When Deal or No Deal Island premiered in 2024, the show’s premise sounded crazy. It was a blend of the traditional Deal or No Deal and Survivor. Contestants were taken to the Banker’s private tropical island.
Once there, host and Game Master Joe Manganiello guided the guests through grueling mental and physical challenges. Each night, one player was selected by the challenge winner to face the Banker in The Temple. Their objective was to add cash to the final case and to make a good deal.
During The Temple, Joe also functioned as the Banker’s mouthpiece, relaying the Banker’s financial offers and some shady observations. If the value of the player’s personal case was lower than the Banker’s offer, then they made a good deal. They would continue in the game and eliminate another contestant.
However, if it wasn’t lower, they would be ousted from the game. The last player standing would face the Banker for all the money in the final case. Deal or No Deal Island Season 2 has leveled up in every way, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. And Joe is the perfect ringmaster for this wild ride. Let’s take a look at how Joe Manganiello has proved himself as an incredible host on Deal or No Deal Island.
Joe Manganiello is a fan of competition reality shows like Deal or No Deal Island
It’s no secret that Joe is a fan of reality competition shows. He is an avid viewer of Survivor, The Amazing Race, and even Fear Factor. And his enthusiasm for this type of show shines through.
However, Joe is a gamer from way back. In a promo video for Deal or No Deal Island, he discussed how he discovered table-top role-playing games, such as Dungeon and Dragons. “Gaming competition, it’s just something that I love,” Joe explained. And he was drawn to the concept, and format, of Deal or No Deal Island. “I love the cut-throat nature of it,” the host and actor said. “I like the social experiment aspect.”
Much like Survivor, alliances form on the island, but only one player can make it to the end. These emotional attachments, and bitter feuds, also play out in the series. Players have to be wary of the snakes in the jungle, and some are right next to them.
Season 2 of Deal or No Deal Island features 14 players, including Survivor legend Parvati Shallow and Australia Survivor winner David Genat. Plus, Big Brother star Dr. Will Kirby also competed this season. Although Joe may be a fan, he is able to stay neutral. It is crucial for a host not to play favorites or have any bias, and Joe easily accomplishes that mission.
Joe Manganiello roots for all the contestants on Deal or No Deal Island
Joe does an amazing job of being supportive of all the contestants. When the guests are competing in a challenge, Joe can be heard rooting for all the players. This not only gives the competitors a much-needed lift but also pumps up the audience at home.
Last season, when competitors were scared about the heights involved in the bag drop challenge, Joe spoke with them and encouraged them. Of course, one memorable moment from Season 1 occurred during Episode 2 of Deal or No Deal Island. Survivor king Boston Rob Mariano hit a target with his final arrow.
He ran over, elated, and high-fived Joe. “Boston Robinhood with his last arrow hits the $1.5 million,” Joe exclaimed, “and takes control of the game!” Seeing Joe celebrate that moment made it more exciting for viewers.
However, Joe also shares in the player’s frustrations. During Temple, even when a contestant is doing poorly, Joe is their ride-or-die at that moment. And if a player is doing well, Joe is right there to applaud their efforts. Of course, Joe has to walk a fine line as the host. While he is part of the game, he must simply give the contestants their options without influencing their decisions.
In real life, Joe stayed in touch with some of the contestants from Season 1. Joe happened to be in New York, so he watched the Season 1 premiere with player Nicholas Grasso.
And Joe also bonded with fellow gamer, Aron Barbell. “I text Joe. He called me after the episode where I had the panic attack. He’s a legit friend,” Aron told us at Reality Tea. “He’s just a great guy and we’re going to play Magic the Gathering soon.”
Why did Joe Manganiello sign on to host Deal or No Deal Island?
I love it when Joe explains the excursions to the contestants. When the contestants arrived for the ring-grab challenge, Joe chuckled when he saw their horrified reactions. And when Joe drops a twist on the guests, you can tell that he loves switching up the game.
Besides being the host and Game Master, Joe is also an executive producer on Season 2 of Deal or No Deal Island. “As we prepped for this new season, I got to chime in on casting, and I was even involved with challenges, game mechanics, how to flip the script on people because there’s now a full season of episodes out there to watch, study and strategize,” Joe told The Hollywood Reporter. “We need to completely flip those expectations on their head and provide chaos.”
So, why did Joe decide to host Deal or No Deal Island? “I said yes to Deal or No Deal Island after having said no to a lot of other hosting gigs over the years … because this just felt like the right one for me,” he explained. “It’s adventurous and it’s a game that has great characters, big drama, requires math skills and gambling, this strange jambalaya of a lot of things that are right in my wheelhouse.”
Joe Manganiello’s hosting style is top-level on Deal or No Deal Island
Joe has certainly put his stamp on his hosting persona. He has an ample wardrobe of animal-print shirts, as well as dapper suits for The Temple. Joe also injects some humor into the show, which is always welcome.
And when there is drama among the players, he is more than happy to inquire about it. Last season, Joe witnessed a verbal smackdown between Claudia Jordan, Boston Rob, and Kim Mattina. During the drama, a tree fell down in the jungle. An ominous sign, perhaps?
Plus, during Season 2 of Deal or No Deal Island, Storm Wilson was blindsided and eliminated by his buddy, Dickson Wong. Joe summed up everyone’s shock. “Brother, did you see that coming?” Joe asked a flabbergasted Storm.
As for his hosting persona, Joe looked to some of his favorite hosts for ideas. He was inspired by Survivor host Jeff Probst and original Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel. Of course, Howie was revealed as last season’s Banker.
“I also thought about Joe Rogan a lot,” Joe said, “when you look back to Fear Factor and watching people in uncomfortable situations. Also, Dan Cortes, MTV Sports. He was the OG,” Joe added.
In the end, Joe Manganiello has proved himself to be a phenomenal host on Deal or No Deal Island. His humor, enthusiasm, and genuine feelings for these contestants, who are competing in hopes of bettering their lives, are obvious to the show’s fans.
Deal or No Deal Island is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – HAS JOE MANGANIELLO PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE AN INCREDIBLE HOST ON DEAL OR NO DEAL ISLAND?
