Deal or No Deal Island has been a thrilling addition to the reality TV landscape. The show is a clever blend of the original Deal or No Deal and Survivor. The Banker invited 13 contestants to stay, and compete, on his tropical island. The final player standing will compete against the Banker for up to $200 million in cash.
While most of the guests were “normies,” former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Claudia Jordan and Survivor legend Boston Rob Mariano were part of the cast. Rob struck up one alliance the moment the game started. He bonded with Aron Barbell, and the two have been operating as a duo ever since.
Against all odds, Rob is still in it to win it. He convinced his fellow competitors to keep him around for now and cut him out later. Plus, the fact that he keeps winning immunity also helps. Meanwhile, Rob and Aron’s unexpected friendship has continued outside of the game. US Weekly has the scoop.
Rob teases Aron about his Deal or No Deal Island gameplay
Aron recently traveled to visit Rob and his family. And the Survivor star had a little fun with his co-star. “It was like a training camp for him,” Rob said. “I was telling him all the things that he did wrong and right on the show, giving him a little post-show criticism. I’m teasing. He’s a great dude, and it was fun to catch up,” he added.
So, how did the pair connect? “We were lucky enough to be put in that same Jeep, which was completely random. And then from that we found out we were from the same part of the country, so we had a lot in common,” Rob explained. Let’s not forget that Aron wasted no time letting Rob know that he knew who he was.
At first, Rob planned to use Aron “in the game.” Then the duo “developed a genuine friendship.” Claudia and Alyssa Klinzing were part of Aron and Rob’s alliance. Alyssa and Claudia went home, leaving Rob and Aron on the wrong side of the numbers.
They escaped another near ouster in the most recent episode. When Nicholas Grasso played against the Banker, he made a bad deal and was eliminated. Had he won, he would have sent Rob packing.
“At the same time, I also am always aware that I’m playing a game and whatever my alliance or friendship — whatever you want to call it in the game — is potentially in order for them to win, [and eventually] they have to get rid of me. So it’s mutual back and forth and I’m pretty aware of it,” Rob stated. “But Aron’s great to play with and it was fun to see him kind of evolve over the course of the season up until this point.”
Let’s see how far Rob and Aron can take it as we roll towards the finale!
Deal or No Deal Island continues on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT ARON AND ROB ARE FRIENDS OUTSIDE THE GAME? WILL ARON OR ROB MAKE IT TO THE DEAL OR NO DEAL ISLAND FINALE?
