Survivor players are everywhere. They are, of course, on Survivor — betraying, backstabbing, and trying not to fall head-first in water wells. But they are everywhere else as well. The Traitors, House of Villains, Deal or No Deal Island, Big Brother, The Goat… the list seemingly never ends.

And the phenomenon of former Survivor contestants popping up on other reality competition shows is not limited to just domestic programs, as Survivor players from the U.S. edition are also showing up on international editions of the franchise. Russell Hantz and Sandra Diaz-Twine have previously competed on seasons of Australian Survivor, and it was recently announced that legends Paravti Shallow, Cirie Fields, and Tony Vlachos will appear on an upcoming edition of the Aussie version titled Survivor: Australia v. The World.

With the U.S. version currently casting for season 50 (which has already been announced as a returning-player season), how does Jeff Probst feel about his homegrown talent choosing to go play overseas? We asked the host and showrunner exactly that. But Probst did not limit his answer to just U.S. vs. Australian Survivor. He tackled the phenomenon of Survivor players taking their talents to all other shows in general.

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"I have two thoughts on it," Probst tells Entertainment Weekly. "We obviously take a tremendous amount of pride in the people we find to play Survivor. And regardless of what the Emmys might think, there is no better casting team in our genre than ours. And that is proven out by how many other shows want Survivor players." (Note: The Amazing Race, The Golden Bachelor, RuPaul's Drag Race, and Squid Game: The Challenge were all nominated for the reality casting Emmy, along with winner Love on the Spectrum.)

"So I've been really happy to see this proliferation of shows that don't have a casting department," Probst says. "They just rely on other shows. It's a smart way to produce, but it also shows how difficult it is to do. It's very hard to find great people — very hard. And that's why I take a lot of pride in being a part of a show that finds the very best people. I'll say it again, no show touches ours in terms of casting — none."  (And you can get in-depth look at that casting process right here.)

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While Probst may roll his eyes a bit at other shows stealing Survivor's talent, he says he wishes the contestants nothing but the best on other programs, whether they be international editions of Survivor or other domestic entries. "The other side of the coin for me is that I want former players to do as much as they can," Probst explains, "and to have as many experiences as they can and to make as much money as they can."

Plus, he gets why folks like Parvati, Cirie, and Tony — all of whom filmed Traitors seasons before heading over to Australia — are in such demand. "Some of the people that are on these shows are incredibly compelling," Probst notes. "They're fantastic storytellers. They are fun to watch, and they're just as entertaining as any scripted show. You talk about somebody like Boston Rob or Sandra — they're such known quantities, you should want them on your show. They're phenomenal. They're just fantastic. If they hadn't been on Survivor, I'd want them on Survivor!"

The host also recognizes that while his role is to protect the brand, the job of the former contestants is often… to get more jobs! "They should be allowed to have these opportunities," Probst says. "I'm obviously very protective of our stars. That's my job. But at the end of every conversation, it's always: What is ultimately best for this person? If it's good for them and it works out for them— great! Go do your thing."

However, Probst does note that attention is paid to those who do not go on other shows, especially perhaps with filming on the landmark Survivor 50 less than a year away. "I wish all the players the best in what they do after Survivor," Probst says. "And some players don't want to do anything. We've had many players call us and say, 'I only want to do Survivor again.' That also makes an impression on us. We take note of that loyalty, and we appreciate it. But we definitely don't demand it. We wish them all well."