Five years ago, we were introduced to the "Golden God" of Australian Survivor. And the down under version of the American reality series has never been the same. Over back-to-back seasons, David scarfed down his opponents and confessionals like a pile of popcorn. He went from getting blindsided with an idol in his pocket to absolutely dominating the subsequent "all-stars" season from beginning to end. Having resided in Brooklyn during his run, many fans were wondering if–or when–he would make the crossover to competing on reality TV in the States.
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Fortunately, that five-year wish is finally coming true. But, surprisingly, David will be making his American TV debut on a very different beach, touching his toes in the sands of Deal or No Deal Island. He is part of the cast of the second season of Universal's newest reality series, premiering on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. And he'll be following in the footsteps of another Survivor all-star and winner, "Boston" Rob Mariano, who competed in Season 1. But, considering his previous experience, what made him decide DONDI was going to be the next jewel in his reality TV Infinity Gauntlet? As David himself would say, it all comes down to serendipity.
"The things that had to line up cosmically for me to end up on Deal or No Deal are kind of crazy," David tells Parade in an exclusive interview. "I was hosting my own reality TV show at the start of last year called Rush, which was incredible, amazing experience for me. But we got canceled. We only got one season out of it. And another show that I host, a travel show, had sent me to the Caribbean for a couple of weeks. Poor me!"
While David had moved on from America following his Survivor win, present business had him returning stateside. And just when he hit a lull in employment, a window of opportunity opened. An extremely flattering email arrived in his inbox, something David claims is the way to his heart. And while compliments got him interested, it was cash that got him hooked.
Related: Everything to Know About Deal or No Deal Island Season 2
"I looked at [Deal or No Deal Island]," he recounts. "I'd seen bits and pieces as I'd been traveling around the states. I was doing a big motorcycle trip, and I was seeing it come up on some things. And, obviously, Boston Rob piqued my interest. Just so much money involved, Mike. 14 million they were playing for last year. How could you say no? So I'm gonna get paid to play for 14ish million dollars? Who would say no to that? And it's all the things I love too. I love that environment, living on the beach. And I love social manipulation. So it was a dream come true. It was a dream job."
David won't be the only reality TV veteran competing in this relatively new format. Along with eleven newbies, he'll be joined by two former winners and outright legends of the genre in Parvati Shallow (Survivor, The Traitors) and Dr. Will Kirby (Big Brother). Despite the former players and island location, that's where the common DNA between Survivor and Deal or No Deal Island ends. Even just looking at ways contestants are eliminated, rather than being voted out at Tribal Council, every vote comes down a high-stakes edition of the case-based game show. But, despite being in relatively new territory, David was apparently still able to find plenty of connective tissue back to his previous success.
"The great thing about these shows that I get to do is suspended disbelief," he explains. "I get to be whoever I want to be in there. I can be as bad as I want to be. I can be who I want to be. I can sell people lemonade and call it iced tea. And that is a really fun thing to be able to do, because in my real life, that's not me. So I get to be this other person. I get to play a role. I get to be the Golden God and go crazy and challenge myself physically, which I really like, but more so, challenge yourself socially and strategically.
"And I think Deal or No Deal Island is a huge social game. [It has] a really big social component and a huge strategic component. And those were things that transferred really well for me from shows that I'd done previously. And that was the advantage I had, I think, going in from other shows. But then I was at a disadvantage because I'd done other shows, which was what was happening with Parv and Dr. Will. Because it's such a big target going in, and everyone was playing like they didn't know who Pav was. So it was like, 'Are they doing that to me? Are people recognizing me? They better be!'
Related: Deal or No Deal Island Winner and Finalists Talk Their Favorite Unseen Moments
Whether his competition recognizes him or not, David joins the very rarified air of making the crossover from Australian to American reality TV. The only person to do it before him was Nina Twine (ironically, an American herself), a two-time Australian Survivor contestant and daughter of Survivor legend Sandra Diaz-Twine who recently claimed victory in The Anonymous on USA. And, when asked for some fellow Survivor AU alumni to follow in his footsteps on DONDI, David stuck with what was most familiar to him.
"Because the social play is so is such a big part of this, it would have to be my favorite Australian Survivor winner, which is Pia Miranda," he says. "I think Pia is a really, really good social strategist, and she's one of the best. I played Australian Survivor with a lot of the best, and Piers game had a big influence on what I did when I when I played Australian Survivor the second time and won. Being likable is really big, and Pia is probably the most likable person I've ever met."
David also mentions his close ally and Survivor AU fan-favorite Luke Toki. "He also is just someone that people want to be around. And that's a big part of being good at this game. You have to be someone that people want to be around. You want to do stuff for them that's maybe not great for your game."
"If they were putting subtitles for me," David adds, with a laugh, "you'd have to put a full translator for Luke."
Deal or No Deal Island premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Related: Boston Rob Mariano Reveals What Reality Show He'd Do Next After 'Deal or No Deal Island'
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