- I was on "Survivor" three times and I think Tribal Council is one of the worst parts of the show.
- Showrunners have assigned us seats at Tribal and waited for it to get dark before starting.
I've played "Survivor" three times and I can tell you that Tribal Council is terrible — for all the reasons you know, and for several you've probably never considered.
There is some charm to the proceedings, where we tribes vote and send someone home, though.
During my first-ever vote on "
Then it came time to vote and, even though I knew I was safe, I nearly poo'd myself. But beyond the inevitable stress, there are a lot of details that surprised even me. Here are a few that stand out.
Full disclosure, it's been a few years since I competed — most recently in 2017 — and this is based on my experience.
Walking down the beach sucked – and we had to do it multiple times
You know that classic "Survivor" footage, shot just before Tribal Council starts, where the castaways are marching single-file down the beach with their torches, bathed in the reds and golds of an idyllic tropical sunset?
I hate that. So, so much.
Even if you didn't see it in the episode, we did the walk every time we went to Tribal. We'd line up, wait for a producer's cue, then march 100 yards down the beach. Then we'd turn around, hike the 100 yards back, wait for the next cue, and do it all over again.
Producers probably have us do this to ensure they have the perfect shot in case they want to use it for the episode. But for the tribe, who's already lost an immunity challenge earlier in the day, it's insult added to injury.
Tribal can take a long time to start, especially since it needs to be dark outside
I'll hazard a guess that, after leaving camp, it usually took two and a half hours for Tribal Council to start.
There are several contributing factors here. Travel from our camp on the beach to the Tribal set usually took well over half an hour. Once there, everyone had to go through medical checks and get mic'd up.
This would all happen in complete silence under the watchful eyes of producers — if anyone said anything during this time, which doesn't exist on the show, it wouldn't be able to be included on TV.
Even if all those steps happened quickly, we'd have to wait for total darkness before starting Tribal.
We're given seat assignments before entering Tribal
I'm often asked, "Why would you sit so far away from your allies?" It's because we didn't have a say as to where we'd sit for Tribal.
Minutes before we'd walk onto set, a producer would pull out a notebook, shows us a ragged hand-drawn diagram of how the seats are arranged that night, and tell us our spot.
Then they'd line us up and send us in.
Probst always gave us a volume test before our first vote
The voting "booth" is usually situated about 20 yards away from where the castaways are sitting. Close enough that, if you're not careful, someone sitting on their stool might hear you talk through your vote.
On the flip side, if you whisper too quietly, the cameras can't hear you explain why you wrote that name.
So every season I've been on, Probst stood in front of us and said, "This is me talking," at a normal volume. The host repeated the phrase over and over again as he walked to the voting booth and as he returned to us. You could usually just barely hear him in the booth.
Then he'd change his volume to a whisper and repeat the process. Now, you absolutely couldn't hear a word while he'd ostensibly be voting.
It's incredibly helpful and made me feel comfortable knowing how loud to speak during the vote.
It's on players to stop Probst if they have more to say
The host-with-the-most usually walks you through a few other nuances before the first Tribal begins. Even returning players get these reminders.
One point that always stands out is that you, the player, shouldn't allow the vote to start unless you've said all you need to say.
On one of my seasons, Probst prefaced this tip with a vague anecdote. He said a former player — I don't know who — complained after their boot that they hadn't gotten the chance to say all they wanted to say at Tribal.
So now Probst makes a point of empowering every castaway to hold up the vote if they feel the need to do so.
Handling Probst at Tribal Council is a 'Survivor' skill just as important as outwitting, outplaying, and outlasting
He doesn't say this, of course. But I advise you do not, under any circumstance, piss off Probst if you go on the show.
Watching at home, you've undoubtedly thrown popcorn at the TV when a castaway gives away too much information when answering one of Probst's questions. But you know what you've never seen? Someone simply answer "yes" or "no" as a response to them. Because players aren't really supposed to.
Imagine watching a Tribal Council with everyone boycotting Probst's questions. It might make sense from a gameplay perspective, but "Survivor" is first and foremost a television show. And "Survivor" players are first and foremost storytellers.
Being too cagey with an answer at Tribal won't get Probst off your back. He'll probably just come right back to you.
I remember during my first season, someone at their first Tribal Council tried only giving "yes" or "no" answers to Probst. I won't disclose too much detail, but imagine the worst tongue lashing your father ever gave you in front of all your friends, and your father is a television icon that, in part, can control your chance at a million-dollar prize.
Counting the votes takes more time than you'd think
On TV, Probst says, "I'll go tally the votes," disappears for a few seconds, then quickly comes back with an island-themed jug in his hands.
In reality, immediately after Probst disappears, multiple producers come onto the set and enforce silence. Because, again, this interlude doesn't exist for television purposes and anything significant said between castaways would have to be cut.
It takes about 15 minutes for Probst to return.
Players who'd been to Tribal are often at a disadvantage the next day
Assuming you survive the vote, the night is far from over. You exit Tribal and are immediately on quiet time again -- though significant looks, both relieved and furious, often pass around the tribe.
You still have to travel all the way back to camp, reconvene with allies (if you have any left), and do interviews for the cameras about your feelings.
You're also probably not getting the sleep you've become used to. On normal nights, tribes typically go to bed shortly after dark and wake up at sunrise. But after Tribal, you're lucky if you're settled in by midnight. Should there be a challenge the next day, the other tribe(s) will be much better rested than you.
Conclusion: Tribal council is the worst, for all the reasons.
When reached for comment, a CBS representative said some of these were "false statements," but declined to specify further. Representatives for Jeff Probst didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.