‘Deal or No Deal Island’ season 2 winner David Genat. Photo:
Monty Brinton/NBC
Warning: This story contains spoilers from the season 2 finale of Deal or No Deal Island.
David Genat made TV history in the Deal or No Deal Island season 2 finale by making a deal for $5,800,000 — the biggest prize in game show history.
“I’m so elated about winning the money, it’s everything to me, but I really wanted the title of winning Deal or No Deal,” Genat, 45, tells PEOPLE. “It’s just the cherry on that sundae. It keeps hitting and it feels so good.”
The Australian Survivor winner beat out Alexis Lete in the last excursion to play for a $12,232,0001 in the final game of Deal or No Deal. Genat shocked his castmates, host Joe Manganiello and banker Chrissy Teigen by turning down multiple six-figure deals over the course of seven rounds.
“I didn’t want to play it safe,” Genat says. “I watch a lot of the competitive reality shows, and I want to see someone that comes in and swings really big, does crazy stuff and maybe fails and then succeeds. I want to root for someone. I try to be that for people watching at home, and I think I nailed it this time.”
PEOPLE was on set when Genat filmed his finale, which lasted for nearly five hours and wrapped at 1:30 a.m. Genat says his “dopamine was in full swing” the entire time.
“I knew I was doing something special as it was happening, so I just wanted to embrace that moment,” the father of four says. “I wanted to make it a game about love.”
Genat chose case 18, the date that three of his children were born. The reality star has since gotten the number 18 tattooed on his back.
“My three kids were born on 18 — my youngest son was born on 14, but 18 has been this big number for me that’s kept popping up,” Genat says. “And then when dad passed on the 18th, it was on my stepdaughter’s birthday and I was like, ‘Oh man.’ I knew he would hate that so much that that was her birthday. So it’s good to put some good positive vibes back on number 18, and I think we did it in pretty grand fashion.”
Genat reflects on why he thought he’d be season 2’s villain, the cast member he found to be bizarrely nice outside of the game and which reality competition he wants to appear on next.
‘Deal or No Deal Island’ season 2 contestants David Genat, La Shell Wooten (center) and Alexis Lete. Monty Brinton/NBC
PEOPLE: Has it set in yet that you’ve won the most money in TV history?
DAVID GENAT: It feels a little transcendent right now. It’s just so good for it to be out there now because I’ve been waiting so long. I have not been sleeping.
Looking back, would have played that final game the same way and kept going until round 7?
I was always rolling it out. I just really felt confident in what I was doing. I was having like a real spiritual experience in the temple, and it was always going like that. It was either the $5.8 million or it was the $12.2, as far as I’m concerned. And I’m pretty happy with $5.8 million. $5.8 million was meant for me. It’s a huge help to my family, to my wife’s health situation, to everything in my life. Would that have gotten easy with 12? At some point it’s like, “What does it really matter? How much can you spend?” I don’t need $12 million. I need $5.8 million and that’s what I got.
Talk to me about that spiritual experience. What were you feeling in that moment?
I really felt like my dad was with me during that whole experience. I felt his presence on the island. I always felt really safe with him and cared for, and when he passed, that goes away. But then having him out there, I just felt that safety again, like he was with me. He gifted me $5.8 million.
David Genat with ‘Deal or No Deal Island’ season 2 runner-up Alexis Lete. Monty Brinton/NBC
Why did you put so much trust in your fellow players during the game to help you pick case numbers?
For me, the numbers were going to be what the numbers were. I knew what my two numbers were. And so the real goal is getting all the other numbers off the board. I wanted to include those guys in my final journey because they were a big part of my journey on the beach. I couldn’t have been there without them.
Is there anything that you would have handled differently during the entire game?
No regrets. I come into these shows, and I am usually a villain. I like to give production as much as I can and then I just like, “Edit me, but make me lovable if possible.” And I’m watching this back and I’m like, “I look like a really nice guy in this.” I think there was just like so many bigger villains than me on the show. But it was a really special time for me, and to have this memento to look back on of the ultimate game and winning this much money is really incredible and really special.
Do you credit any one game move or relationship with helping you get to the end?
Of course, Parvati [Shallow]. Without Parv there, I don’t win. She was so instrumental in moving us through the game. She’s so good at these competitive reality games and she’s just whip smart. We have a very similar game style and we complemented each other so well. I really laid my game down to her.
David Genat and Parvati Shallow on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’ season 2. Monty Brinton/NBC
She didn’t out you as a Survivor player, either, even though Dr. Will Kirby outed her.
No, she didn’t. As veterans in television, people don’t often want to work together because you are like, “Oh, you got to take this person out.” You feel that pressure. But for vets, the only way to move through the game is to work together. If you are not willing to work together, you’re cooked, in my opinion. I think this is the first time you’ve really seen that, and I think that was what was special about what we went through. if you are not willing to work together, you’re cooked, in my opinion. I was going to take Parv to the end, no matter what. At this stage, I want to beat the best at the final challenge, not in some wimpy way. It was just, we couldn’t quite get there. The Banker took care of it one step earlier.
You wanted to beat the best, but Philip thought you took him out because you wanted to go to the end with people who weren’t as big of physical threats. Did that cross your mind?
No. Taking out Philip at that point was purely because I gave him the money. It wasn’t really shown, but one of the things I had been saying to Lete and to Philip was, ” The big visible physical targets have to go together to the end, or we’re going to get targeted.” The big visible physical targets have to stick together. I was really trying to sell that to them, even to Storm. And I could never relate to Lete. I generally am pretty good with socials, but I just couldn’t figure her out. We didn’t see eye to eye. But I wanted to beat physical people at the end because I know I’ve got those better social skills, I’ve got better strategy skills.
Banker Chrissy Teigen revealed that you’ve been on Survivor during the finale — what did your castmates who didn’t know make of that?
They were very surprised. I had fully invented a fake life. Interpersonally, I’m not who I am on television. I’m very nice, very honest and I feel like I’m pretty fun to be around. I just tried to keep that fun happening for them and making them feel good about themselves, even though they had been duped. But to me, that’s what the game is. I wanted them to feel like because I was so good at it, it made me a worthy winner. Because I wouldn’t want to sit at the end of a competitive reality game and have someone win that did nothing. What did Lete do? She’s trying to tell you she’s honest, but then she’s not. She’s playing that integrity thing. That’s the worst thing I can think of in reality TV.
Dr. Will Kirby (left) and David Genat on ‘Deal or No Deal Island’ season 2. Monty Brinton/NBC
Have you stayed in touch with anyone from the show?
I stayed really close with all our alliance, so Parv, Dixon, MG. We’re going to have a little reunion. And I’ve gotten really tight with Joe. Boston Rob [Mariano] and I have become good friends, and I’ve stayed good friends with Will. It’s bizarre. I didn’t think I was going to be friends with Will, but out of the game Will is such a nice guy. In the game, horrible. Hate him. Go to hell. Outside the game, super nice. He’s got a great family, really lovely kids, a super nice wife, which I was not expecting. How do you put up with Will Kirby for 20 plus years? But outside of the game, he’s just a lovely dude.
Which competition show would you want to try your hand at next?
There is a rumor that I might be doing Australian Survivor: Australia vs. the World. I’m not going to confirm that. I love Traitors. I have a feeling I’m not going to get very far if I do that after this, but those kind of gameplay shows, to me are the ultimate.
Do you feel like winning this huge sum of money puts a target on your back going forward?
There’s definitely an element of that for sure. And I think in the business we’re in, reality TV, there is jealousy amongst the other competitors. I’m good at these games. I’ve won three reality shows. This is my thing. So it does put a really big target, but I think mostly that target comes from just jealousy.
You spoke during filming about wanting to win to buy homes for your family. Have you done that yet?
I’m going to wait till that check clears before I start buying properties, but the second it does, we’re going to make sure we get some good spots. This money just gives me so much breathing space, I can pick and choose what projects I want to do. But I’ve got so much. I got a beautiful family and I get to do these amazing shows. My life is full. My heart’s full. The money is just a real nice cherry on this cake. I’m so blessed.
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Deal or No Deal Island is streaming now on Peacock.
