The Survivor contestants have expressed their dissatisfaction after CBS unexpectedly cut short the series’ extended merge episode to broadcast President Donald Trump’s address on the Iran conflict. The interruption occurred at 9 p.m. Eastern Time as the president spoke from Washington, D.C.
Fans of the show took to social media to vent their frustration over missing out on the tribal circle segment due to the sudden pre-emption. One user humorously suggested that Trump should start watching Survivor to avoid causing interruptions.
On the Canadian front, Global TV, which simulcasts the American series, made a surprising move by airing a rerun of Border Security: Canada’s Front Line instead of Trump’s speech. This decision led to some confusion among viewers.
The 50th season of Survivor premiered with a cast of 24 returning favorites, including Canadians Genevieve Mushaluk and Kamilla Karthigesu. In a shocking turn of events, Mushaluk, Karthigesu, and veteran player Colby Donaldson were eliminated in a triple eviction on Wednesday night.
This is not the first time Trump has disrupted an episode of Survivor. A similar incident occurred during the finale of the 49th season in December. Despite the interruptions, loyal fans eagerly await the season finale scheduled for May 20.
CBS had planned the interruption and assured viewers that the episode would resume immediately after the president’s address for Eastern and Central Time Zone audiences. Thankfully, viewers in the Pacific time zone enjoyed an uninterrupted broadcast.
Apart from Survivor fans, followers of other popular shows like Chicago Fire and The Masked Singer also had to endure interruptions for the president’s address. Interestingly, Mark Burnett, the executive producer of Survivor, has also been involved in producing Trump’s reality show The Apprentice.
