Season 2 of Deal or No Deal Island continues to impress. Host and Games Master Joe Manganiello was telling the truth when he advised the guests to disregard what they knew about the game. With 12 contestants still competing on the Banker’s private island, this blend of classic Deal or No Deal and Survivor is a thrill ride. Along with Joe, the Banker’s assistants, Kamari Love, and Ben Crofchick are also back, opening the cases and serving up iced tea.
During the excursion, the group broke down into teams. And for the first time, two players competed against Banker as a team. La Shell Wooten and Courtney “CK” Kim took on the Banker and made a good deal. As a result, they had to send home either Charles “Rock” Carlson or Sydnee Peck. They eliminated Sydnee.
Kamari and Ben joined Reality Tea writer Kim Stempel to discuss why this cast is “spicy,” what goes into creating the challenges, and what viewers don’t see.
Kamari Love and Ben Crofchick discuss what makes the new Deal or No Deal Island Season 2 cast “spicy”
Kim Stempel: How do you both feel about being back for Season 2?
Kamari Love: Oh, we’re so happy. So excited. It was an honor, you know, to be hired the first time. But it obviously says a lot when they bring the same team back together after such a successful Season 1. So, it means a lot to us, for sure, to continue to be a part of the franchise.
Ben Crofchick: It’s such a family. It feels like such a family – the producers, the camera crew, to everybody. So, I think just keeping that tight-knit, being back on Season 2, feels right.
Kim Stempel: That’s awesome! What do you think is different about Season 2?
Kamari Love: The energy of the contestants, right, Ben?
Ben Crofchick: Yeah, yeah, yeah. The contestants are new, and not just in any way that you would think. I mean, they’re just new people. It’s a whole new level of aggression that they play and speed that they play. I feel like even, just their ability to communicate is more … I don’t know, it’s just more spicy, like Kamari always says.
Kamari Love: It’s very cutthroat. Very.
Ben Crofchick: I like that – cutthroat.
Kamari Love: Yeah. It’s the chaos like, tripled, from last year. So, if you’ve been keeping up, even just two episodes in, you really haven’t seen any of the chaos yet.
Ben Crofchick: Yeah. It has not even started yet.
Kim Stempel: Did it arrive by boat? (referencing Dr. Will Kirby)
Kamari Love: It did!
Ben Crofchick: It did arrive by boat. It just hasn’t been set off yet.
Ben and Kamari share what happens behind the scenes
Kim Stempel: What surprised you most about the show?
Ben Crofchick: I would say … every time, I feel like even with Season 1, it goes almost too smooth, I feel like.
It’s just like the ability for us to be in the wilderness and just you know in the woods with everything, like the monkeys to snakes. And, you know, people get grumpy when they’re dehydrated and tired, and working against the humidity.
So, for it to go as smooth as it has for Season 1 and now Season 2 – I think that surprises me the most. I always kind of wake up expecting there to be more chaos than there is on the side of production. Just we have such a good team that they make it work so great.
Kamari Love: Yeah. I feel like the chaos is just of the jungle. We’ll have bats flying through the set, trees falling, the snake wranglers are catching snakes every five seconds. So, it’s more just respecting the jungle.
Kim Stempel: What would surprise viewers the most about Deal or No Deal Island?
Kamari Love: I think what’s happening behind the scenes in between the moments that they’re seeing on TV. There’s so much strategy and also manipulation that’s happening that you don’t always have time to air, you know? So, you get little snippets of it but I don’t think they understand the depths of the alliances, the manipulation, and how well these contestants are playing the game behind the scenes.
Ben Crofchick: For sure.
The Deal or No Deal Island Season 2 challenges are wild
Kim Stempel: What do you think about the challenges? Are they more extreme this season?
Ben Crofchick: I say they put a little bit of extra … like a little twist on them. They definitely bump them up a bit. You know, I think everything is elevated this season, to be honest. So, challenges included. There are some that people definitely lose their cool on this season. You’ll see some people panic.
Kamari Love: Yeah. I feel like they kind of added in a little Fear Factor element to it.
Ben Crofchick: I would agree with that. Yeah.
Kamari Love: So, it’s more intense and there’s things that come in that we definitely didn’t do last season.
Ben Crofchick: Honestly, to say something about that … it’s insane. Whoever is in the background creating these and coordinating these games, I mean, their genius.
Kamari Love: The challenge team. Shout out to them.
Ben Crofchick: The logistics that you have to have to make these work is truly insane, so shout out to that team.
Kamari Love: Yes! Our challenge team is absolutely amazing and they’re refining things as we go, too. So, it’s just good to see it come together so seamlessly, [and] executed so well. Very impressed.
Kamari and Ben said that the players are more “cocky” this season
Kim Stempel: And what do you think about the contestants this season? I know that you said they were different and more chaotic. Is it that they saw the game last year and got some ideas? Or is it just their personalities?
Ben Crofchick: They kind of came off more cocky to just everybody. I think [in] Season 1, they seemed so bright-eyed and like, We’re happy to be here, you know? Everything was new like a baby to the world … everything was vibrant. But this group … I felt like me and Kamari would be like, Good morning, and they’d just be like (Ben flashes a peace sign).
Kamari Love: We’re here to win!
Ben Crofchick: They would even do that to Joe. People would kind of say things to Joe. They were just cocky a little bit, which, I mean, I love, but it was definitely new. I was like, Wow. Okay. You guys are a little bit more confident than the last group.
Kamari Love: Yeah. It was that energy of, if you all watched Season 1, we can do way better than this. Just came in with that expectation and they were just not playing around. There was no like, We’re just happy to be here. No. They came in, they were like, We’re doing this. What’s up?
Kim Stempel: What did you think of the upgraded accommodations for the players, like the A/C and everything?
Kamari Love: I thought it was nice. If everybody’s out there in those elements you gotta have some level of comfortability because how can I show up my best self in the challenge if I can’t even sleep perfectly?
Ben Crofchick: If they don’t rent those out as Airbnbs, they’re missing out on an opportunity. I’ll book it.
Kamari Love: I would, too. On the water, it’s nice.
Ben Crofchick: It’s beautiful.
Ben Crofchick and Kamari Love share their opinion of Dr. Will Kirby
Kim Stempel: What did you think about the introduction of Dr. Will [Kirby] later in the game?
Kamari Love: Classic. I think it was his idea to come in with the tuxedo which is very aligned with his personality for the game. So, I thought that was cool.
Ben Crofchick: Yeah. He’s controlled chaos. So, I mean, he’s perfect for the game show. He’s perfect probably for any show, I mean just him being himself, but you can see all levels of his games and manipulation this season.
Kamari Love: Definitely.
Kim Stempel: Yeah. It didn’t seem like most of the contestants were excited to see him.
Ben Crofchick: No.
Kamari Love: It definitely got worse throughout the season.
Ben and Kamari discuss the dynamics between normal folks and reality TV vets
Kim Stempel: What do you think about having some reality stars mixed in with just normal folks?
Kamari Love: I love it! It keeps it interesting, it applies pressure, and I like how they go in not stating who they are. Obviously, you don’t want to show your hand at the very beginning, but that for sure keeps it interesting. And you know as you’re a viewer, sometimes you’re going to see immediately who they are. Sometimes you’re not going to recognize them so it’s kind of fun to watch the game unfold between the veterans and between non-veterans and kind of see the difference.
And then once they figure out who the veterans are, how the strategies change. You’ll see a lot of that happen throughout the season because there’s multiple veterans and so once it gets figured out, it’s just constantly shifting. And people who are the underdog and the sweet ones … all of a sudden, they’re the most lethal ones that came out of nowhere. So, it’s a nice little balance for sure.
Ben Crofchick: Yeah. Everyone loves an underdog story, so when you have someone like Dickson [Wong] competing against you know against the Australian winner [David Genat], you got David and Goliath out here. So, I mean, that resonates [with] a lot of people. So, I think that’s enjoyable to watch.
Kamari Love: Definitely.
This interview was edited for clarity.
Deal or No Deal Island is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF DEAL OR NO DEAL ISLAND SEASON 2? WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST PLAYER SO FAR?
