The reality TV legend also calls Dr. Will the most annoying contestant she has ever played with.
Monty Brinton/NBC
Warning: This article contains spoilers about season 2, episode 11 ofDeal Or No Deal Island.
Parvati Shallowknows a little something about immunity from her time onSurvivor.
David Genat, Parvati Shallow on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’.Credit:Monty Brinton/NBC
Parvati had elimination immunity for the first nine weeks ofDeal or No Deal Islandseason 2 a truly remarkable run.
But then, the very first time she didnothave safety, she was sent out of the game.
What does the reality TV legend have to say about her time on the Bankers island?
Parvati Shallow on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’.Monty Brinton/NBC
How did she manage to stay so safe for so long?
How much of her closeness withDavid Genatwas an act?
And what was it like being told byPhillip Solomonthat her gameplay was disgusting?
Parvati Shallow on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’.Monty Brinton/NBC
We caught up with the Black Widow to discuss all that and more.
PARVATI SHALLOW:I felt out of body.
Willwith his one, two, three, four strategy.
Maria-Grace Cook, David Genat, Parvati Shallow on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’.Monty Brinton/NBC
Yeah, how did you manage to go nine straight weeks with safety from being sent home?
What was the secret to your success?
I am good at these challenges!
Parvati Shallow on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’.Monty Brinton/NBC
I love those challenges.
It’s one thing that keeps bringing me back to play these games is stepping into those arenas.
And then on top of that, there was this added element of luck on the island.
Parvati Shallow, Courtney “CK” Kim on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’.Monty Brinton/NBC
Lucky, strange things kept happening.
I found a four-leaf clover for a challenge in the jungle in Panama.
I was like, “Do clovers even grow here?
Parvati Shallow and Phillip Solomon on season 2 of ‘Deal or No Deal Island’.Monty Brinton/NBC
I don’t know.”
And then it was the family alliance that really helped me out.
So clearly, you and David were very, very close in this game.
Parvati Shallow on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’.Monty Brinton/NBC
How much of that affection was genuine and how much was gameplay?
David is a funny dude.
He and I just clicked right away.
And sometimes you get that, sometimes you don’t.
I had it withAmanda and Cire inMicronesia, and I had it with David.
You don’t necessarily have that very often, so when I do, I just lean into it.
His brain worked very well alongside my brain in the game.
So the affection is real, alongside the strategy.
But withDeal or No Deal, it was really different toSurvivor.
You didn’t really have to cut anyone at the end.
And I realized that right away.
I was like, “Oh, this isn’t like a backstabby game.
This is a more fun, really work with people to get to the end game.”
And then who knows what the challenge could be.
And I was like, “I could beat David in a challenge.”
I mean, did I help them?
That’s what I want to know!
I was back at the hotel and it was like Ponderosa [onSurvivor].
So people were pulling against David there and they wanted Lete to win.
People were mad atCK because she’d cheatedand done some questionable things and was sort of playing all sides.
So it seemed to me like people were going to all be trying to help Lete win.
So I was like, “Well, what power do I have?
I can just mildly slow them down.
I’m just one cog in the wheel here and hopefully help David just go a little faster.”
Lete and I had not even barely one conversation.
We made an alliance, the Banker’s Angels, that didn’t get shown on air.
It wasn’t really a storyline.
I was like, “Oh, this alliance is dead.”
And it was with me, Lete, and CK, and that was before the Ring Challenge.
So maybe it appeared to be help.
I wasn’t actually sabotaging her, I was just kind of slowing her down.
CK came through with my throwing.
I’m really bad at throwing, but I definitely hammed it up.
Tell me about your relationship with CK in the game.
CK and I were roommates and we got really close.
CK and I was my tightest alliance beyond me and David.
So I had CK on one side and I had David on the other side.
And I knew she was working all sides.
What was it like having to sit there and hear that?
I was really confused and surprised.
And before that, we were really close.
What I didn’t realize was how much he didn’t trust me.
He saw me as a Black Widow.
He was relating to me as the Black Widow, this ferocious, betraying game player.
That happens sometimes when I play because people don’t relate to me as I am now.
They relate to me as they saw me 20 years ago.
So that’s what happened with Phillip.
And I was really surprised that he thought that I was weaponizing his childhood trauma.
I didn’t see myself as doing that.
Also, he’s just a very unique person and I love Philip.
We’re fine now and I think he’s great and I wish him all the best.
But out there, that was a big shock to me.
You looked so surprised.
I’m like, No, guys, that was real.
I have real emotions.
I really care about people.
Even if it’s a game, I can care about people.
And Ididcare about Phillip and I didn’t want to hurt him.
I thought he was a friend of mine.
So even the producers relate to me as a Black Widow from 20 years ago.
It’s hard to shake the perception that people have of who I am.
And I’ve been with some annoying contestants.
What’s it been like out of the game?
Have you crossed paths with Will at all?
I have, yeah.
He reminds me of Inspector Gadget outside of the game.
He is just got all these little contraptions and things.
He’s very cerebral.
His mind’s always working on something.
He’s always very excited about something and outside of the game.
I don’t need his behavior to be okay for me at all.
What is the craziest thing that went down this season that did not make it to air?
Well, David fell off the swing at one point.
I was like, Dickson, you basically did a double immunity play at Tribal!
and David’s like, What’s an immunity?
And then Dickson gets down and starts explaining what an immunity idol is and my double idol play.
And I’m just sitting there watching.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Deal or No Deal Islandairs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
