‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst’s Marriage and Stepfamily Detailed in Recent Profiles

Feb. 24, 2026 — Recent media profiles have detailed the family life of Survivor host Jeff Probst, who married former model and actress Lisa Ann Russell on December 5, 2011, becoming stepfather to her children, Michael Charles Gosselaar and Ava Lorenn Gosselaar, from Russell’s previous marriage to actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar.

Probst and Russell met in late 2009 at an annual Christmas party hosted by Survivor executive producer Mark Burnett and made their first public appearance as a couple at the 2010 Emmy Awards. The couple wed in a private backyard ceremony in Los Angeles. Probst has no biological children but shares amicable custody of Michael (born January 31, 2004) and Ava (born May 7, 2006) with Gosselaar and his second wife.

Profiles on Stepchildren

A People magazine article published February 2, 2026, profiled the stepchildren, noting Michael’s work on the Survivor set as part of the assistant director team, handling a walkie-talkie as a general leader. Ava worked in the art department during a summer in the Philippines.

Probst described the bonding at their wedding:

“When we got married, when this ring went on my finger, Michael looked up and said, ‘Dad,’ ” Probst remembered on Larry King Now in December 2012. “I could tell that he knew now that this big thing was official and it was real.”

He added on fatherhood:

“It doesn’t feel weird when they call me Dad, and it doesn’t take away from the fact that they have another dad — their biological dad,” Probst told the Huffington Post in February 2013. “It doesn’t lessen the impact I feel as a dad.”

Ava has attended events like the 2011 Milk + Bookies Story Time Celebration with the family but shows no interest in watching Survivor, according to Probst.

Russell’s Background

Russell, 53, modeled for Revlon in college before acting, including a role in Saved by the Bell: The College Years in 1993. She was married to Gosselaar from 1996 to 2010. A Parade article published February 17, 2026, covered their relationship amid Probst’s ongoing hosting in Fiji.

Probst reflected:

“I always thought I would have this great family unit… And then, one day, I met this woman, and it happened. And she had two kids,” he shared on Larry King Now.

The family has raised the children to view Probst, Russell, Gosselaar, and his wife as parents.