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Since Deal or No Deal Island premiered, the reality show has become one of Peacock’s best shows and is so great that has become must-see. While Deal or No Deal Island features several fantastic first-time reality show stars, like Storm Wilson, who was brutally blindsided, the show also stars legends. In addition to the Survivor Hall of Famer Parvati Shallow and Australian Survivor winner David Genat, Big Brother’s most iconic player, Dr. Will Kirby, also joined the show.
After previously sneaking out of Big Brother to get drunk, Dr. Will has been fantastic during Deal or No Deal Island Season 2. In addition to pulling off the most daring reality TV moment in years, Dr. Will has also been in a battle against DONDI’s other legendary reality show stars. With that in mind, it was fascinating when Dr. Will exclusively told TheThings about calling himself a “Golden God” years before his rival David did.
Dr. Will Kirby On Being A “Golden God” Years Before David Genat Called Himself That
During the second season of Deal or No Deal Island, the show recruited three reality show legends. Parvati Shallow and David Genat are former winners of Survivor and Australian Survivor respectively, who teamed up almost immediately after DONDI Season 2 began. Dr. Will Kirby then joined the cast and the Big Brother icon instantly threw the season’s power dynamics into question.
It didn’t take long for it to become clear that there was a DONDI power struggle with Dr. Will on one side and the Survivor legends on the other. Anyone who is familiar with how Dr. Will has always behaved on reality shows and shouldn’t be surprised by that. In February 2025, Dr. Will exclusively spoke to TheThings about an amazing new layer in his epic battle with David.
As Deal or No Deal Island fans will know, David has referred to himself as a “Golden God” on the show. The amazing thing about that is, as a video posted on the Rob Has a Podcast archive X/Twitter account shows, Dr. Will called himself a “Golden God” during his Big Brother tenure. Dr. Will exclusively spoke to TheThings about telling the world he is a “Golden God” more than a decade earlier than David.
In February 2025, TheThings journalist Matthew Thomas exclusively interviewed Dr. Will about his history of coining reality TV terms. At that time, Dr. Will stated that he believed the Big Brother video of him proclaiming himself to be a “Golden God” stemmed from 2007.
Which Celebrities Have Played Deal or No Deal Island | |
|---|---|
Claim To Fame | Celebrity |
Survivor Hall of Famer | “Boston” Rob Mariano |
The Real Housewives of Atlanta/The Celebrity Apprentice | Claudia Jordan |
Big Brother Icon | Dr. Will Kirby |
Survivor Hall of Famer | Parvati Shallow |
Australian Survivor Legend | David Genat |
Former Miss Indiana USA/Professional Wrestler | Alexis Lete |
While addressing him and David both calling themselves a “Golden God,” Dr. Will touched on being a reality TV original. As Dr. Will explained, modern reality show stars who follow in his footsteps are likely to be surprised by the fact that he got there first.
“Young bucks always attempt to establish themselves but I’ve been doing this for so long but they are often surprised to learn that many of the modern concepts of competitive reality television come from me, including some of the monitors!”
Dr. Will then went on to tell TheThings how he feels about reality stars borrowing his ideas while comparing himself to an entertainment industry legend. “Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and, just like ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair, I’m often imitated, never duplicated.” To Dr. Will’s point, there is no denying that many things he’s done have influenced future generations of reality show stars, the same Ric Flair influenced wrestlers.
While speaking specifically about him and David both calling themselves a “Golden God,” Dr. Will was asked if he believed the similarity was intentional.
Throughout Dr. Will’s Big Brother tenure, he said many things that caught on with fans and other players. Aware of that fact, TheThings asked Dr. Will to reveal if he felt anything he said during the taping of Deal or No Deal Island Season 2 would also go down in history. “Weasels have been part of reality television from its inception, but if I had to guess, I definitely think you’re going to hear more contestants using the phrase, ‘weasel trap’ in the future. Ensnaring weasels, although extremely challenging, is the optimum way to pierce through the secrecy of strong alliances. Weasel traps should only be attempted by seasoned professionals.”
In response, Dr. Will instantly clarified that he wasn’t accusing David of intentionally copying him. However, Dr. Will then cracked the door open to the idea that David may have knowingly used the same term.
“By no means am I accusing him of outright plagiarism. That said, he is a student of reality television, and we have to at least consider the possibility that he accidentally (or purposely?) borrowed the use of the Golden God in unscripted television concept from me, thinking no one in North America would notice!”
Of course, most people don’t go around regularly calling themselves a “Golden God.” With that in mind, TheThings asked Dr. Will if he remembered what led to him calling himself a “Golden God.”
While talking to TheThings in February 2025 about concepts he came up with first, Dr. Will was asked if he coined any other terms that he isn’t credited with. In response, Dr. Will brought up the memorable name of a Big Brother alliance from the past. “In 2007, during Big Brother All-Stars, and you can go back to the live feeds and watch me use it, I use the phrase ‘hit men.’ A few years later that alliance’s name was popularized by others, and they were lauded for being so original. Again, I don’t think it was overt plagiarism. But it’s very possible that seeds were planted.”
In response, Dr. Will revealed that he began calling himself a “Golden God” for a hilarious and mischievous reason.
“As I recall, in 2001, during the filming of Big Brother 2, a fence was erected around the pool so that Ophelia (the pig) wouldn’t fall in. I would stand at the corner of that fence and, against the pleas of the production staff, jump into the pool loudly declaring that I was a ‘Golden God!'”
Between the involvement of a pig and a fence, Dr. Will’s explanation is undeniably hilarious and ridiculous. However, the fact that Dr. Will made the most of every little thing that was added to the Big Brother environment all those years ago proves why he is reality TV gold.
In the year 2000, the movie Almost Famous was released. Easily one of the best movies of the era, Almost Famous memorably featured a scene where the character Russell Hammond yells “I am a Golden God!” The character then jumps into a pool. Given the similarities, it seemed likely that the movie inspired Dr. Will to label himself a “Golden God” on national TV.
However, while talking to TheThings, Dr. Will revealed that assumption is wrong. Dr. Will then went on to name what actually inspired him to label himself a “Golden God.”
“I’m a big Led Zepplin fan and while some fans erroneously said I copied the character Russell Hammond from the 2000 film, Almost Famous, declaring that he was a golden god before jumping into a pool, I was actually paying homage to Robert Plant. See, in 1975, Plant was staying at a hotel on the Sunset Strip and his room overlooked a billboard for the Led Zeppelin album ‘Physical Graffiti.’ At the moment he declared that he was a golden god. For me, appearing on reality television in 2001 for the first time, well, that was my own personal ‘Physical Graffiti.'”
To Dr. Will’s point, it turns out that the Robert Plant story he told TheThings is what inspired the Almost Famous scene. In July 2020, The New York Times published an oral history of the Almost Famous scene. That article quoted the writer and director of Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe, stating that Robert Plant inspired the scene from his movie.
“There was a famous moment where [Robert Plant] was on the balcony of the Continental Hyatt House, [the Sunset Strip hotel known as] the Riot House. I think there’s even a photo of the moment, and he’s holding his hands out, and he said, “I am a golden god!” It’s Zeppelin lore.”
Dr. Will Kirby Hilariously Described David Genat’s Reaction To The Big Brother Icon Being A “Golden God” First
After it was pointed out that Dr. Will Kirby called himself a “Golden God” before his rival, that was an entertaining surprise for fans of his feud with David Genat. However, according to what Dr. Will Kirby exclusively told TheThings journalist Matthew Thomas, David felt differently.
Dr. Will exclusively told TheThings that David had an epic response to seeing the clip of the Big Brother legend calling himself a “Golden God” years earlier. “When I showed David the clip his face contorted to look exactly like Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader says ‘I am your father.’”
Dr. Will then hilariously described the emotional impact the revelation supposedly had on David.
No different than Luke, David realized that his entire existence as he knew it was a lie, and that he had no choice, but to accept the dark side.
Still not through, Dr. Will finished describing the scene of David watching the clip by writing it as if it was a Star Wars script. “David: ‘No. That’s impossible.’ Me: ‘Search your feelings. You know it to be true.’ David: ‘NOoOoOOoOoooo!'”
Dr. Will Kirby Exclusively Told TheThings About Coining The Term “Showmance”
In January 2025, NBC published a profile of Dr. Will Kirby before the premiere of Deal or No Deal Island’s second season. That article brought up one of the many amazing facts about Dr. Will, that he coined the term “showmance.” Since then, “showmance” has become such a widely used term in reality TV circles that many people have no idea that Dr. Will originated it.
When TheThings journalist Matthew Thomas interviewed Dr. Will in February 2025, he asked the Big Brother icon about the term “showmance.”
In February 2025, TheThings asked Dr. Will how he felt about originating so many influential reality show terms. “I take immense pride in the contributions I’ve made to the lexicon of reality television.”
When asked, Dr. Will revealed that even he couldn’t have anticipated how popular the term “showmance” would become.
“‘Showmance’ is so widely used these days that an explanation is no longer even required; entire television concepts are now centered around the idea of a showmance and when I first started using it in 2001, I never fathomed it would become this ubiquitous.”
Looking back at Dr. Will’s reality TV legacy, it seemed like he was coming up with new ways to look at and speak about the genre at every turn. With that in mind, TheThings asked Dr. Will if he came up with terms like Golden God, The Hitman, Chilltown, and Showmance on the spot. In response, Dr. Will revealed how he thinks about his ability to express himself in incredibly memorable ways.
I didn’t ask for these gifts. They were just bestowed upon me. Genius concepts just pop in my mind and then flow freely through my lips.
It is safe to say that is the perfect Dr. Will response to a question like that.
