Survivor Season 47 adds ‘Pod Save America’ host Jon Lovett
Jon Lovett, co-host of “Pod Save America” and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama, is going to be featured as a contestant on the upcoming season of the hit CBS show “Survivor.”
The news was revealed in a promo trailer that aired during the Season 46 finale on Wednesday, which included short snippets of the new cast members for Season 47.
“I have no outdoor skills. What am I doing here?” Lovett, 41, jokes to the camera. “I went camping as a Cub Scout. I threw up and went home!”
The podcaster, whose resume also include writing for HBO’s “The Newsroom” and co-creating the NBC comedy “1600 Penn” with Josh Gad and Jason Winer, can be seen in the clip wearing a yellow headband and yellow button-up T-shirt.
Many social media users reacted with shock and excitement to the unexpected cameo from the “Lovett or Leave It” panel show host.
“Omg was that f—ing John Lovett?!” wrote one user on X. Another tagged Crooked Media, the company Lovett co-founded, with a specific request: “Now i need to know if Lovett was approached to do this or was a willing participant in applying. I need a full hours segment on how this came to be.”
While “Survivor” has yet to confirm that it was indeed Lovett in the promo, his “Pod Save America” co-host Jon Favreau seemed to verify his identity in his own repost of the video.
“What did I tell you? Eat Pray Lovett,” Favreau joked. Even actor/director Ben Stiller took note of the news, writing, “Seriously? Wow,” and adding in a later comment that he will be “watching Survivor again.”
Filming of the upcoming season is currently ongoing, with 18 new contestants, host Jeff Probst confirmed in an interview published Wednesday by Entertainment Weekly. Season 47 is expected to be released sometime this fall.
While Lovett might be the most recognizable addition, he’s not the first celebrity to compete on the show. “White Lotus” creator Mike White, “Facts of Life” actress Lisa Whelchel, football coach Jimmy Johnson and other famous faces have appeared on the program through the years.