DONDI's David Genat Reveals His Real Family's Reaction to the "Family" Alliance
"It's like open season," the DONDI frontrunner explained. "I can kind of do what I want in the show."
The heat is rising on Season 2 of Deal or No Deal Island, and if anyone's led a glimmering campaign for the honor of duking it out against the Banker at the end, it's the Golden God of Survivor: Australia, David Genat.
With his masterful blend of social charm and physical zeal, David just keeps winning on DONDI, and his position as the father in "The Family" alliance alongside Survivor star Parvati Shallow has only catapulted him farther into the game. The Family's rivals have been quick to assume that there's a romantic component to Parvati and David's camaraderie — Parvati's history as the "Black Widow" has done little to quell these rumors, no doubt — but in reality, the pair have bonded over their shared Survivor history. Parvati is the only one who knows David's status as a Survivor: Australia champion and has kept his secret all the way to the final four of DONDI.
Together, the Banker's Island "spouses" have been swaying the tides of the game and seem totally fine with their rivals underestimating their bond as romantic flirtation. Behind closed doors, Parvati and David swap strategies over their shared goal: getting money back home to their actual families.
RELATED: Here's How David Genat's Wife Pearl Christensen Really Feels About His DONDI Game
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, David dished details about his Banker's Island gameplay, how his real-life family feels about The Family alliance, and the fan reaction to seeing the covert Survivor star get so far on Banker's Island.
David Genat's family loves him "being crazy" on TV
David hasn't backed down from power plays on Season 2 of DONDI, whether that's meant scaling cliff sides, wading through quicksand, or forming strategic alliances to move forward in the game. Despite David being a clear threat among the players, he's avoided elimination thanks to The Family alliance, with both David and Parvati making it to the DONDI final four. As the remaining players scramble to get David out of the game before it's too late, David knows his family loves the craziness breaking out on Banker's Island.
"They're loving it," David revealed when asked how his wife and kids felt about The Family alliance. "They love the show. I do some pretty wild stuff on these shows, and I have a pretty open card to do whatever I want. I guess I treat it like it's an acting role. It's like open season. I can kind of do what I want in the show."
"So they've been really enjoying it," David explained. "I think they like to see that side of me. I think the side they get is pretty nice and regular and probably boring. So then they see me out there being crazy. They love it."
David Genat on Survivor fans & getting DMs from "nuts" Big Brother fans
One of the most thrilling components of David's game has been his ability to hide his status as a million-dollar-winning reality television titan, but there was one player who seemed to smell a champion in their midst: Big Brother star Dr. Will Kirby. The "Dr. Evil" of Big Brother wasted no time asking David what reality competition he'd won, but David kept his mouth shut, eventually eliminating Will from the game to snuff the news getting out.
Naturally, the reaction from Big Brother fans has been volatile, but David's got his Survivor standing to carry him through. "I've definitely found out that Big Brother fans are nuts," David teased. "I'm getting some serious troll messages on Instagram, which is fun. I like that."
Fortunately for the Golden God, there are legions of Survivor: Australia fans rooting for him from across the pond during his grand slam of an American reality TV debut. The best part? On Banker's Island, David can operate as a covert powerhouse and helpful hero at the same time.
"Australian Survivor fans love it. I think I'm kind of doing what I do best," David explained. "On Australian Survivor, I'm a bit of a villain — a lovable villain — but I have more chance to do a bit more devious stuff. Whereas with this, I feel like I'm kind of getting a hero edit... So it's been great."
"Survivor fans love this game because, in one way, it's very, very similar to Survivor, especially with the social and strategic gameplay. But yeah, those Big Brother fans… man, don't @ me."
Watch Deal or No Deal Island on Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
