A Game Cut Short

Survivor Host Questions Motives Behind Second Early Quit, Says Contestant 'Didn't Own' Real Reasons

Host Jeff Probst criticizes Sean Edwards, a contestant on Survivor 45, for asking to be voted out with the reasoning of wanting to spend more time with his family. Probst believes this was not the true reason and feels Edwards did not 'own' his actual motives.
Probst suggests Edwards was not truly facing hardships on the show and believes Edwards was trying to 'engineer' a narrative that excused his decision to leave, which he views as a cop-out.
In response to Probst's comments, Edwards admitted during an interview with Dalton Ross at Entertainment Weekly that he does regret his decision to quit the show, but that his decision was influenced by personal reasons that he doesn't expect others to understand.
Edwards suggests that the critical moment for his decision came when Probst asked him about what the Survivor experience had meant for him. Thinking of spending time with his husband was a side note to the realization that Survivor had fulfilled its purpose for him.
Despite his decision to leave, Edwards remains a fan of Survivor and appreciates the experience it provided him. He admits that his expectations going into the game may have been unreasonable and that his departure has brought feelings of regret, particularly in retrospect.