The Entire 'Survivor' Crew Had A Crush On Elisabeth Hasselbeck

These days, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is best known for her feud with Rosie O'Donnell and making questionable political statements, but before "The View" and "Fox & Friends," there was "Survivor." And it turns out she had a very different reputation in the Australian Outback.

"Survivor" host Jeff Probst chatted about Hasselbeck in a Wednesday conversation with HuffPost Live's Roy Sekoff about Forbidden Passage, the newest installment in Probst's series of children's books. Though Hasselbeck is often maligned in the media today, Probst said she was the apple of everyone's eye on the "Survivor" set.

"When she was on the second season of 'Survivor,' I will tell you this: Every guy on the crew fell in love with her. Every guy. We watched this young girl mature into this fighting phenomenon, and everybody wanted to date her. They thought about marrying Elisabeth. It was all in our fantasies," he said.

Hasselbeck placed fourth on "Survivor," then she became the only contestant to launch herself to legitimate fame outside the show.

"We were so happy when she got on 'The View,' because that's incredible. But I will say, Elisabeth's politics have certainly changed over the time, and I'm not sure what to make of where she stands," he said of her conservative viewpoint.

But he is sure of one thing: Hasselbeck makes great television.

"I'm not saying I align with her, but I like that she does not back down, ever," Probst said. "I can see why she's still working, why she got another job quickly, because she's compelling to watch. You've got to give her that."

Catch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Jeff Probst here.

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