Every contestant that shows up to play Survivor thinks they have what it takes to win the game. Optimism abounds! Everything is sunshine and Fun Dip and unicorns! And then those happy-go-lucky souls are dropped off on island and reality hits.

The beloved host/showrunner has been peeling the curtain back on the official Survivor podcast On Fire with Jeff Probst. During an episode about Season 47, he revealed why his instructions before reading the votes is no longer included. As he put it:

Season 48 of “Survivor” is set to debut with a two-hour premiere episode on Wednesday, February 26, at 8 p.m., airing on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+. Following the premiere, 90-minute episodes will air weekly beginning March 5.

Shauhin Davari, a debate professor, previously said he had suspected Papini's kidnapping to be a hoax shortly after he heard the news about it.

The "Survivor 48" cast includes a former “Survivor” alternate, a stunt performer, a pizzeria manager, and a surgeon.

"Good Morning America" host Michael Strahan said it’s “hard to relive” Isabella’s cancer journey, which is documented in the Feb. 5 ABC special "Life Interrupted: Isabella Strahan’s Fight Against Canc

Survivor 48 will take place in the South Pacific island nation, nearly 8,000 miles away from Jersey and Virginia. Fiji's Mamanuca Islands have been the setting for the show since season 33 in 2016. The 2000 Tom Hanks movie "Cast Away" was also filmed on the islands.

NBC News' Jesse Kirsh travels to Aushwitz with Ruth Cohen, a 94-year-old woman who survived the Holocaust after being ripped from her home at a young age.

Parvati Shallow tells TODAY.com about her time on "Deal or No Deal Island," why her memoir is "intense" and if she'll ever play "Survivor" again.

Survivor's season 48 hopefuls include a stunt performer, a pizzeria worker and a music executive. Chek out the new cast photos and get all the info on the castaways' personal bios and backstories.

A man who was pushed onto New York City subway tracks in the path of an oncoming train is recounting the harrowing, near-death experience.