When Deal or No Deal Island was announced, the premise sounded crazy. It is a blend of the original Deal or No Deal, mixed with Survivor. Kinda. During this game, the 13 contestants are staying on the shadowy Banker’s private island. Contestants will compete in demanding physical challenges to secure a briefcase. Joe Manganiello acts as both the host and the liaison between the players and the Banker. And there is $200 million scattered among the briefcases. The last player left will play against the Banker for all the prize money earned by the contestants.
Two of the players are already well-known to reality television fans. The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Claudia Jordan was a Deal or No Deal suitcase model for several seasons. So, she knows a bit about the game. And Survivor legend “Boston” Rob Mariano is also there to beat the Banker. Let’s face it, his mental and social gameplay is amazing.
Howie Mandel handed Joe the torch
“I was waiting for the right opportunity to happen and this was it. I was asked to be on Survivor at one point,” Joe told PEOPLE. “So they pitched me the show, [Deal or No Deal Island]. I was like, you have no idea who you’re talking to. I’m a big fan of game shows. One of the huge draws is to see how people interact with each other.”
Former Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel filmed a promo with Joe. “We filmed a really fun promo for the show where he actually hands me the briefcase to take over. We had a good laugh over that,” Joe stated.
“Howie’s a really fun, loving, generous guy but this is a very, very different show. There obviously is a component of Deal or No Deal but it’s really an action-adventure series, like a Survivor.” Well, bring on the bugs, snakes, and spiders!
Joe channeled several well-known hosts for his Deal or No Deal Island gig
So, who did Joe draw on for inspiration for his new hosting gig? He modeled his hosting persona after Howie and Jeff Probst, who hosts Survivor. The True Blood actor also looked to two other hosts.
“I also thought about Joe Rogan a lot, when you look back to Fear Factor and watching people in uncomfortable situations,” Joe said. “Also, Dan Cortes, MTV Sports. He was the OG. I’m from Pittsburgh and he comes over and watches the Steeler games at my house.”
The actor continued, “I always tell him, ‘You’re a big inspiration for me.’ That’s probably an amalgamation of Frankenstein’s monster of all four of them.”
And the newbie host knows how high the stakes are. “There’s life-changing money out there, so tensions are high, emotions run high. There’s unbelievable heartbreak, and there’s just incredible excitement and cheering over everything that happened,” Joe explained. “It was really such an incredible social experiment to watch.”
Deal or No Deal Island premieres on Monday, February 26, at 9:30 p.m. ET, on NBC, and will move to its regular 10 p.m. ET time slot on Monday, March 4. Episodes will be available on Peacock to stream the next day.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THAT DEAL OR NO DEAL ISLAND SOUNDS INTERESTING? ARE YOU GOING TO WATCH IT?
