Jeff Probst said he's having a hard time keeping in touch with former Survivor: Vanuatu castaway Julie Berry now that the two are no longer dating.

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"It's hard to be friends," Probst told USA Today in an interview published Monday.  "Maybe it's too soon. But I definitely fell in love on Survivor. For sure. And wouldn't change a thing about it."

Probst and Berry began dating in August 2004 following filming for Survivor: Vanuatu, in which Berry was the fourteenth castaway eliminated.  In March, Probst revealed the two had stopped seeing each other after what he described as a "good love affair."  

He told USA Today maintaining a romantic relationship while helming Survivor isn't exactly easy and added he often seeks out the advice of the show's on-set psychologist Liza Siegel.

"I've been on the show when I've had relationship issues," Probst told USA Today. "You don't want anything to affect your work, but sometimes that's hard. So after a [Survivor] challenge, I can ask Liza, 'Can we sit down for an hour?'"

Probst said communication with loved ones is difficult when filming Survivor and acknowledged he personally had problems making it easier.

"I didn't always treat people in relationships especially well, so I've tried to make amends and move forward," he told USA Today. "I've undergone a tremendous change. I didn't always like the guy I was before, but I do like me now."

Since Probst is frequently venturing to other countries to film Survivor, he said a good old-fashioned stateside road trip is his favorite form of vacation.

"I get in my car, put a bunch of snacks in the back, a couple of pillows, fold down the back seat and sleep," he told USA Today, adding he usually travels with a girlfriend.  "If you're a five-star hotel person, I'm probably not the right guy.  Not that there's anything wrong with five-star hotels."

Not surprisingly, Probst said he often runs into Survivor aficionados on his road trips, and they apparently aren't shy about letting him know what they think about the long-running show.

"That kind of feedback is helpful," he told USA Today. "But there is a certain dark sense of what we should make the contestants do. They want me to be more mean and give them less food."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
Christopher Rocchio is an entertainment reporter for Reality TV World and has covered the reality TV genre for several years.