It’s no secret that Parvati Shallow thrives in the jungle. Her four stints on Survivor (and her one win) cemented her legacy as the series’ Black Widow and one of the greatest strategists ever to play the game. With this impressive resume, Shallow needs another island to conquer, so why not the Banker’s? It is no surprise then that Shallow is among the contestants on NBC’s Deal Or No Deal Island and, only a few episodes into the season, is demonstrating why she is a legend. When asked why she was drawn to hit reality competition series, Shallow was intrigued because she saw the show as a “divinely feminine game.” “It’s an ever-changing experience, like Mother Nature herself,” said Shallow.
Right off the bat, Shallow was the only person to recognize Australian Survivor star David Genat and quickly formed a mutually beneficial secret alliance with him. “He was a real partner for me in the game,” confirmed Shallow. She quickly charmed her fellow players, including Dickson Wong and Phillip Soloman, and pacified any fears that they may have had about her cutthroat reality TV past. “I embraced the Black Widow and it helped me because people knew who I was and wanted to align with me,” explained Shallow.
The only snag she has faced so far? The surprise addition of Big Brother‘s Dr. Will Kirby, who came out of his self-imposed reality TV retirement to play Deal Or No Deal Island. “Dr. Will came in hot in all the wrong ways,” remembered Shallow. “He was wearing a tuxedo in the jungle on an island. That’s a hard no for me.” Beside his fashion crime, Dr. Will revealed Shallow’s Survivor past at dinner. “I had all these individual secret alliances with people who knew who I was that he completely ruined,” lamented Shallow. “I knew I would have to deal with it at some point, but Dr. Will just forced the issue a little faster than I wanted.”
Shallow stopped by the DECIDER studio to talk about all things Deal Or No Deal Island, preview her upcoming memoir, Nice Girls Don’t Win: How I Burned It All Down to Claim My Power, and more.
DECIDER: I’m sure after your iconic stint on The Traitors, you had many exciting opportunities to pursue. Why did you say yes to Deal or No Deal Island?
PARVATI SHALLOW: With The Traitors, I had a lot of fun working with NBC so there’s that. Deal or No Deal Island has a rad host with Joe Manganiello from Magic Mike fame. The man’s got moves! Also, it’s on this exotic island and there’s food [laughs]. It’s just like glamping with the chance to win millions and millions of dollars. So how can I say no to that?
Did you find your prior experience on realityTV was an advantage or a hinderance on Deal Or No Deal Island?
It’s so tricky when I come out and play reality competition games because people know my past. My reputation as a Black Widow precedes me, and I can’t shake it. So, coming on to Deal or No Deal Island, I went with it. I embraced the Black Widow and it helped me in a way because people knew who I was and wanted to align with me. They knew about the experience that I have as a gamer. They wanted that on their side. On the flip side, my reputation also paints me as a target. I can’t ever hide in the shadows .
You called Deal Or No Deal Island a “divinely feminine game.” Can you explain?
Deal Or No Deal Island is a divinely feminine game because you can’t control it. The dynamics are always shifting. It’s an ever-changing experience, like Mother Nature herself. The only thing you can do is play with the elements as they present themselves. So, for me, the way that I showed up was to be like water. I wanted to be able to adapt and flow and adjust and change flow around the obstacles.
You were the only player who knew who of Australian Survivor legend David Genat previously. Did that surprise you?
I knew who David was only because I was preparing to go play Australian Survivor. They sent me some links to watch Australian Survivor in the US because it’s really difficult to access the show here. I knew I was probably the only person who knew who David was, and I used it to my advantage. It worked out really well for me.
Other that his resume, what makes David such a great ally for you in this game?
When you first look at David, you think: “this guy is going to have a massive ego. He’s going to want to run the show and control everything.” I’m used to that playing Survivor. Usually that’s how the men operate, especially the alpha guys. But with David, it was a completely different story. He was a real partner for me in the game.We would be able to have a conversation, I would offer him some suggestions, and he would follow my advice. And then he would offer me some suggestions. And I was like, “Yeah, that’s actually a good idea.” We partnered really well together, which surprised me because I thought he would be an arrogant jerk [laughs].
Parvati, no! [Laughs]
I think that’s kind of his M.O. on Australian Survivor. He was really accommodating to his alliance to their faces, but behind the scenes, he was trash talking all of them in his confessionals. I said to him, “I’ve got your number, so you better not do that to me!”
Well, you two adopted a son together in the game: Dickson. He’s giving me Aron Barbell vibes from last season.
Dickson, my sweet little son [laughs]. Dickson is only similar to Aaron in that he is a little nerdy, a little small, and he can shrink himself a bit. But Dickson has something that Aron didn’t have. He’s a little cutthroat. He really does have an edge.
I also love your bond with Phillip.
Phillip and I instantly clicked. I love a spicy, funny, gay guy. He’s so sharp. His mind works really fast, and he’s really athletic. In these challenges, I knew that we could dominate together as long as there was a physical component. He’s so quick. He trusted my instincts on the challenges because of my past experiences on Survivor.
There is a fly you have yet to snare in your web– Dr. Will Kirby. What was your gut reaction when you saw him on that boat, ready to enter the game?
Oh, Dr. Will. Dr. Will came in hot in all the wrong ways. He was wearing a tuxedo in the jungle on an island. That’s a hard no for me. That’s like a waiter move. Like, go get a job on Below Deck or something [laughs]. Don’t be coming to play Deal or No Deal Island in a tux! When he came out, I was like, “something’s off with this guy.” I knew him from The Traitors because he came out and did a guest appearance there. When I was on the dock alone with him, he started spouting off all these stats about me. I was like, “Is he a stalker?”
Did you ever think about forming an alliance with him?
He’s a gamer, so I thought maybe it was good that Dr. Will showed up because no one knew who David was. He was another front facing threat. He came up to me that night at the camp and he was like, “okay, who do we want to vote out? What’s going on?” Originally, he did want to partner with me, but then he outed me as a Survivor player. Maybe I could have gotten past that, but Dr. Will gave me the ick. It’s hard to get over the ick once you’ve got it.
Dr. Will wasted no time in blowing up your spot at the dinner table. You had to get up from the table and walk away. Can you talk about that moment?
I had all these individual secret alliances with people who knew I was from Survivor that he completely ruined. However, because I was playing this game as a divinely feminine game, I am water, I am fluid, I am flowing. I didn’t want to react with a blaze. I don’t want to give Dr. Will any more power than he has already. He’s trying to start a bonfire. I’m going to put it out with my water.
So, I just got up from the table. I stepped back and said: “I just need a moment.” I knew I could only keep this secret for so long. These people were going to talk and find me out down the line. I knew I would have to deal with it at some point, but Dr. Will forced the issue a little faster than I wanted.
I thought you rather graciously tried to give Dr. Will some good game advice—which was to build rapport with other players—that he didn’t take because he wants to be the “anti-hero.” I know you can’t get into any spoilers, but will he regret it?
I think Dr. Will will regret a lot of things about his choices on Deal or No Deal Island [laughs], one of which is not taking my advice. He really needed some coaching around how to ingratiate himself in a group. I was willing to offer him that. I was told him: “Look, bro, you outed me in the game, but that’s not a deal breaker for me. You need as many people on your side who don’t want to vote you out as possible.” However, he was not interested in what I had to say.
I thought it was rather bold of C.K to try to tell you and Philip what to do with the Banker’s Bonus. What are your thoughts on her as a gamer?
C.K. is here to play. I really enjoy C.K. because she just could not turn off her gamer mode. She’s a bit of a bulldog. She’s a poker player. She’s an investment banker. She has that type-A personality. Phillip and I are sitting here agonizing over the Banker’s Bonus, and C.K. runs over and tells us how to do it. I’m thinking: “Well, she knows math, so maybe let’s just do this with her.”
Plus, she and I were roommates. C.K. wants control and power. I’m like, “I see you, girl.” I am here for that [laughs]. I will let you take this power right now because my strategy playing this game is not to be the one who is in control or the most powerful player on the island. As long as someone else wants to put themselves in the spotlight , fine. More power to them.
Your memoir, Nice Girls Don’t Win, is finally coming out this July. How did writing this book help you heal and reclaim your power?
Writing this memoir was a complete transformation for me. When I first started writing the book, I was still in the midst of my divorce, and now I’m fully on the other side of that. Life looks so different now. I was born in a commune in Florida, run by this power-hungry female guru who named me. I explored certain areas of my childhood. Of course, I write about getting cast on Survivor and how that experience changed me.
I started out as a naive young girl who wanted people to like me and was willing to adapt and adjust to other people to fit other people’s expectations. Now I stand very firmly in my own power, my own truth and have reclaimed my voice. My book is for anyone who is going on a journey of transformation in their own life, or who once felt stuck and wants to change and better themselves. It’s possible, and I’m proof of that.
I know how close you are with your daughter. Are you excited for her to read your book someday?
I dedicated the book to my daughter. She is really the reason why I am in such a happy and joyful place in my life. Writing the book is also a gift to my daughter because I do wish that my parents had shared more stories about their upbringing, their past with me when I was younger. I think that would have helped me navigate life a little better. So, I wanted to share more of me with her so that she’d have that.
Until your book comes out, people can see your story in parts on Deal Or No Deal Island! What can you tell us about the rest of the season?
It’s a wild ride. I still can’t get over what happened on that island. I’m still pinching myself. I think I need to watch the show just to see that it really did happen because it’s so mind blowing.
Deal Or No Deal Island airs Tuesdays at 9PM ET/PT on NBC
