‘Deal or No Deal Island’ host Joe Manganiello on why he wanted to throw Dr. Will ‘off the end of the pier’
Welcome to Reality Derby, our weekly deep dive into all things reality TV, hosted by Gold Derby senior editors Marcus James Dixon and Denton Davidson.
Joining us this week is Joe Manganiello, the host and games master of Deal or No Deal Island on NBC. (Our interview begins at the 1:18 mark in the video above.) Manganiello tells us about his personal highlights so far in Season 2, how viewers can look for “clues” in future episodes about the identity of the female Banker, and what he thinks of the game strategy of controversial player Will Kirby from Big Brother.
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Dickson Wong‘s “hero’s journey” is Manganiello’s favorite storyline in the second season, at least “out of the five episodes” that have aired so far. “To watch a player like him come in with the background that he’s been generous in sharing about, go from someone who is seen as little to no threat, to become one of the greatest players in Deal or No Deal history — let alone Deal or No Deal Island — has been really great.”
Manganiello also “loved” seeing Luke Olejniczak get “caught in the web” of Survivor legend Parvati Shallow in the first episode, while Dickson was sitting behind them “looking out of the corner of his eye, recognizing Parvati and knowing who she was, which then would lead to this alliance forming.” And Will “pushing the boundaries of the game, trying to figure out where he can bend the rules, is also really fun from a strategic standpoint.”
SEE‘Deal or No Deal Island’ Season 2 cast photos, spoilers, boot list
Season 2 of Deal or No Deal Island will end with the female Banker’s identity being revealed to the guests, and Manganiello promises that “clues will be doled out as the season continues.” Playing into his character as the “games master,” he explains, “I’m the one bringing the Bankers in. There is a cabal of Bankers out there in the world. And when Howie Mandel‘s season was over, it’s then my job to dip into that and start playing around and finding out who might be willing to finance the next game of chance.”
Manganiello says that Will picking the cases in numerical order was “very on brand … I was all for it.” He notes, “As much as Dr. Will’s game can be frustrating, it is a game, and I respect Dr. Will’s game. I think Dr. Will is great television — he’s great entertainment. I also think he does have a strategic mind, and he does come to play, and that’s very fun to watch.”
The host then chuckles as he adds, “Now, did we all want to throw him off the end of the pier once a day? Yeah, for sure! But at the end, he’s great for the show, and I can step back and be objective about that.”
We also dive deep into the fifth episode of Deal or No Deal Island (“Trust Fall”), the second episode of The Challenge All Stars: Rivals (“Rivals on the Edge”), and the premiere of The Voice Season 27. Watch this week’s Reality Derby show above, and then be sure to join the discussion in our forums.
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