CBS has spoken. Mike White, the writer of the hit HBO series ‘White Lotus,” is returning to the island for “Survivor” season 50.
The 54-year-old Emmy winner placed second on the show’s 37th season in 2018. He is one of 24 returning players who will compete in the milestone season, which will be filmed in Fiji.
“Mike, after he finished playing, said, ‘I want to play again,’” host and executive producer Jeff Probst told CBS Mornings on Wednesday. “Then ‘White Lotus’ hit, and I thought, ‘Well, he’ll never play again.’ But he kept texting and saying, ‘Look, I’m serious. If you ever do anything where you have returning players, I want to play again.’ So we’re happy to have Mike.
Other returning fan favorites include Cirie Fields, Ozzy Lusth, Colby Donaldson, Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Aubry Bracco and Benjamin “Coach” Wade.
White, whose other credits include “School of Rock” and “Enlightened,” told the New Yorker in a 2021 interview how the show has inspired him.
“I still feel like, even on the most contrived reality show, the people are human and they’re more interesting than some of the most well-scripted drama,” he said. “And for me, as a writer of drama, I aspire to do what reality television already does. To create characters that are surprising and dimensional and do weird s–t and capture your attention.”
White also competed with his father Mel on two seasons of “The Amazing Race.”
“The White Lotus” has already been given a season four renewal.
“Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” will head into production this summer and air in February 2026.
