Survivor: South Pacific (With new twists on Redemption Island)

"Survivor" begins its 23rd season on September 14 with some new twists. Among the players are a former Miss America contestant, a country music singer, a Lingerie Football League player, and a medical marijuana dispensary owner. Plus, Russell Hantz's 19 year-old nephew, Brandon Hantz, will be part of the show. However, Jeff Probst said that he is nothing like his uncle, “Unless I’m getting played, which I could be, Brandon is the opposite of Russell,” says host Jeff Probst. “I mean, he appears to be a pretty nice guy — a young kid who’s certainly a little rough around the edges, but well mannered, pretty good thinker. Although for a while his loved one was going to be Russell, and at the last minute he said, ‘You know what, I’ve been thinking about this. That may not be such a good idea to let people know I’m related.’”

Redemption Island will also return this season, but there will be some changes to it. They are eliminated group duels — meaning each competition will truly be a win-or-go-home situation (as opposed to last season, in which players often simply did not have to come in last to stay alive). “We’re not having multi-person duels,” says Probst. “That was part of the experiment [last season]. We wanted to see how many people we could keep in the game until the end. And that’s why we let more people live out there. But we felt like it’s too many people and now we’ve got half the group still in it at the end. So it will only be a one-on-one situation. Loser’s out, winner stays. Otherwise, we’re playing it the same way.”

Clues to the hideen immunity idol will also be hidden. This year with hidden immunity idols, we’re hiding the clue,” explains Probst. “No clue as to where the clue is. Once you find the clue, then you have to find the idol.”

CBS has not announced who the two returning players are this season, but rumor has it that they are Ozzy Lusth ("Cook Islands" & "Micronesia") and Benajmin "Coach" Wade ("Tocatians, "Heroes vs. Villains)

'Survivor: South Pacific': New cast and new twists revealed!

Updated On: 8/22/11 at 11:34 AM

It's official, Coach and Ozzy are returning. Jeff Probst revealed why these two were chosen, "What they share together is their social games suck, says Probst. "Coach? He blew it in Heroes vs. Villains. He blew it seven different ways. And Ozzy got voted out with an idol in his hand! If that doesn't speak to how bad you are in the social part of this game. So we looked at it and said here are two guys that do have a redemption story. Yes, you've played. Yes, you're popular, but you don't know what you're doing in this game."

He also said on location just a few hours after filming kicked off on the franchise's 23rd season that the two returning players will have a much tougher time after Boston Rob came back to win it all last time on Redemption Island. "Boston Rob winning last season made it very difficult for Coach and Ozzy," says Probst. "We even talked about giving them immunity. We said, maybe we should give them immunity for the first Tribal Council and let them get their feet wet, and we said that's just not our show. You're on your own."




'Survivor: South Pacific': Ozzy and Coach to return for new season. They talk about it here! -- EXCLUSIVE

Updated On: 11/2/11 at 11:44 AM

Updated On: 9/12/11 at 11:20 AM

Updated On: 9/15/11 at 06:55 AM