The longtime host of the hit reality series, 64, says he loves the show \u201cmore today than [he] did on day one,\u201d and believes it could continue indefinitely. \u201cI was so excited from the minute I got the job, but now I\u2019m seeing it with more perspective \u2014 25 years\u2019 worth,\u201d Probst tells PEOPLE.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very simple format. A group is abandoned and must rely on each other while conspiring against each other. That\u2019s the basic setup,\u201d he explains. \u201cBut inside that little tiny box, there\u2019s a universe of possibilities \u2014 trillions of galaxies inside that box. So I think the format is indestructible.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Survivor Season 50
Credit: Robert Voets\/CBS<\/p>\n
Like the show itself, Probst hopes to remain the host for as long as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, either I will know, or somebody I love will tell me, \u2018It\u2019s time for you to go. You\u2019ve done what you can do, and we need some new ideas,\u2019 \u201d he says of eventually stepping away. \u201cI\u2019m sure there are lots of fans going, \u2018Dude, that happened a decade ago. Why are you still here?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
Still, he knows the day will inevitably come when he hands over the torch, and that a new host will bring a new lens to the long-running series. \u201cImagine a new host and a new showrunner, and now you\u2019ve got a different perspective,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBring somebody who\u2019s an immigrant, who\u2019s young and who\u2019s female and have them host Survivor. What do you get? You get a different show. Bring a Gen Xer who\u2019s a white, privileged kid. You get a different show. Every point of view is different.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Jeff Probst on Survivor: Winners at War
Credit: Robert Voets\/CBS<\/p>\n
Whoever takes over, Probst says, two qualities are essential: curiosity and fearlessness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest mistake networks make when they hire a host for any show \u2014 but especially Survivor \u2014 is that they look at their hair color and how many Instagram followers they have. That\u2019s not what it\u2019s about,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to find somebody who\u2019s endlessly curious and fearless.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Probst, fearlessness means being unafraid to make mistakes. \u201cI am not afraid to make a mistake. I make them all the time. Every season I make lots of mistakes, but I don\u2019t let the fear get to me because that\u2019s where the point of view comes from,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
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Survivor Season 50
Credit: Gail Schulman\/CBS<\/p>\n
That mindset also means trusting your instincts. \u201cIf you\u2019re curious and you have this gnawing instinct to say, \u2018I\u2019m gonna ask them, why orange shoes?\u2019 you might discover nothing,\u201d Probst explains. \u201cOr you might discover that orange connects them to the granddad who always wore orange shoes, and their reason for being out here is because of his passing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to follow your gut,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s so hard for people to do today because we criticize each other online all day, and then you second-guess your instincts. Screw that. You\u2019ve got to have them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Survivor season 50 premieres on Feb. 25 on CBS<\/p>\n