Survivor 49 alum Rizo Velovic reveals how Jeff Probst invited him back for milestone Season 50

Rizo Velovic did not leave Fiji expecting to return. Yet the Survivor 49 fourth-place finisher learned, within hours of the final tribal council, that his journey on Survivor would continue almost immediately.

Velovic, 26, confirmed that host Jeff Probst personally invited him to compete on Survivor 50, the franchise’s upcoming milestone season featuring 24 returning players. 

The invitation placed Velovic among a rare group of contestants to play back-to-back seasons. In an interview with the New York Post, Velovic said,

“It was unreal because, as a ‘Survivor’ fan, like a true student of the game, only less than ten people have ever done what I’m going to do — go back-to-back. And the fact that I got back to back for ‘Survivor 50,’ arguably what’s going to be the biggest season of all time. They saw potential in me. It was game-changing.”

The call came the morning after Survivor 49 wrapped filming. Velovic said he was still at Ponderosa when production asked to speak with him privately. Velovic recalled,

“So it was the next day at Ponderosa. Production’s like, ‘Rizo, we need to talk to you. I walk into a room, there’s a computer, and Jeff Probst is on it. He’s like looking at me, so I’m like, ‘Oh my God, Jeff!’ I thought he just did this with everybody in the finale. I was like, ‘So good to see you! You just called me Riz God. It’s like we’re best friends. I’ve seen you for 25 days at this point.”

According to Velovic, the tone shifted quickly. He said,

“And then Jeff very seriously goes into this monologue. ‘Rizo — Survivor 50.’ And in my mind, I’m like, ‘Is he about to ask me if I’m gonna be on Survivor 50?’ and then he asks me, and I lose my marbles. I go ballistic. I start crying. I’m like, ‘Absolutely. Yes. Signed, sealed, delivered. Don’t even have to worry. I don’t even have to leave Fiji. Just keep me here. Whatever.’”

Survivor 49 and the road to Survivor 50

Velovic said the decision required no outside consultation. He described his response to CBS as immediate.

Velovic did not ask his parents for advice and characterized his acceptance as an “automatic yes.” He remained in Fiji and soon prepared for another round of competition. Reflecting on the moment, he said, 

“It was unreal. It was crazy. And I got to play with the legends that I grew up idolizing.”

His comeback on Survivor 50 wasn't the only twist tied to Survivor 49. Right before Velovic got back, word reached him - Savannah Louie, his top ally from Season 49, who took the win, was picked too for the big-anniversary season. He said, 

“It was very funny because the way that they did it, they pulled both Savannah and I together like at different intervals. So at Ponderosa, as we were going home, flying back home, Savannah goes, ‘Congratulations.’ And I’m like, ‘Why?’ She’s like, ‘I know.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ Because they swore me to secrecy. She’s like, ‘They asked me too.’ And I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ She’s like, ‘Rizo, Survivor 50!’ I was like, ‘What the f**k? They asked you? You just won!’”

Velovic said Louie realized what was happening after noticing the similarities in how production handled their conversations. He said, 

“She deduced it because she went in the same room I went in. So it was crazy. I was so happy. I was like, Oh my God, we just ran this game together in '49, and now we get to run the tables back on 50. So I was super excited.”

On Survivor 49, Velovic and Louie began as tight allies and remained aligned through shifting power dynamics after the merge. Despite being outnumbered late in the game, Velovic reached the Final Four, where he was eliminated in the fire-making challenge. He later served on the jury and voted for Louie to win Survivor 49.

Looking ahead to Survivor 50, Velovic said the opportunity to compete alongside longtime favorites was a major draw. Asked which players he was most excited to face, he identified four names across different eras of the franchise. He said, 

“New era, it was definitely Q [Burdette] and Genevieve [Mushaluk], and then old era, Cirie [Fields] and Coach [Wade].” 

Survivor 50 hits a milestone for the hit CBS series - veteran contestants reunite after years apart. For Velovic, getting invited was like a nod of approval - also a way to pick up where he left off in Survivor 49.

Survivor 50 premieres Feb. 25 on CBS.

Stay tuned for more updates.