Jeff Probst deems a certain ‘Survivor 47’ castaway ‘one of the best overall players to ever compete’

For those who need a refresher, Rachel began on the Gata tribe, instantaneously forming strong bonds with both Anika Dhar and Sierra Wright, losing both ladies early on in the game. Seemingly being kicked while she was down time and time again, the latter’s elimination gave her the motivation needed to move forward full steam ahead. She dished in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, “When Sierra went home on day 15, I felt completely and utterly alone. I realized that every single person left in the game had lied and burnt me and that I had no allies. I laid in the dirt by the fire that night thinking ‘Everything you’ve done in this game so far hasn’t worked at all and if you want to survive, you need to adapt now.’”

Nevertheless, the Michigan native certainly managed to “adapt” after facing adversity, building strong social connections, as well as finding (and playing) a variety of advantages throughout the game: A Hidden Immunity Idol, a “Block-A-Vote” Advantage, her “Shot In the Dark” and more.

Also, did we mention she s Kelly Wiglesworth, Jenna Morasca, Kim Spradlin and Chrissy Hofbeck as the only women to win four individual immunity challenges in a single season? Rachel is not only a challenge beast, but she is also as well-rounded as can be, ultimately earning her the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar prize (with the help of some hair-braiding, of course).

In fact, longtime Survivor host Jeff Probst — who has had a front-row seat to 47 seasons of the Emmy Award-winning series — went so far as to say she’s “one of the best overall players to ever compete on Survivor,” delving into the details in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly as well. Keep scrolling to see what he had to say exactly, as well as Rachel’s response.

Jeff shared with longtime Survivor writer and reporter Dalton Ross about Rachel,

“She made the most of every opportunity, and when in trouble, always found a way out. Her dominant challenge performance speaks for itself, and her final argument to the jury about why she deserved their vote was very well-crafted with just the right amount of confidence and humility… She was also a really fun human. I enjoyed talking to her at challenges and Tribal Council.”

Naturally, Dalton relayed this information to the newest “Sole Survivor” herself, who said that hearing those words from the one and only Jeff Probst is “high praise.” Also in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rachel shared her thoughts on the longtime Survivor host’s kind words:

“That’s amazing… I came out here to play and win, but that doesn’t mean that at the end of the day, I don’t care about how I’ll be ed. I’m a huge Survivor fan. Of course, I want to be somebody that people are like, ‘She’s the worthy winner. She’s a good winner. That season was great.’ I want that just as much as anybody else, and so to hear Jeff say that just made my morning, Dalton.”

Nevertheless, to relive Rachel’s sweeping victory from start to finish, you can stream the entirety of Survivor 47 via Paramount Plus as we speak.

Additionally, stay tuned via social media, because Survivor 48 is right around the corner…