‘White Lotus’ Big Reveals the Real Reason he’s Back for ‘Survivor 50’

At an Emmys FYC event for Hulu’s “The White Lotus” on Tuesday, June 10, the show’s creator and writer, Mike White, delivered a message to fans en route to Fiji, where he is currently competing on “Survivor 50.”

The filmmaker and screenwriter made his “Survivor” debut in 2018 during the show’s “David vs. Goliath” season, earning himself a second place finish in the competition. Since then, White launched “The White Lotus” with Hulu, securing widespread fame as the Emmy Award-winning series has garnered as many as 6.2 million streams for its Season 3 finale. 

As a result, many considered the multi-millionaire “too famous” to ever return to “Survivor,” an opinion that was proven wrong when he was officially announced for the cast of “Survivor 50” in May. 

White revealed his motivations for returning to the series despite his rise to fame in the Emmys FYC video message .

White Calls ‘Survivor 50’ a ‘Vacation’ from ‘White Lotus’

In the video, White is on his way to “a hotel near the airport where I have to turn in my phone and stay the night before I fly to Fiji, because I don’t know if you know this, but I’m going on ‘Survivor.’ So by the time you see this I will either be out of the game or I’ll be starving on an island somewhere – either way, I hope you send me good wishes.”

The milestone season began filming on June 5, with host Jeff Probst confirming on Instagram that the classic “Survivor” marooning challenge had been filmed, confirming that the cast’s 24 contestants barrelled “full tilt” into the competition. 

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As to why White’s returning to “Survivor” despite work being done on the upcoming fourth season of “The White Lotus”? According to the actor: “This is what I have to do to get vacation days.”

White concluded his last message to the world ahead of “Survivor 50” with the words: “Duty calls.”

Jeff Probst Comments on Mike White’s Return to ‘Survivor’

Longtime “Survivor” host Jeff Probst similarly revealed details about White’s return to the series during the Season 50 cast reveal on “CBS Mornings” on May 28. 

“Mike, after he finished playing, said, ‘I want to play again.’ And that was before ‘White Lotus,” revealed Probst. “And then ‘White Lotus’ hit. And I thought, ‘Well, he’ll never play again.’ But he kept texting and saying, ‘Look, I’m serious. If you ever do anything where you have returning players I want to play again.’”

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“Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,” is the first season to feature returning players since Season 40, “Winners at War,” pitted 20 returning champions against each other in 2019. 

The host similarly discussed White’s post-”Survivor” career, suggesting that White’s fame could definitely play a factor in the upcoming season. 

“Don’t think Mike White, who is clever enough to write and direct ‘White Lotus,’ has not thought about that,” said Probst. “I’m sure it’s gone through his head, too.”