivor‘s 25th anniversary. When we had Probst at the TV Insider studio to talk Seasons 48 and 50 earlier this year, we had the Emmy-winning host look back on Survivor‘s legacy through his first TV Guide Magazine cover shoot.
Probst flips through the pages of the January 2003 issue in the video above, sharing with us what he recalls from that day on set with our print publication, American Idol‘s Simon Cowell, and The Bachelorette‘s Trista Sutter. Despite the fact that Survivor had being there to promote Survivor Season 6 and Idol and Bachelorette were newer shows, Probst recalls some feelings of imposter syndrome on the day.
Cowell was already a well-known name in the music industry by the time American Idol started. “Idol was gigantic and Trista was everywhere” at the time, so Probst, whose breakout role was hosting Survivor, felt like he was “definitely in the shadows of these great shows.” But it was a still a pinch-me moment for host, now 63.
“Honestly, I was honored. I couldn’t believe that I was going to be on the cover of TV Guide [Magazine],” Probst shares. “I remember telling my mom, ‘I just did a shoot with Simon Cowell and Trista, and I think I’m going to be on the cover.’”
He starts to unpack his wardrobe on the cover. Probst, Sutter, and Cowell all wore white shirts with styles befitting the themes of their shows. Probst dons a linen button-down that’s perfect for Survivor‘s outdoor adventures. The parted fabric on the shoulders of Sutter’s sleeveless shirt have an air of romance to them — perfect for someone who was about to fall in love on TV (Survivor would get its own onscreen romance two seasons later when Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich fell in love while competing in the first-ever returning players season, Season 8). And Cowell wore a crisp white tee that became a signature style for the music executive on Idol. Probst remembers his choker and bracelet from this cover and notes that he likely put that bracelet on when Season 1 began filming and had yet to take it off.
See more of Probst’s trip down Survivor memory lane in the full video above. Happy birthday, Survivor!
Survivor, Season 49 Premiere, Fall 2025, Season 50 Premiere, Spring 2026, CBS