ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:First off, I have been negligent in not getting your thoughts on Mark the Chicken. How exactly are the rules of Survivor worded? Is Mark eligible to be named the Sole Survivor if he manages to not get eaten over the next eight days?
JEFF PROBST:Brilliant question! Yes, I'm surprised "Mark the Chicken" is not a bigger story. I mean, think about it - one man (Tai) has convinced a group of starving people to not eat a chicken because it's become his friend. That's pretty powerful. And it's Mark Burnett. The KING of . well, everything.So yes, we amended the rules to state "If Mark the Chicken survives all 39 days, he is thereby eligible to take a spot at the final Tribal Council and plead his case."I know this will upset some people who think we are being a bit loose with the rules but "producers' discretion" means just that. I do think it will be easier for MTC if Tai is also in the final Tribal, because Tai can translate Chicken to English. Otherwise, I do think MTC will have an uphill battle convincing the jury that he is worthy of the million dollars and the title of Sole Survivor. But hey, that's why they play the game. You never know.