Iconic ‘Survivor’ Player Admits He Was ‘Mean’ and ‘Nasty’ to Host Jeff Probst originally appeared on Parade.
Shane Powers was a clear fan-favorite player on Survivor: Panama – Exile Islandin 2005, so fans of the show often wonder why he’s never been invited back for another season when other players from his round — including Cirie Fields and Terry Deitz — have.
Many fans were hoping to see Powers return for the all-star lineup of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans in 2026, but the former competitor admits he knew that was never going to happen, and it’s his own “fault” because of how he treated host Jeff Probst.
Related: ‘Survivor’ Winner Shares Wedding Photos & Reveals Which Tribemates Made the Invite List
“I would not have been called [for season 50]. And most of that is my fault,” he told Entertainment Weekly in an August 5, 2025, interview. “I have lost the right to be considered for that show because I have been mean and grumpy and nasty with the guy who created… or didn’t create the show, but that’s his baby.”
Shane lashed out at Probst on X in a now-deleted post in 2019 after longtime Survivor casting director Lynne Spillman was let go, and at the time, Probst even responded. “Dude, you are so weird! Love that you’re talking smack about Survivor. We hear you Mr. Powers, we are listening. We understand we have destroyed the show,” he teased.
However, Powers is now changing his tune about Probst. “He’s been a wonderful host, and he’s been an amazing executive producer,” said the competitor. “And I’ve made the choices I’ve made, and I really respect who he is and what he’s done with that whole thing. It’s been really beautiful.”
The former reality star also admits that he did try to get back on the show forHeroes Vs. Villains in 2010, but it went poorly. “I was so drunk, and I was lying to everybody saying, ‘I’m not drunk,’” he shared. “I peed like a 0.28 to the physical and took the psych test drunk with Dr. Liza.”
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Then, when it came to Survivor Second Chance in 2015, fans had the opportunity to vote for him to come back, but he didn’t make the top ten list. Probst himself said he “assumed” Powers would be voted in, and even prepared himself for it. “I was already thinking about ‘How am I gonna deal with Shane?’ He can be crazy, but he’ll be great.”
The host theorized that it may be because of Powers’ “mean” persona. “My mom, she’d go, ‘Shane, he was kind of crazy and mean, I don’t know,'” when it came to voting, and that the kinds of people who are fans of Powers may simply not bother voting.
Survivor 50 is set to premiere in 2026.
Next: Legendary ‘Survivor’ Winner Defends Former Competitor Against Sexist Criticism
Iconic ‘Survivor’ Player Admits He Was ‘Mean’ and ‘Nasty’ to Host Jeff Probst first appeared on Parade on Aug 6, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
