"I hated losing Nate:" Survivor 49 host Jeff Probst opens up on Nate Moore's surprising elimination

Survivor 49's latest episode's elimination hit harder and shocked everyone on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, as the longtime Survivor 49 host Jeff Probst opened up about the shocking departure of castaway Nate Moore on his On Fire podcast, admitting:

"I hated losing Nate."

Unlike many reality competition shows, Survivor stands out for its impartiality, where once players reach Tribal Council, their fate lies entirely in the hands of their fellow cast members, with host and showrunner Probst having absolutely no influence over the eliminations and vote-outs.

Therefore, the elimination of Nate Moore came equally surprising for Jeff as for everyone else in the seventh episode of Survivor 49, titled Blood Will Be Drawn.

After three chaotic tribe swaps, the castaways of Survivor 49 finally merged in the latest episode, marking a fresh start and the first individual immunity challenge of the season. 

The powerful Uli alliance, made up of Savannah Louie, Rizo Velovic, Nate Moore, and Sophi Balderi, had controlled much of the game so far. But that dominance ended when Jawan Pitts, Sage Ahrens-Nichols and Steven Ramm flipped, teaming up with former Hina members to take them down.

When the votes were revealed, the majority blindsided Nate Moore, viewing him as the safest way to weaken the Uli alliance, making him the eighth player eliminated from the competition and the newest member of the jury.

Jeff Probst felt Nate could win it all in Survivor 49

Jeff Probst reflected on Nate’s elimination with disappointment in his latest On Fire podcast episode on Wednesday night, stating that he hated it and admitted.

"From casting, I thought he could win it all. He’s perceptive, understands social dynamics, and connects easily with people."

Probst even revisited his original thoughts while casting Nate, recalling how impressed he was after meeting him for the first time, as he says:

"I wrote, ‘Home run.' So good at understanding social group dynamics. He’s very, very switched on to people and motivation. He comes across as very perceptive and very good at connecting with people, so that might put a little target on him, but he’s very friendly and laid back.’"

The host explained that he knew Nate had the potential to go far from the early stages of casting, noting:

"That’s about as good as it gets for me. If I write down, ‘I want to talk to you at Tribal,’ that means I want you on the show."

Probst went on to speak about Nate Moore’s presence and potential on Survivor 49, describing Nate as someone with a strong sense of perspective, stating:

"One of my notes was, ‘Always offers a very clear point of view.’ And when we met him in person, I loved him. I wrote, ‘No doubt, great to talk to.’"

The Survivor 49 host added that Nate’s Hollywood background might have given him an advantage on the island, explaining that Nate’s professional experience required him to impress people, which he did here unintentionally, concluding:

"I even wrote, ‘Could win with the right group,’and that’s not something I say about everyone."

Nate is a 47-year-old film producer from Clovis, California, who has previously worked on many films before stepping onto the island. A former executive producer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Nate has worked on movies like Black Panther and Captain America. 

In an earlier interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nate expressed that he does not seem like a big threat, adding:

"I'm old and I like to laugh and I genuinely like people, so I think my tribe will underestimate me long enough to snuff all their torches and have a laugh afterwards."

Stay tuned for more updates.