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The upcoming milestone season will feature contestants from previous seasons going back to the show's first season, which aired almost 26 years ago, primarily focusing on seasons 45 through 49.

Returning to the show this season are fan favorite former contestants Mike White, who went on to create the successful HBO Max drama "The White Lotus." as well as Aubry Bracco, who appeared in seasons 34 and 38.

"It's different when you're Cirie or Colby or Aubry and a proven iconic 'Survivor' player," host Jeff Probst toldThe Hollywood Reporter. "But bringing somebody back for the second time is saying, 'We see you as something special.' So when it came to New Era players, we definitely spent a lot of time asking ourselves, 'what's the justification for this person? Why do they fit?' In the same way that we did with the older era players."

'Survivor' Contestant Matt Blankinship Confirms Romance With Fellow Contestant: 'I'm The Real Winner'

The show has brought former contestants back to compete a second, and sometimes a third time, many times in the past, including in season eight for the all-star season, season 20, which was dubbed "Heroes vs. Villains" and most recently in season 40 for the Winners at War season, which only included past winners.

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Although this isn't a new concept, Probst promises it will feel different.

"There were players we considered and talked to, and they're great. They're upset because they think they didn't make 'the cut,'" he said. "Really, it wasn't that. It was, how many spots do we have and what does each person bring to the spot? What we really wanted was an array. This isn't 'Heroes vs Villains,' it's not 'Game Changers' or 'Fans vs Favorites.' It's a little bit of everything."

In addition to bringing back 24 contestants fromprevious seasons, this season also involved the fans in a new way, leaving certain elements in the hands of the viewers through a voting system.

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This twist allowed fans to vote on 11 key categoriesthroughout the game, including the colors of the tribes, how many twists and challenges there will be and others, and those who voted will not know the results of the votes until the show airs.

"But given that we're just into this we don't know the impact," he added. "I know the results from the fans and it illustrates what kind of game they ultimately want. I was curious, because I met a lot of people who said, 'No idols, no twists, no advantages.' I was like, okay, maybe that is what people really want. I'm excited by it. I think the fans are going to have a big impact this season."

The host said the fan vote brought a level of "uncertainty" to the game, and hoped that a contestant would use that to their advantage, saying if he was in the game, "I would start spreading rumors."

Probst has been with the franchise for all of its 50 seasons, and recently toldEntertainment Weeklyhe doesn't have a contract, saying, "I don't have any deal. We just do it."

"I'm telling you right now, there's no thought in my mind at all about leaving," he told the outlet. "I love where the show is. I love our crew. I love the type of people that are applying. It's up in every category of ethnic diversity. Every category is up, and everybody's saying it's because 'I see myself reflected and represented on the show, so now I want tobeon the show.'  That makes me excited, along with watching young people come up and say, 'I want to play this f---ing game!' That's really exciting."

While he has no plans of stepping down, Probst says he "100 percent know[s] this show will go on without me" because of its format.

White, who first competed on season 37 of the show in 2018, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter in February about his decision to come back to the show, saying he was "stoked to be here."

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"'Survivor 50' is such a cultural milestone for anyone who has ever loved 'Survivor,' played 'Survivor' or made 'Survivor,'" he said. "So I feel very honored to have gotten the Golden Ticket, the exclusive invitation. If it happened any other time in the last five years I don't think I would have been able to do it. But it just happened to land in a good, sweet spot for me. So it felt like maybe this is just what the doctor ordered."

Aside from giving him a positive experience to look back on, White admitted that his experience on the show inspired him when it came to creating "The White Lotus."

"The White Lotus" follows a new set of characters who are staying in a luxury hotel in a different location each season, with every season exploring a different theme. He told NPR in December 2022 that "'Survivor' is not that dissimilar" to the show.

"A lot of times just people kind of kvetching about who's tending the fire or they're hangry because they haven't had anything to eat. But then the music is making it feel like this is going to end up bad for somebody," he said. "And then you have these transitions of sharks in the water. And I was like, we do that in 'White Lotus.'... I have to cop to being influenced by 'Survivor' and these shows where you have a device that makes it feel like it's a built-in cliffhanger."

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Aside from the inspiration he draws from his time on the reality show, he also casts many of his "Survivor" castmates to appear on the hitHBO Max show.

"Survivor 50" is set to premiere on CBS on Feb. 25.

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Original article source:'Survivor' returns for milestone 50th season with all-star cast including 'White Lotus' creator

Ego Nwodimis the first to admit that she's no cinephile.

TheSaturday Night Livealum is currently gearing up to host Sunday night'sFilm Indie Spirit Awards— but just because she's hosting the movie-centric ceremony, doesn't mean she's an expert. The live audience ofJimmy Kimmel Livelearned as much on Tuesday evening, when Nwodim confessed that she still hasn't seen a number of classic and long-heralded titles. It's so bad that oneSNLhost called her out within minutes of them meeting.

"Josh Brolinsized me up within an instant and said, 'You look like you've never seen any movies before,'" Nwodim told Kimmel during the Feb. 10 interview. "To this day, I've lost sleep over it because I'm like, 'What about me says I haven't seen movies?'"

When Kimmel asked if Brolin's assumption was correct, Nwodim admitted, "Josh was right."

Will Heath/NBC via Getty

For his part, Brolin took the backstage exchange so seriously that he sent the comedian a curated list of "53 movies that everyone needs to have watched." But to date, Nwodim has still only seen one title on the list — Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic thriller,Jaws.

"Was there one on the list that people would get actually angry at you because you haven't seen?" Kimmel asked

After a thoughtful moment, Nwodim admitted, "I'm mad about this myself: I haven't seen[The] Godfather."

Nwodim's response was swiftly met with a wave of gasps and audible distress from Kimmel's live audience — including one attendee who shouted, "What?!"

Raising her hands in defense, Nwodim said, "Oh, come on! I thought this was a safe space. Everyone backstage said this would be a safe space."

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While the audience didn't take too kindly to her ignorance of the Corleone family, Kimmel admitted that he was jealous of Nwodim.

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"I would love to be able to seeThe GodfatherandThe Godfather 2— and skip the next one — for the first time again," he joked.

After clarifying that she does intend to check out the venerated Francis Ford Coppola-directed titles, Nwodim attempted to appeal to the audience, noting, "I've seenScarface, does that count?"

This time, even Kimmel shut her down, answering with a firm, "No."

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

While Nwodim still has many classics to catch up with — she cited12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, and Federico Fellini's highly influential8½among the titles she has yet to see — theSNLalum noted that she has already watched a huge chunk of themovies that are up for awardson Sunday night.

"I watched the films, [and] I'm super excited," Nwodim said of the impending event, whose contenders includeIf I Had Legs I'd Kick You, One of Them Days,andTrain Dreams.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards stream on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET on YouTube. Watch Nwodim defend her cinematic knowledge above.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

A SWAT team from the Pima County, Ariz. Sheriff's Department swarmed a residence near Nancy Guthrie's home Friday evening.

More than two dozen vehicles — including SWAT and forensic units — were at the scene as authorities shut down the street,according toCNN.

CNN Senior News Correspondent Brian Entin reported that a vehicle was also searched. "This Range Rover is also being investigated and is now being towed away," he wrote Friday on X. "A lot of moving parts right now."

TUCSON, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 13: In an aerial view, FBI and SWAT units perform operations in a neighborhood approximately two miles from Nancy Guthrie's residence on February 13, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona. Searches continue for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, after she went missing from her home on the morning of February 1st. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

NewsNationclaimedthree individuals were detained when the search warrants were executed, thoughauthoritieshave not confirmed those claims.

TUCSON, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 13: FBI agents watch as a vehicle is towed from the parking lot of a restaurant on February 13, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona. The Range Rover SUV was searched and its trunk sealed before it was removed. The vehicle was located close to a neighborhood that law enforcement had sealed off earlier in the evening as the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance continues. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

NewsNation reported that a woman and a man — possibly a mother and son — were ordered to exit the residence being searched. They claimed that a male was simultaneously detained nearby during a traffic stop, reportedly on his way to the same property.

Law enforcement officials have yet to comment on the flurry of police activity.

The Pima County Sheriff's Office issued an update on X, saying, "Law enforcement activity is underway at a residence near E Orange Grove Rd & N First Ave related to the Guthrie case."

They continued, "Because this is a joint investigation, at the request of the FBI – no additional information is currently available."

Officials told CNN that investigatorsfound DNAat Guthrie's residence that does not belong to her or those close to her.

The masked suspect captured in doorbell footage has been described as a 5'9"-5'10" tall male with an average build, wearing an Ozark Trail Hiker backpack.

Guthrie was reported missing Feb. 1 and was last seen alive Jan. 31.(RELATED: Man Claiming To Know Guthrie Abductor Doubles Ransom Demand In Third Email To TMZ)

Unconfirmed ransom reports were sent to media outlets, the most recent on Friday morning.

Obama made the comments after podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen said in the interview that a series of messages from White House officials,such as the video posted by Trumpand administration officials labeling people who died at the hands of ICE agentsas "domestic terrorists,"showed a level of cruelty that would have been disqualifying in earlier political times. He asked Obama how the country can come back from that discourse.

Barack Obama served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Take a look at his life in photos.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sen. Barack Obama poses for a portrait on Feb. 2, 2006, at the Capitol.

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See former President Barack Obama's journey to White House and his life after

Barack Obama served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Take a look at his life in photos.

"It is true that it gets attention. It's true that it's a distraction,"Obama said. "But as I'm traveling around the country, as you're traveling around the country, you meet people, they still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness."

"There's this sort of clown show that's happening in social media and on television, and what is true is that there doesn't seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sort of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office," Obama added.

More:Trump shared Obama ape video. Here's the dark history behind the imagery.

The video was one of several posts on Trump's Truth Social account in the late hours of Feb. 5 and early hours of Feb. 6. A brief portion at the end of the video showed the faces of the Obamas on the bodies of two apes, in what appeared to be a jungle.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at one point defended the video as a depiction of Trump "as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King."

However,the post was deleted Feb. 6. Later that day on Air Force One, Trump said that he had only looked at the first part of the video, and hadn't seen the part with the Obamas.

"We took it down as soon as we found out about it," Trump said.

Asked whether he would apologize, Trump said, "No, I didn't make a mistake."

Contributing: Zac Anderson – USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Clown show': Barack Obama responds to Trump post of Obamas as apes