Jeff Probst is 'enjoying “Survivor” more than ever' (exclusive)

The host and showrunner explains why he has "never had this much fun" working on the series.

You may have noticed Jeff Probst doing some very odd things on Survivor lately. There was the time a few weeks back when he started reciting Shakespeare during a food auction. Then, the following week, he momentarily morphed into an old Hollywood movie villain, clasping his fingers together and creepily uttering “Welllllllllcome” to the arriving contestants. We’ve also seen him do previously unthinkable things in recent seasons like bringing popcorn to Tribal Council and actually impersonating a gargoyle.

So what the heck is going on with the Hostmaster General? It’s simple. The guy is having a blast. “I've never had this much fun,” Probst tells Entertainment Weekly. “You've seen me every single season. I am enjoying Survivor more than ever.”

And why is that, exactly? Why now, in season 47? “It's because I'm more playful and the players are more playful,” the host and showrunner says.

Related: Survivor 47 star Gabe Ortis explains final elimination words

Probst says you can see that playfulness and freedom in the form of some of the negotiations that have popped up this season, like when the Gata tribe brought their chickens back to the host seeking a trade, and on this past week's episode when the contestants shockingly bargained to give up all their Shots in the Dark for a bag of rice.

“The ideas of negotiating continue to open up,” Probst says. “And I love it when a player or a tribe says, ‘Jeff, we have a proposal for you.’ I mean, that just whets my appetite. I get so excited to wonder: What is it you've been thinking about? What is it you want to try to make happen? Because I'm open to it. I have my own barometer for what I think is fair or not fair, or what I think would be good for the game or not good for the game.”

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The host looked clearly taken aback at last week’s offer from the players to give up all their Shots in the Dark, but while he may have questioned the move, he certainly appreciated the ingenuity. “In terms of recognizing a great idea and an effort from a player or a tribe to move the game in a new way, I am open. I'll be complicit. You be a producer, you come up with the idea and if it sounds good, we'll try it. So I really like that playfulness, because what it means to me is that every morning that I show up and get to see the players, I have no idea what's going to happen, where our conversations might lead, what the players are thinking about.”

And a lot of that fun and ingenuity he chalks up to the show casting more super-fans. “Really, it's an extension of the fan, because every person who plays Survivor started as a fan. So I feel like the show is getting more and more inclusive of all the fans, some of which ultimately become players.”

Related: 'Survivor 47' recap: Shots are thrown into the dark

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The host recently made headlines when he spoke to EW about the type of returning players he is looking for to compete on the landmark Survivor 50, explaining that they wanted “joyful players who are in a good mood and want to play.” That casting approach also extends new players for all seasons.

“That's what I'm looking for more and more, is people who want to be on Survivor to have fun,” he notes. “Let's play this cool game. We'll do our best to make it a great adventure. And when it's over, you may remember aspects of the game, like something that happened on day 17, but you will absolutely remember the experience and how it changed your life. That's what we're going for.”

And that is the approach that has put some extra pep in Probst’s Survivor step.