During the finale of Survivor 50, host Jeff Probst made an unintentional slip-up that led to a major live TV blunder. As the episode aired, Probst prematurely revealed the outcome of the high-stakes fire-making challenge, mistakenly announcing Rizo Velovic as the loser before the challenge was shown.
The incident occurred after Aubry Bracco secured her spot in the Final Three by winning the final immunity challenge. This left Velovic and Jonathan to compete in the fire-making challenge. During a live segment, just before the challenge was supposed to be broadcast, Probst brought Velovic on stage to discuss his fire-making skills. In a critical moment, Probst accidentally disclosed that Velovic had lost the challenge and was the season’s last juror.
Probst’s mistake was met with surprise from both the audience and fellow contestants, who pointed out the error. Despite the blunder, Probst tried to lighten the mood by jokingly referring to it as a “Survivor twist.”
Later in the episode, Probst reiterated the spoiler, stating that viewers would witness Velovic losing to Jonathan in the fire-making challenge. CBS, the broadcaster of the show, has not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Ultimately, Bracco emerged as the winner of Survivor Season 50, receiving the $2-million US prize after defeating Jonathon Young and Joe Hunter in an 8-3-0 jury vote.