The Traitors Proved Reality Contestants Are Onto Boston Rob’s Type Of Gameplay, But He Knows What He’d Like To Do Next In His Career
Yeah, I can honestly see this.
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I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as a Boston Rob ride or die, but I have watched the majority of the reality shows he’s competed in, including programs he’s most known for, like Survivor and Traitors but also shows like Deal or No Deal Island and The Amazing Race. In short, Rob Mariano’s been on the circuit for a long time, and from his latest comments, it sounds like Rob may be ready to make some money another way during this next step of his career.
Boston Rob’s won a season of Survivor. He’s gotten to the final run on many other competition shows, but lately when I’ve watched, the narrative from other reality contestants is that they are both aware and knowledgeable about his game. This was especially noticeable on his two recent Peacock shows, Deal or No Deal Island and The Traitors Season 3, the latter of which saw Rob flame out in just spectacular fashion. Recently TV Insider asked the popular reality TV personality what’s next, and as it turns out he hopes his future will not be in the competing realm only.
You know, I’d love to host something someday. I really feel like I share the same passion that Joe does for competition reality. And I think Joe’s a great host. I’m not asking to take over his job because I think he’s great, but I think maybe in the future, developing something in that direction might be something I like. At the same time, I still love to compete, too.
When Rob Mariano started out on Survivor, he was so, so young. And while Deal or No Deal Island proved he’s still a challenge beast, he’s also 49 years old at this point. I don’t think wanting to take a step back from games at this point is unreasonable, but could Rob take on a similar role to those currently occupied by the likes of Jeff Probst, Alan Cumming, Joe Manganiello, or even Phil Keoghan?
It is worth speaking about how Boston Rob’s already started on this transitional path. The longtime TV personality appeared on the first season of Deal or No Deal Island as a contestant who really got the social game going. He then returned in Season 2 to headline an aftershow for the series, which you can watch with a Peacock subscription. He called the gig “different,” but it’s absolutely a stepping stone for something larger, in my opinion.
I think a lot of people are interested in this little bit of a transition for me. It’s different. At the same time, I’m still on Peacock playing Traitors and actively involved in competition reality. But something different, a fun, unique opportunity, and I think the audience is enjoying it for sure.
I think the timing couldn’t be better for Mariano, personally, and it’s not just because he is approaching 50. There were a lot of other contestants who kept making comments about “understanding Rob’s game” during his two most recent shows. Sure, we got a little bit of that in Rob’s later seasons of Survivor, but his Peacock work took the awareness piece to new levels. (Though it’s worth noting the Housewives seemed less up on the reality competition star’s modus operandi than other Traitors stars.)
I think Carolyn was so wary of Rob because she knew exactly who he’s been on Survivor, including the season he just walked all over everyone to take home the million dollar prize. Rob said in his exit interview he’s a loyal guy and would have taken Carolyn to the end, but said she “was scared” and that “you can’t force someone to be your person.”
Carolyn later admitted she was scared but would have come around, even writing a poem to Rob during filming that she never ended up giving him (because he got banished). Rob’s a great gamer, but people know at this point he plays hard (as evidenced by him taking out Bob The Drag Queen on Traitors), so if he can bring some of that dedicated energy and his on-camera speaking skills to the other side of TV-making, I’d like to see how it goes.
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Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.
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CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Who Went Home on Deal or No Deal Island Tonight? March 4, 2025
Deal or No Deal Island host Joe Manganiello reacts to brutal elimination (exclusive)
The game master also weighs in on the wipeout of the century.
MONTY BRINTON/NBC
Each week, Deal or No Deal Island host, game master, and executive producer Joe Manganiello will weigh in with Entertainment Weekly regarding the latest events on the Banker’s Island. This week, he reacts to CK’s epic wipeout, David’s big gamble, Lete cutting Dickson loose, and the absence of any personal offers from the Banker this season.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Tell me your reaction when you saw CK take that brutal fall in the excursion — hitting the beam, flipping, and then face-planting into the mud?
JOE MANGANIELLO: I yelled out loud. She was vertical, feet above head, and pile-drove head first into the mud. Thank God that quicksand wasn’t hard. It’s the kind of thing where you don’t want to react until you see that the person is okay… similar to when a boxer gets knocked out. But then once you realize they’re okay, you can’t help but let out a maniacal belly laugh while looking around to see the reactions of the other guests and cameramen because you know you just saw something wild.
MONTY BRINTON/NBC
So many mind games this episode centered around the trifecta of Dickson, Lete, and David. Let’s start with David’s decision not to put Dickson up against the Banker even though his “son” asked him to. Do you think that’s because he believed Lete was bluffing and would take out CK, or that he was willing to sacrifice his alliance-mate to take a shot at getting Lete out of the game?
You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t in that situation. It seemed at that moment like David was under the impression that Lete might take out CK because of their strained relationship and the fact that it would probably, logically, be better for her game because Dickson had been trying to work with her. But Lete repeatedly refused him. Either way, David wanted Lete gone, so he chose to put her up and hoped for the best.
MONTY BRINTON/NBC
On the flip side, that was a cold-blooded move by Lete to take out her island boyfriend Dickson instead of CK, someone she does not even like. Have we been distracted too much by all the verbal fireworks this season from CK, Phillip, and Seychelle to notice that Lete is an absolute assassin out there?
I think that at the end of the day, eliminating Dickson comes down to strategically chipping away at the Family. But yes, that was cold-blooded to Dickson, who clearly had a crush on her.
MONTY BRINTON/NBC
Finally, this is kind of random, but it struck me there have been no personal offers this season to tempt people to quit the game in pursuit of guaranteed cash. Why that big change for season 2?
This season, we made a concerted effort to keep the players on their toes. After last season, I assumed that they’d all come in expecting to be able to take an easy and arguably safe way out by accepting an offer. But as I always say: Beware, because you never know what the Banker has in store for you on the island…
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Deal or No Deal Island airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
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