Fans are buzzing with excitement and anticipation as they hope for the return of the iconic Survivor auction in Season 47. The 46th installment of the famous reality competition show finished airing on CBS on May 22, 2024.

The season has been lauded by fans as among the best in recent memory. The series has always been defined by standout moments that went beyond the game and became real. One such moment in Season 46 saw one of the most epic meltdowns from any contestant in the history of the game.

Missing out from the season, however, was the classic Survivor auction, which fans are now hoping will be back when the show returns for 47.

The Survivor Auction Momentarily Returned For Season 45

In Survivor, the auction is a unique element of the game, where players get a break from the usual challenges they take on each episode. Instead, they receive a set amount of money to bid on items, mainly food. Sometimes, they can also bid on temporary comforts or visits from loved ones.

Most Recent Survivor Seasons Featuring The Auction Until 45

Occasionally, there are powerful game advantages up for bid, like sending a player to Exile Island, gaining an edge in the next immunity challenge, or getting a clue to a hidden immunity idol. Host Jeff Probst usually bangs a gavel on the table to show that an item has been sold.

The auction first appeared in Season 2 of the show, which was titled Survivor: The Australian Outback. It would feature about every other season until Worlds Apart (Season 30), which aired in February 2015. This was followed by a very long hiatus, before the wait finally ended in Season 45.

In past seasons, contestants had gotten money to bid on food, advantages, and messages from home. This time, however, they were forced to race into the jungle to find bamboo tubes filled with cash to earn their money. Eventual winner of the season Dee Valladares collected the highest amount in the challenge, with $900. Insurance agent Bruce Perrault raised the least, a meager $80.

Jeff Probst Announced There Wouldn’t Be An Auction For Survivor 46

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jeff Probst confirmed that Survivor 46 would not feature the highly anticipated Survivor auction, despite its successful return in season 45. This announcement came as a surprise to those familiar with the show’s schedule as the CBS production often films two seasons at a time.

Probst told EW that the decision to exclude the auction in Season 46 simply came down to resource constraints. Nonetheless, the production still delivered a memorable season filled with dramatic highlights from the 18 castaways, divided into Nami, Siga, and Yanu tribes.

The tribes faced new twists like the Beware Advantage. This new element required the finder to locate an idol locked in a box, with the key's location revealed only after their tribe lost an immunity challenge, and they couldn’t vote until the box was unlocked.

The season also saw greater levels of interpersonal tension among its cast, such as Liz Wilcox's meltdown, after she was left out on a reward that Quintavius "Q" Burdette won. In an exit interview after he was voted out, Q explained that the meltdown didn't affect his decision about who to take on the reward at all.

Ultimately, North Carolina salon owner Kenzie Petty emerged as the Sole Survivor, defeating Charlie Davis and Ben Katzman in a 5-3-0 vote.

Fans Are Hopeful The Survivor Auction Will Be Back For Season 47

Having been teased with an enjoyable auction in Season 45, there was palpable disappointment when fans were starved of the same the following season. It’s not surprising, then, to see the excitement over possible new twists that the auction could bring if it returns in 47.

One fan went as far as proposing a new format featuring a fake auction. In a comment on YouTube, they said, “How about this for an idea; a fake-out auction? Where they bid and two highest bidders have to eat gross food. They continue without revealing food items and instead of getting better, the options just keep getting worse.”

Not everyone was advocating for a reinvention of the wheel, however. Referencing the format from 45, another fan said, “I really liked the new style with a reward and a punishment for being too slow. And finding the money was their own effort.”

The anger that followed no auction in Season 46 not only highlighted the appetite for a return in 47, but also tried to explain why Jeff Probst and CBS avoid including it every season. “A lot of the new era things are just production realizing that they can save a tiny bit of money by having crappy challenges/no auction/cheaper rewards,” a disgruntled voice ranted on Reddit.

When Will Season 47 Of Survivor Premiere?

As the clamor reaches a crescendo for a potential auction return in Survivor 47, the excitement for the season itself has also been building up. The official website for the reality show said in the casting call that the season was scheduled to be filmed between May and early July.

Some on social media even suggested that the final tribal council took place on June 7, although these reports remained officially unconfirmed. By the time such posts were going up, there had not yet been a set premiere date for Season 47 of Survivor.

However, CBS had already confirmed on May 2, 2024 that the season would be included in their fall schedule. Survivor is known for its unique, two-seasons-a-year model, and the show’s fall seasons usually begin in the last two weeks of September.

Following this pattern, Parade projected in its Season 47 preview that the show would likely return anywhere on Wednesday, September 25, or possibly October 2. The preview of the season that was aired in the finale of its predecessor confirmed the identity of a number of cast members from 47. Among them was former President Barack Obama’s speechwriter, comedian, and host of the Pod Save America podcast Jon Lovett.