Survivor's Jeff Probst Weighs In On That Major Season 49 Casting Rumor

You just can't believe everything you read on the internet.

While Survivor is just one day away from the premiere of its 48th season (tune into CBS Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 8/7c for the two-hour premiere), casting rumors have long been swirling online for a season that hasn't even filmed yet... rumors that involve famous country singer Dierks Bentley.

When host Jeff Probst stopped by our TVLine studio Monday, he officially confirmed: The Bentley rumors are not true.

"Somebody else put it in the air that Dierks Bentley was going to be on the show," Probst tells TVLine in the video embedded above. "That's not the case. We did reach out to him. We said, 'Man, we'd love to talk to you if you're interested,' and he said, 'Maybe one day.' I genuinely think he meant it, but he said not right now."

Reports began to spread after Probst mentioned in a previous interview that the show had been talking to somebody well-known about possibly appearing. Shortly after, the country star posted about being a big Survivor fan. Creating even more frenzy was a sizable break in the musician's tour schedule, right around when 49 is scheduled to begin production.

Despite Probst squashing this highly circulated bit of gossip, he hints that the door could remain open for Bentley in the future.

"I'm open to celebrities being on the show, provided they're good for the show," he adds. "We live and breathe with the people we put on the show. There are famous people that have gotten my number and texted me and said, 'I want to be on,' and I'm like, 'You're just not right for us, man.' It's not stunt casting. Like Mike White, arguably the best storyteller we've ever had on the show. He was fantastic. Some people say he could've won had he pressed the gas pedal a little more at the end. We didn't put him on because he's Mike White. We put him on because he's super interesting, so that's the barometer for that."

While the Season 49 cast still remains a mystery, you can meet the upcoming castaways from Survivor 48 here. Looking even further ahead, CBS and Probst have also revealed details and a theme for next year's Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.

What are your thoughts about Dierks Bentley potentially being on Survivor? Do you like seeing famous faces hit Fiji? Sound off in the comments!