Exclusive: Deal or No Deal Island Season 2’s Luke Olejniczak On His Elimination and His Team’s Secret Plan

Deal or No Deal Island Season 2 has increased the stakes. This addictive blend of the old-school Deal or No Deal and Survivor sent 14 players to the Banker’s private island.

Host Joe Manganiello, who is the Game Master, and the intermediary between the Banker and the contestants, let the contestants know that the game has changed. During the first excursion, Luke Olejniczak, Australian Survivor star David Genat, and Seychelle Cordero decided to go after the risky red cases. Those three cases included a “steal,” a “swap,” and the lowest value case in the excursion. The “Zipline” team would use this method to get down to the red cases, which were on a pyramid on a floating platform in the ocean.

There was also a group of mid-value cases and a group of high-value cases. While Luke was at the top of the zipline, David believed that Luke was waiting to see which player took the $1 million case. Instead, he ziplined down, followed by Seychelle.

Finally, when Luke opened his case, it was the “steal.” While David tried to urge Luke to take a high-value case, he instead opted to take the $450,000 case from the mid-range group. When the “Zipline” team had the lowest combined cash value, one of them had to play the Banker. And Sydnee Peck selected Luke. Unfortunately, Luke made a bad deal and was the first player eliminated from the game.

Luke joined Reality Tea writer Kim Stempel to discuss the show, a top-secret plan, and what it was like to face the Banker.

Luke discussed who he connected with on Deal or No Deal Island

Kim Stempel: What surprised you most about Deal or No Deal Island?

Luke Olejniczak: I guess the accommodations.My goodness! I thought we were supposed to be out in the jungle, right? It was like we were at the Ritz-Carlton. Memory form mattresses, air-conditioned yurts, and catered food. The only thing we were missing was a box of … cigars.

Kim Stempel: Who did you vibe with right away?

Luke Olejniczak: I would say I vibed with Rock [Charles “Rock” Carlson] right away. I also, to a point, David. To a point. Sydnee a little bit. That wasn’t seen on camera. I would say that’s about it. You have to keep in mind, my time was very limited.

Kim Stempel: So, why did you decide to go for the red case in the first challenge?

Luke Olejniczak: I wanted to control my game, right? And I felt that was going to be the way that I could control my game or have any influence on my game. Otherwise, you’re just kind of like a duck sitting on a pond. I’d rather go down swinging than just have a target on my back, more or less.

Kim Stempel: Who do you think is the biggest threat in the game?

Luke Olejniczak: Who do I think the biggest threat is? I really felt strongly that it could be Storm [Wilson], just because he’s very charismatic. And I think he has some influence. Maybe him or Lete [Alexis Lete].

The secret reason Luke decided to take Rock’s case

Photo Credit: Monty Brinton/NBC

Kim Stempel: Do you think that your team lacked good communication?

Luke Olejniczak: Hundred percent. Absolutely. For sure. Yes.

Kim Stempel: And do you regret stealing Rock’s case?

Luke Olejniczak: Of course!

Kim Stempel: What were you thinking at that moment?

Luke Olejniczak: So, at that moment … I’m going to give you a juicy tidbit of information that nobody else really knows. Prior to that gun going off to say go, we had a pre-determined plan that myself, Seychelle, and David were all on board with. It was going to be this: we grab the highest value case from the low case group, which was the $450,000. And then we were going to poach one of the other cases from the high [group].

And that was going to be enough juice to get us done. That’s why Seychelle and I were looking like a couple of goofs standing there already done and David looked like the hero standing on the pedestal. That was the predetermined plan.

So, when it was time to pick the cases, you know, I could steal Rock’s case. I looked to my team and they both clammed up. They didn’t have anything to say. So, I defaulted to the predetermined plan. But let me say this. It is not all on them. It should be on me. I should have pivoted and known better. I put our team at risk, but they didn’t help.

Kim Stempel: So, was it decided that David was going to stay at the top of the zipline and try to see who took the highest value case?

Luke Olejniczak: That’s what David said. He said, Who wants to go first … one of us should hang back and look. I said, I’ll go first.

Luke explains why Seychelle was annoyed at The Temple

Photo Credit: Monty Brinton/NBC

Kim Stempel: What did you think of the other team switching the cases?

Luke Olejniczak: Crafty! I like it. That’s smart. For that being the first excursion, they came in with antennas up.

Kim Stempel: They did! What was it like being in The Temple?

Luke Olejniczak: It was phenomenal. I really enjoyed it. Let me put it this way. Nobody should feel bad for my experience because I got a Deal or No Deal Island experience wrapped up in about 24 hours. I mean, it doesn’t get much more intense than that!

I’m surprised I slept good the night before. But Temple was intense. It was as intense as it looked on TV.

Kim Stempel: It looked like there was a lot of energy and excitement.

Luke Olejniczak: There is, and some of that energy, you wonder where it comes from, right? You can’t have a six-hour show, so things are bound to be cut off, right? So, you have to jam it into two hours.

One thing I would like to say is [that] Seychelle is an absolute firecracker. She’s a New Yorker. We gotta respect that. She’s a straight talker, but she seemed very toxic. I want to clean her up a little bit.

That’s partially because we had a conversation not seen on camera … I said she was going to be the one going home if I won. She was told that. David and I had a gentleman’s handshake saying, Hey, if I win, David you’re staying and you better believe I was gonna stand by that. But that’s kind of why Seychelle was … she looked so irked.

Kim Stempel: Yes. I was wondering about that. I was like, she seems really angry but I’m not sure why.

Luke Olejniczak: Yeah. One hundred percent. She’s a firecracker, don’t get me wrong, but she had a reason to be that way.

Was Luke nervous playing against the Banker?

Photo Credit: Monty Brinton/NBC

Kim Stempel: And did you feel comfortable going up against the Banker? Were you nervous at all?

Luke Olejniczak: I wasn’t nervous one bit. However, it was going to play out is how it was going to play out. If I went home, I was the guy to go home. At the end of the day, my team didn’t really help me, but guess what? I am the guy that made that decision. I put us at risk.

If anyone should have [gone] home it was me. I was going into that game – I was just going to have fun, Kim.

Kim Stempel: You did a phenomenal job. I respected how you really did swing for the fences. So, what did you think of the Banker’s low offers?

Luke Olejniczak: Disrespectful! But you have to realize that Banker wants to set a tone right out of the gate. Howie [Mandel] the old Banker kind of set the precedent that he was tough. This Banker’s got to follow in his footsteps and show that, Hey, I’m not only tough but I’m tougher. Had to send a message early, but very disrespectful.

Kim Stempel: So, do you have a guess as to who the Banker is?

Luke Olejniczak: Not a clue. I was hoping it was Steve Harvey but there was a clue during the show that kind of takes that out of the equation.

Kim Stempel: Do you think if you had stayed on the show you would have continued to work with David?

Luke Olejniczak: Yeah, I do. I really do believe David and I would have worked together. I feel he is trustworthy – I would have hated to have found out differently. Maybe not really … communicative, right? He showed things that would make you believe he isn’t trustworthy, but I’ve seen a lot of things that weren’t shown on camera that show and speak to the kind of guy he is. Another guy I would trust … Rock. I would trust Rock with my life. That’s a good guy right there.

Kim Stempel: And did you know that Parvati [Shallow] had been on Survivor?

Luke Olejniczak: I don’t watch reality TV – I usually don’t have time for it. I didn’t even know who the host was. I thought that was some gym rat they pulled out of a local gym that wanted to make a couple of bucks.

Kim Stempel: Cover your ears, Joe! Are you still working as a private chef?

Luke Olejniczak: Of course. I’ll do that till the day I die. I love it. I feel like I’m retired at the age of 29. That’s another reason why … I’m not gonna lie and say I didn’t want the money. Who wouldn’t want the money? But it didn’t weigh on me as heavily as it did some other contestants.

Kim Stempel: I thought it was sweet that you wanted to win to help your dad.

Luke Olejniczak: Yeah. He took care of me, so it’d only be right to honor your father, right?

Luke confesses what he took home from Deal or No Deal Island

Photo Credit: Monty Brinton/NBC

Kim Stempel: Do you have any other thoughts about the show?

Luke Olejniczak: I think it’s a wonderful show. I think viewers better buckle in because, if they watched Season 1, everything you know about [it], throw it away. [The Season 1 cast] was the reason why Season 2 could be so good. They were the guinea pigs.

They did a phenomenal job, but Season 2 really did crank up the heat. And it’s gonna get ugly. If you like drama, there’s going to be plenty of it. In a way, I feel like the good Lord took me out of that viper pit because it’s gonna get ugly.

Kim Stempel: Did you already see the Season 2 premiere?

Luke Olejniczak: Oh, yeah. I watched it in my childhood home with my mom and dad. Here’s a little tidbit for you. Not real proud of this now, but when I knew I was leaving with a dollar, we had these beautiful bathrobes, right? Everybody had one and we were told to leave them there. I snuck that into my suitcase, brought it home, and gifted it to my mother last night.

This interview was edited for clarity.

Deal or No Deal Island is streaming on Peacock.

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