Jeff Probst Reveals the ‘Survivor 49’ Player that ‘Instantly Charmed’ Him

“Survivor” is officially back on CBS! The premiere of the longrunning reality competition series’s 49th season aired on Wednesday, September 24, giving fans their first look at the season’s 18 brand new castaways in action. 

While the cast is undoubtedly full of entertaining characters that promise to make “Survivor 49” a season to remember, one castaway in particular – 25-year-old Rizo Velovic – has already managed to catch the attention of longtime “Survivor” host and executive producer Jeff Probst. 

Who is Rizo Velovic?

When the cast of “Survivor 49” was revealed in August, Rizo Velovic emerged as an early fan favorite, thanks in no small part due to his unique nickname: “The man, the myth, the legend R-I-Z-G-O-D, RizGod, baby.” 

Despite being one of the season’s youngest castaways at just 25 years old, Velovic reported in pre-season interviews that he had to grow up fast. As the eldest son of two Albanian immigrants living in Yonker, New York, Rizo was managing his family’s taxes by 14, helping his parents close on their first home by 21, and, in between, looking after his autistic younger brother while his parents worked multiple jobs to keep food on the table. 

It was during those long years babysitting his brother that Rizo, who now works in tech sales, first discovered “Survivor.”

“A lot of my childhood was just like watching TV. So I was at home, raising my younger brother while the TV was babysitting me,” Velovic told Parade. “And I remember…I was scrolling through the channels, and I just see Jeff [Probst] is like, ‘JT, do you want your tooth back?’ And JT is like, ‘Yeah!’ And then he just flicks it to the side. And I’m like ‘What is this? This is insane.”

“So I was an eight or nine-year-old kid watching ‘Tocantins’ for the first time, and that episode got me hooked,” he added. 

Now, Velovic is a bonafide “Survivor” superfan. On Season 49, the castaway is similarly emerging as a new fan favorite player and is even heavily rumored to have been invited back to compete on “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” next year. 

If the rumors are true, Velovic likely has Probst to thank, especially after the longtime host and executive producer revealed that he was “immediately charmed” by Rizo’s eccentric and unique approach to “Survivor.”

Why Does Jeff Probst Already Love RizGod? 

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Probst opened up about being drawn to Velovic after he entered the game ready to establish himself as the “RizGod.” 

While the nickname came off as “cringey” to some fans in first looks at the currently airing season, Probst revealed that he thinks it might take a minute for fans to realize that Rizo isn’t putting on an act for the cameras. 

CBS

“I was instantly charmed with him. I found him really fun. He’s very proud to be Albanian and be the first player from Albania to appear on ‘Survivor.’” said Probst. “He’s playing for his family. He’s got this incredible relationship with his younger brother. And even though he’s 25, I think young kids are going to relate to him because he comes off as still a teenager. After all, he’s exuberant and full of fun and wants to play ‘Survivor,’ and anybody who watches the show knows what that means.”

“It’s funny to say that a young man who calls himself RizGod is the real deal,” Probst continued. “But Rizo is the real deal in that he sees himself that way. He’s incredibly charming and he has a lot of personality.”

Despite leading with his exuberant personality, Probst added that RizGod is more than just a character, but a seasoned gamer as well. 

CBS/Robert Voets

“He’s willing to take risks. He knows he could be out early,” said Probst. “And I think that’s one of the things that’s really endearing about him.” 

Fans can catch Rizo Velovic a.k.a. RizGod when “Survivor 49” continues on Wedesday, October 1 at 8:00pm ET on CBS. 

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