Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!
Joe Manganiello Reveals If Howie Mandel Gave Him Deal or No Deal Hosting Advice
The host of Deal or No Deal Island has actually known his predecessor for years.
Deal or No Deal Island isn’t the Deal or No Deal you remember. Of course, the briefcases are back, as is the high-stakes guessing game that was such a sensation in the ‘00s, back when Howie Mandel hosted the popular game show. But the new series, set to premiere next week, takes place on the Banker’s Private Island, and the 13 contestants will have to participate in physical challenges before they get a chance to open any briefcases.
To add to the changes, Mandel isn’t returning as the host, having handed off those duties to Joe Manganiello. The True Blood and Magic Mike star is more than capable of hosting Deal or No Deal Island — more so, if anything.
Manganiello, who spoke to NBC Insider ahead of the February 26 premiere, said he didn’t get any specific advice from Mandel before he started hosting Deal or No Ideal Island.
RELATED: How Do Deal or No Deal Island's Challenges and Classic Briefcases Work?
“I’ve known him a long time. But there wasn’t really advice,” Manganiello explained.
“I watched a lot of Deal or No Deal. I watched tons of his episodes. Just random seasons. To see how this theatrical device worked or that theatrical device worked,” Manganiello said. However, Mandel’s work on Deal or No Deal wasn’t his only inspiration.
“I’ve watched tons of Fear Factor,” Manganiello explained. “I got offered [to host] Fear Factor when it rebooted. It wasn’t the right time for me to host. I was a fan of what Joe Rogan did on the show. I’m a Survivor junkie. I watch Survivor constantly in my free time. Jeff Probst is a great host. I think he was a big influence on me as well.”
While Manganiello might have done some research, he stresses that his hosting is not just him copying Mandel, Rogan, or Probst.
“What’s an actor?” he asked, rhetorically. “I’ve done a Streetcar Named Desire a million times — I shouldn’t say a million. I’ve done it three times. I don’t watch the [Marlon] Brando version before I do it. You never watch somebody else’s version before you do it. You make up your own.”
Deal or No Deal Island will premiere with a 90-minute special at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, February 26, 2024. Following this supersized first episode, subsequent episodes will air on its regularly scheduled timeslot starting on Monday, March 4 at 10 p.m.
