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There’s still a lot we don’t know about NBC’s newest reality competition show, Deal or No Deal Island. But, thanks to its big cast signing — “Boston Rob” Mariano — we’ve gotten some more tidbits.
The Survivor legend joined a crop of reality TV rookies to compete in the Deal or No Deal reimagination. And he spoke with his former Survivor co-star, Rob Cesternino, on the latter’s Rob Has a Podcast ahead of its premiere, February 26.
Boston Rob knows the rustic island life well. He’s starved, built shelters, lived in the elements, and battled bugs and critters all the while playing the social-strategy game five times. But, he revealed that Deal or No Deal Island was a far cry from those experiences.
“I’ll tell you, it’s beyond luxurious,” Boston Rob said about the Deal or No Deal Island contestants’ quarters. “It’s glamping to the next level. It was like we were at the Four Seasons.
“We had these luxurious glamping tents. It was a pavilion area, we had three meals a day. So, the survival aspect was not a part of the show. And that’s kind of part of what intrigued me to do it also. This show is not Survivor. It has Survivor-like elements in it, but it’s definitely something completely different.”
Boston Rob has always shown a strong resilience for the survival aspect of Survivor. And apparently, he had to go through an adjustment period when he began filming Deal or No Deal Island.
“I’ll tell you what, Rob,” Boston Rob said. “You and I have both been through that experience. We know how hard it is physically, strategically, and, of course, socially. But physically in particular. And the first time when I was out on Deal or No Deal Island, this is the Banker’s private island. So, we’re not exactly slumming it out there. And the first time somebody handed me a bottle of water, a cold bottle of water, I felt like I was doing something wrong there for drinking it. But, very quickly I got used to it, and I enjoyed it.”
It’s been around four years since we watched Boston Rob duke it on season 40’s Winners at War. But, he finally answered the call to join another franchise. And even though he joined the show as a job, at points it felt too good to be true.
“There was times when I was out there on the island, and I was like, ‘This is more like a vacation than it is work,’” he said.