Survivor 2013: Jeff Probst Answers Burning Brandon Hantz Question

We all watched (uncomfortably) last week as Survivor 2013 Caramoan returning player Brandon Hantz suffered a meltdown that led to him being voted out of the game.

And every since, many fans have been wondering if Survivor producers took his emotional stability into account before putting him back in the game. Jeff Probst says they absolutely did and that Brandon passed a psych evaluation, just like all the other contestants.

“Regardless whether you are a new player or a returning player, every contestant on Survivor undergoes an evaluation from our show psychologist each time they play,” Jeff told Entertainment Weekly. “We never let anybody on the show who can’t pass the psych test. Brandon passed. He was also great in our interviews before the show began.”

Jeff said he and other producers were also ready and excited to see Brandon play the game this time around.

“We were actually very excited because he had a new approach to the game,” Jeff said. “He said he wasn’t going to be as emotionally reactive and felt that after playing once he was better prepared for the 39 day adventure. We felt Brandon had the potential for a true underdog story of a young man who was overwhelmed the first time he played and was seeking redemption.”

It’s unfortunate that Brandon didn’t stick to his word. It would have made for a great story, just like Jeff said.