CONTESTANTS in the latest US series of the reality TV show Survivor are to be divided into groups by race.

Network CBS raised eyebrows when it announced that the 20 people taking part will initially be in four tribes: black, white, Hispanic and Asian.

Later in the series, which begins in the US on September 14 and is expected to screen in Australia soon afterwards, the tribes will merge as usual.

Host Jeff Probst said he knew the twist would be controversial, but that the idea actually came from complaints that Survivor featured too many white contestants.

He conceded that racial divide was “risky” but said Survivor - in which players will be stranded on the Cook Islands in the South Pacific - was a “social experiment” and this only added another layer to that.

“I think at first glance, when you just hear the idea, it could sound like a stunt,” Probst said. “But that’s not what we’re doing here. The idea for this actually came from the criticism that Survivor was not ethnically diverse enough.

“Because, for whatever reason, we’ve always had a low number of minority applicants apply to the show. So we set out and said, ‘Let’s turn this criticism into creative for the show’. I think it fits in perfectly with what Survivor does - it is a social experiment.”

The reaction among contestants had been mixed, Probst added. Talking about audience reaction, he said: “It’s very risky because you’re bringing up a topic that is a hot button.

“There’s a history of segregation you can’t ignore. It is part of our history. For that, it’s much safer to say, ‘No, let’s just stick with things the way they are. Let’s don’t be the network to rock the boat. Let’s not have Survivor try something new’. But the biases from home can’t affect you. This is an equal opportunity game.”

The castaways on the 13th season of the show include a police officer, a heavy metal guitarist, a lawyer and a nail salon manager.

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