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During Deal or No Deal Island Season 2, the fantastic reality show has quickly become one of Peacock’s best shows. One of the reasons for that is the fact that Deal or No Deal Island is hosted by Joe Manganiello, who once auditioned for Survivor. On top of that, Deal or No Deal Island also features legendary reality stars like the Big Brother icon Dr. Will Kirby, who likes to be daring. Deal or No Deal Island also features the Survivor legend David Genat and the Survivor Hall of Famer, Parvati Shallow.
Even though fans of Jeff Probst’s show may not know who David is, he is legendary thanks to winning a season of Australian Survivor. Maria-Grace “MG” Grace exclusively told TheThings about a hilarious moment that she had with David that revolved around Survivor.
Maria-Grace “MG” Cook Laughed At Herself For Trying To Explain Survivor To David Genat
During Deal or No Deal Island Season 2, the team behind the reality show pulled off something fantastic. The show was able to cast a trio of incredibly successful former reality show stars, Dr. Will Kirby, Parvati Shallow, and David Genat.
With that in mind, it makes sense that the attention was on that trio before the first episode of the season aired. However, Deal or No Deal Island’s casting team also found several truly fantastic first-time reality show stars, including Maria-Grace “MG” Cook.
Before she was eliminated by Dr. Will, MG was a part of several incredibly compelling moments. Easily one of the most memorable was a hilarious moment that MG shared with David. After fans saw her get eliminated, MG exclusively told TheThings about when she tried to explain Survivor to David.
Before he joined the cast of Deal or No Deal Island, David competed in Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders. Memorable enough that he was brought back to the show, David then went on to win Australian Survivor: All Stars.
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David Genat’s During Australian Survivor: |
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Placement |
Season |
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14th voted out/2nd jury member/Day 34 |
Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders |
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Sole Survivor |
Australian Survivor: All Stars |
Given David’s Survivor history, Maria-Grace attempting to explain the show to him is amazing. To MG’s credit, she exclusively told TheThings journalist Matthew Thomas that she laughs at herself for trying to explain Survivor to David, and she hopes viewers do too.
Oh my gosh. It’s hilarious. I think it’s so funny. I hope people make fun of me.
In the modern media landscape, it seems increasingly common for people to take themselves far too seriously. With that in mind, it is refreshing that MG wants viewers to have fun with that moment.
MG went further than to express her desire for fans to laugh at her explaining Survivor to a former winner.
While speaking exclusively to TheThings, Maria-Grace “MG” Cook revealed what led to her being cast on Deal or No Deal Island. I was actually sitting in my bathtub after a forty-eight-hour shift as a fireman. I always took a bath because I was so tired, and I was watching The Bachelor, and it said, ‘If you wanna be on Deal or No Deal Island two’ on a commercial, ‘apply on this link.’ So sitting in the bathtub, I said, ‘Okay.’ Clicked it, applied, and heard back months later about a callback. And I was like, ‘Oh, I forgot about this show.’ And then I got it. It was super, super random.
While speaking exclusively to TheThings, MG mocked herself as she jokingly laughed at the way she tried to explain Survivor to David.
“I’m making fun of myself. I obviously have never watched [Survivor]. [I was] like, ‘They take these two things and they mash them together and they do this and this.’ Like, it’s hilarious.”
When fans spend weeks watching a reality show, one thing that they can’t know is whether the stars get along after the show. While talking exclusively to TheThings, MG revealed a hint at what her relationship with David has been like since they filmed Deal or No Deal Island.
During her TheThings interview, Maria-Grace “MG” Cook revealed what players go through before the game begins. “When you get there, you’re put in a hotel room, and you can’t see any of the other cast members… They go over all the rules, make you sign a bunch of things. But they do keep you separate for, like, three days in a hotel. So all you’re thinking about is just, like, ‘Oh, my gosh. What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? It’s, like, two or three days in a hotel by yourself just doing pictures and, like, random things. So it really builds up the suspense of, ‘I just wanna play already. I just wanna play.'”
While talking to the outlet, MG revealed that she and David had recently laughed at her attempt to explain Survivor to him.
I’ve talked to David since too, and he thinks it’s funny.
Based on what was seen on the show, it isn’t too surprising that David laughed at MG’s attempt to tell him about Survivor.
During Deal or No Deal Island Season 2 Episode 3, fans saw clips of MG explaining Survivor to David as he sat there and pleaded ignorance.
During Deal or No Deal Island, Maria-Grace “MG” Cook made sure to give David Genat a briefcase that gave him safety instead of herself and that led to her elimination. While talking exclusively to TheThings, MG revealed how funny it was watching herself explain that decision. “My favorite part of the whole thing is me saying, ‘I don’t think he’s playing a good game, so I need to help him.’ It’s, like, so funny to me.”
MG’s description of Survivor was amazing given who she was talking to.
“I’m going to tell you about Survivor. Survivor is known to be the most difficult reality TV shows ever, because they have two big groups of people. They mash the two peeps that you have to get down to halfway… Everyone that wins Survivor is known to be, like, insanely intelligent. It’s a big thing. So for her to be on it four times, and she won. She won one time. Yeah. She told me that. Everyone at home is going to be like, these people didn’t know who she is. They’re stupid.”
While talking exclusively to TheThings, MG reflected on how funny it was to watch herself saying those things to David.
It’s just it is funny to watch back and to not know how clueless I really was.
During the same episode of Deal or No Deal Island, David was shown during a confessional interview that hinted at how amused he was by MG’s description of Survivor.
“Maria Grace is giving me a lesson on Survivor, and what it’s about, and who Parvati is. And I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, tell me more.'”
Not only was the scene funny because of MG’s remarks, the way David reacted to MG was also hilarious. The episode then showed David prompting MG to tell him more about how impressive Survivor winners are. “So if you win that, you are basically, like, the gold standard.” During her TheThings interview, MG reacted to the moment she called David golden to his face without realizing it.
“Watching it back and him saying, ‘So if you win Survivor, you’re like golden?’ I was like, ‘Yeah. You’re, like, golden.’ And then I later find out he’s the golden god. I was like, ‘No. No.'”
Deal Or No Deal Island’s Maria-Grace “MG” Cook Jokingly Defended Herself For Not Knowing Who David Genat Is
Clearly, Maria-Grace “MG” Cook can see why it was so funny that she tried to explain Survivor to David Genat. However, MG is willing to defend herself for not realizing who David was when that amazing moment took place.
While interviewing MG in February 2025, TheThings journalist Matthew Thomas stated that it was understandable that MG didn’t know David won Australian Survivor. In response, a laughing MG spoke about how few people in North America watch Australian Survivor.
“Yeah. Who who watches Australian Survivor? I’m sorry. I’m not getting a VPN in doing that just because I love Survivor so much. I mean, it’s just not me.”
To MG’s point, before she told David about Survivor during Deal or No Deal Island, she said something else that was very revealing. During Deal or No Deal Island Season 2 Episode 3, MG spoke about knowing Parvati Shallow was a Survivor legend from the start.
“Did I tell you that I knew who [Parvati Shallow] was? And we made an alliance from day one? I went up to her, and I said, like, ‘I know who you are.’ And she was like, ‘You do?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, but I’m not going to tell anyone. But I don’t even know how worried I should be about it.'”
Of course, it is easy to forget that MG knew who Parvati was when she immediately followed that up with her hilarious moment with David.
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