Jeff Probst Calls ‘Survivor 47’ Winner One of ‘Best Overall Players’ of All Time (Exclusive)

Survivor 47 culminated in a coronation. Rachel LaMont was awarded the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million check that came with it when a panel of her peers (and former Tribemates) awarded her a 7-1-0 victory over Sam Phalen and Sue in Wednesday night’s final Smey gave. But while Rachel’s victory seemed almost certain thanks to her all-around strong play and great Immunity Idol game, Sam put up a strong fight at the final Tribal Council as he tried to debate his way to victory.

In the end he failed, but it was an impressive performance in itself, especially after his dramatic win against Teeny Chirichillo in the final four, which came from a stunning deficit. Weekly entertainment spoke with host and showrunner Jeff Probst to get his thoughts on the latest winner, the final battle at Tribal Council, the exciting fire-making competition and more.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First, tell us what you think about your latest event Survivors Winner, Rachel LaMont.

JEFF PROBST: I think Rachel will go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time Survivors. She took advantage of every opportunity and always found a way out of difficulties. Her dominant challenge performance speaks for itself and her final argument to the jury about why she deserved their vote was very well worded and contained just the right amount of confidence and humility. And in addition to all these player qualities, she was also a really funny person. I enjoyed talking to her at challenges and at Tribal Council.

Tell us what you saw during the last Tribal Council, because while Rachel seemed to have the better resume, Sam presented his case and his credentials admirably, and the two argued quite often.

Coming into the final Tribal, I thought Rachel probably had the upper hand given the momentum she’s had over the last few days. But as we got into it and Sam started to make his case, I leaned further and further and shifted in my seat as I realized that the issue wasn’t a done deal yet. What makes these final tribal councils of the new era so entertaining is the jury. Today Survivors The player assumes freedom of choice via his voice. They are no longer swayed by groupthink, which was common in previous seasons. So while one person may think that Rachel’s game was dominant and therefore she deserved the win, another judge might see Sam’s fighting bottom game as the more notable game.

I know I say this a lot, but New Era Survivors was designed to be a different game, and you see that in action with each new season. You can’t play the new era of today Survivors the way Survivors was played in the old days. It won’t work. You have to be willing to constantly adapt and take risks. And the reward is that if you do that and make it to the end, you have a chance of winning because of the recognition and respect of the judges. But if you just try to persevere and not fail, it doesn’t matter if you get to the end, because no jury member will reward such a game.

What did you think of Sue’s appearance and how did the revelation that she was actually 59 years old come about?

I loved Sue. I hope Sue inspires other women over 50 to apply. She really showed that if you have the drive you can surprise yourself. Sue competed against people almost four decades younger than her. Just acknowledge that. It’s a tremendous achievement! If there was a problem with Sue’s game from the jury’s perspective, I think it would be the lack of risks she took. It goes with what I just said about getting to the final three. Being faithful is commendable and finding an idol is impressive, but it’s what you do in the gaps that earns you a season Survivors.

After all, what was it like to sit there and watch the fire-making competition between Teeny and Sam, especially as Sam started to catch up and Teeny watched her lead dwindle?

The Survivor 47 The fire making challenge was the most dramatic and exciting showdown we’ve ever had! It was just as dramatic in person as it was watching it on television. And the metaphor of the wind and the impact it might have had really illustrates how many things have to go right for a player to win this game.

Sign in Weekly entertainmentis the free daily newsletter to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite celebrities and more.