‘Survivor 50’ Finale: Jeff Probst reveals shocking final fan vote results before the show airs live.

Survivor fans, you have more voting to do. There will be one more fan vote before Survivor 50 is over, Jeff Probst tells TV Insider. The nature of the vote will be revealed in the penultimate episode of the season (Episode 12), airing on Wednesday, May 13, on CBS. The results will be announced during the three-hour Survivor 50 live finale on Wednesday, May 20.

For the first time since Season 40, Winners at War, the Survivor prize money is $2 million instead of $1 million. The players have Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson and Rick Devens to thank for that. It’s also the first live finale since Season 39, Island of the Idols. Fans have themselves to thank for that; the live finale’s fate was the first In the Hands of the Fans voting results revealed this season.

Probst also teases that in the 50s era, “the chances are very good that you’ll see more returning players sooner rather than later.” Season 51 is filming now.

Get your first taste of the Survivor 50 live finale in our interview with Probst below.

How did it feel to plan a live finale again, and do you think it’s back for good?

Jeff Probst: We haven’t done a live finale in years, so the moment we stepped onto the Paramount lot and started looking at stages, you could feel the energy right away. There’s something very exciting about knowing it’s all building toward one night where anything can happen live in real time. 

From a production standpoint, our biggest priority has been designing a set that allows as many seats as possible so as many fans as possible can be part of the show. The live audience is a huge part of what makes the finale special. There’s nothing like being in that room with a thousand people, all watching in real time, cheering for their favorite players, reacting to every moment, and sharing that energy together. That’s what makes a live show so much fun. I honestly wish we could have one huge nationwide watch party with all of us together in one giant room! That would be a blast. Maybe one day.

As for the future of live shows, right now our focus is making this finale the best it can be.

What aspects from the previous live events are being brought back? Any special entrance for you and the votes?

We’re bringing back the elements people love most — the live audience, the real-time reactions, the immediacy of revealing the winner onstage, and that feeling that anything can happen because it’s all unfolding right there in the room. That energy is what makes a live finale unique.

This year, though, we’re structuring the night a little differently. Instead of thinking of it as a finale followed by a short reunion show, we’re treating the entire three hours as one big live event. We’ll be checking in with players throughout the night, letting the story of the season continue to unfold in real time — all building to the live reveal of the winner at the end.

As for special entrances and the vote urn, those were always fun traditions. I loved them! But they do take time out of the show, and this finale is packed, so we made the decision to use that time where it matters most, with the players and the story of the season!