# Five Survivor Challenges Miscalled by Jeff Probst - Channel: [Idoled Out](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdcL6vUSoRp9BrK-6hHvJKw) - Published: 2022-10-17 - Source video: [Watch on YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=2PxocRPOAOo) - Read on ReadTube: https://www.read.tube/p/videos/2PxocRPOAOo - Language: Original (source language) ## Article ### Come on in, welcome to Idoled Out where we talk all things Survivor. My name is Luke and today we're looking at five times Jeff Probst made the wrong call at challenges. Jeff is a professional, the best reality host in the business, for my book, although sometimes that is a low bar. Keep being a child of God, thank you Julie, thank you Claire. Not only is Jeff great at digging into the intricate game dynamics at Tribal Council with a single question or comment, he's also incredible at narrating the challenges. One of Jeff's hosting duties is to call challenges when a player or tribe wins. 99% of the time he's great at that, but sometimes Jeff or the show makes the wrong call at challenges—rewarding and then sometimes rescinding a challenge win. What did Probst get wrong and was it corrected? Let's find out. All that said, let's break down five times Jeff Probst made the wrong call during a challenge. --- ### 5. Disputed Team Challenges (Marquesas & Cook Islands) At number five are a pair of team challenges that were disputed by the losers only to have the rulings overturned later, turning the losers into winners. * **Survivor: Marquesas, Episode 6:** As a result of one of the most lopsided tribe swaps in history, new Maraamu, consisting at this point of Kathy, Neleh, Pascal, and Gina, is getting trounced by the new Rotu tribe, which has twice as many members and way more ZOE's. In this late pre-merge reward challenge, the players have to unlock paddles then send two tribe members out in an outrigger canoe to retrieve a flag from a buoy. When they get back, their canoe must be within reach of a chain and the tribe whose members are all on the mat when they place their flag in the tiki wins reward, which is Sierra Mist. Jeff calls the challenge for Rotu, but Gina goes rules lawyer and points out that the general wasn't at the mat when John put the flag in and that Rotu's canoe is not within the chain's reach. So Jeff overturns the call and Maraamu goes on to enjoy their reward. * **Survivor: Cook Islands, Episode 2:** In this combined reward and immunity challenge, Puka and Raro are far ahead of both Biki and I2. It looks like Puka and Raro finish at the exact same time, but Jeff only has two eyes. He reads Puka's trivia answers first and awards them first place. I'm guessing that Raro put up a stink because in the post-challenge aftermath, Jeff acknowledges that the challenge was actually too close to call and both Raro and Puka will be getting tarps. They're both really small moments, but it's nice to see Jeff correct his error and rule properly and equitably in real time. --- ### 4. Laurel’s Immunity Win (Survivor: Ghost Island) At number four is Laurel's immunity win at the final seven of *Survivor: Ghost Island*, a challenge which Wendell technically finished first. This challenge involves building a bridge plank by plank, then building a ladder step by step, then sliding a puzzle slide by slide. Wendell, Dom, Sebass, and Laurel all fly through the first two portions of the challenge, all reaching the puzzle portion at roughly the same time. Wendell having immunity here would all but seal up whatever slim chance the others have of pulling together their coup attempt. He does—except he doesn't call it. He just stands there checking his work, leaving a half-second opening for Laurel to snag the win right out from under him, prompting Wendell to whine that he had it first. He just didn't call it. Probst points out that you have to call your win and Wendell ultimately pouty-ly backs down from his claim. I side with Jeff here. The puzzle isn't finished until Jeff can validate it and he's not gonna validate it unless you say something. --- ### 3. Boston Rob vs. Colby (Survivor: All-Stars) At number three is the immunity challenge in episode 5 of *Survivor: All-Stars*. Members of the two tribes, Chapera and Mogo Mogo, must traverse a series of balance beams to retrieve tribe-colored flags. The first player in the water forfeits their flag; first team to two flags wins. When Boston Rob forces a fight against Colby and they tumble into the water together, Jeff rules that Colby's out and that Rob won. But a frame-by-frame playback reveals that Rob's foot touched the water a split second before Colby did, meaning Colby actually should have won this duel. Probst actually admitted he was wrong in an interview with the *New York Post* after this episode aired: > "I blew another one. Part of the rules in the contract the players signed is that during the challenges I'm the sole arbiter and final call. There are often judgment calls. This is one I just blew." --- ### 2. The Final Four Trivia Blunder (Survivor: Africa) At number two is the trivia challenge at the final four of *Survivor: Africa*, a potentially million-dollar blunder on the show's behalf. By the final round, Kim, Lex, and Big Tom are all tied with six correct answers each. It is very important that Lex or Tom get the next question right. The million-dollar question: "Which female Survivor does not have anything pierced, including her ears?" Kim answers Kelly, Ethan answers Linda, Lex answers Lindsay, and Tom answers Jesse. Turns out Kelly is the female survivor without any piercings, so Kim wins. Here's the problem: Kelly wasn't the only unpierced woman this season; both Kelly and Lindsay have no piercings, meaning Lex should have scored a point. It's an honest mistake on the show's part but nonetheless a massive blunder that forced CBS to pay out an additional $100,000—the prize for coming in second place—to both Lex and Big Tom. --- ### 1. The Spelling Bee (Survivor: Pearl Islands) At number one is the immunity challenge at the final seven of *Survivor: Pearl Islands*. In this challenge, the players are given three words: SURVIVOR, PEARL, and ISLANDS. They must use these three words to spell out 20 new words of varying lengths. Burton says he's done, Jeff reviews his board and awards Burton immunity. Burton wins; it's a done deal. But as the players leave the immunity spelling bee, Jeff actually calls them all back and points out that Burton misspelled "liaison," so he's also eliminated. Sandra, Lil, and Darrah enter a final face-off. They're given three new words and whoever can form the most new words after a minute wins, which is Darrah with 14 words. However, I actually think neither Burton nor Darrah truly deserved this immunity. I think it's possible if not extremely likely that if Jeff made the proper call from the beginning and eliminated Burton for misspelling "liaison," Sandra actually would have won what would be her only immunity win in four times playing this game.