Taylor announced as new host of “Survivor”

By Joe Mayes  |   Monday, March 31, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Miami Dolphins
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In a surprising turn of events, CBS announced this morning that Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins and prohibitive favorite to win this season’s “Dancing with the Stars” will replace Jeff Probst as the host of the hit reality show “Survivor.” Taylor will first appear as host this fall when “Survivor: Tuvalu” debuts in September.

Filming for “Survivor: Tuvalu” begins later this month, necessitating Taylor’s early departure from ABC’s hit dance competition show. Taylor has already withdrawn from the competition and no replacement has been named.

Tuvalu (formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. It is comprised of four reef islands and five true atolls with a gross land area of just 26 square kilometers.

ABC spokesman Cedric Finch declined to make a formal statement about Taylor’s new role but admitted, “We’re obviously disappointed that Jason left the show but that’s a risk we take when we cast a player already eyeing a transition into the world of show business. As a result, we’re looking at players who’ve not yet entered the NFL for the next season of ‘Dancing.’” Finch went on to reveal that University of Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long and Arkansas running back Felix Jones were being considered.

“Survivor” executive producer Mark Burnett first noticed Taylor during filming of “Dancing” at CBS Television City in Los Angeles where he was working on pre-production of “Survivor: Tuvalu.” There had been no previous reports that former “Survivor” host Jeff Probst would be leaving the show.

When contacted, Taylor expressed excitement at the opportunity to appear in millions of living rooms each week. “’Dancing’ was an incredible opportunity but the producers made it clear that I was only eligible to participate one season,” Taylor said. “When I ultimately decide to leave professional football, I want a Hollywood job with a little more staying power than that.”

Taylor insists his role on “Survivor” does not mark the end of his professional football career. “I’ll have the opportunity to test run all the challenges and from what I hear, it’ll have me in even better football condition than dancing.”

Since filming for the next season of the “Survivor” franchise, “Survivor: Conscripts vs. Volunteers,” begins in July, Taylor will be unable to participate in the 2008 NFL season. He insists, however, that he’s still a member of the Miami Dolphins and looks forward to getting back to football as soon as possible.

Bill Parcells, the Dolphins Executive Vice President of Football Operations was unavailable for comment.
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About Joe Mayes

Joe Mayes is an award-winning writer with credits ranging from national sports columns to local newspapers and commercial and technical writing. Joe is the host of "The Morning Wrap," a morning drive-time sports talk radio show on WTKE-FM in Northwest Florida.
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