The competition is flying into high gear on Deal or No Deal Island. The exciting blend of the original Deal or No Deal and Survivor upped the stakes for its competitors. The Banker invited 13 contestants to his private island. The final player will face off against the Banker for a prize of up to $200 million.
Host Joe Manganiello leads the group through grueling challenges. During the third episode, Claudia Jordan asked Stephanie Mitchell, who had a “steal,” to take her case. Originally, the group had agreed that whoever won a “steal” would take Kim Mattina’s case and force her to face the Banker. But Stephanie didn’t follow the plan. And Claudia ended up facing the Banker hoping to send Kim or Stephanie home. But, when the former Deal or No Deal model made a bad deal, she was eliminated.
Claudia joined Reality Tea writer Kim Stempel to discuss the show, how Stephanie’s decision will affect the remaining players, and why the game was cut-throat too soon.
Claudia was surprised by the difficulty level
Kim Stempel: What surprised you the most about the Deal or No Deal Island?
Claudia Jordan: How hard it was. It’s definitely a very challenging game. I think a lot of times you think, Oh, it’s going to be cute. We’ll find some briefcases in the jungle. It won’t be this hard.
But it was hard across the board in all areas, so, I mean, you gotta have a major respect for the game if you want come in this show. But there’s also so many great things about it as well.
Kim Stempel: Who do you think was the biggest threat in the game?
Claudia Jordan: When I think of threat, like, it’s not like someone really has a huge advantage over the other. The game of…although I know the game, the game of Deal or No Deal is luck. No one knows what’s in a briefcase. Nobody knows.
As far as like the physical challenges, I mean you could say all the strong men were the biggest threats. But then that doesn’t necessarily help them in the game. I think a threat to the sanity of the campground was people that were being backstabby because then that kind of throws you off. I’m a person who really loves peace. I’m fun-loving [and] peaceful– I don’t like a lot of drama. So I think anyone that kind of disturbs the peace is a threat. But not necessarily a great player, but a threat.
Why Claudia regretted offering her case to Stephanie
Kim Stempel: Did you regret urging Stephanie to take your case?
Claudia Jordan: Yeah. I did. But at the time…you see me tearing up in my interview, one of my interviews because I said I am a people pleaser and like I will sacrifice myself and fall on the sword to keep the peace of the group. And at the moment, I was really only thinking about that.
Like, it was already uncomfortable living in a tent with people you do not know and being so far away from home. Having more drama added so early in the mix, I just couldn’t bear the thought of going back to camp and the tension that we’d have.
Once Stephanie did that, she kind of threw everything into chaos. It changed the dynamics of the group. It made people super suspicious of each other. And all I could think of was when I get back to camp, I want it to be cool. I want it to be zen. Like, we don’t need any unnecessary extra stress because we are under enough.
And I also gave my word. Like I would never go against…and maybe that makes me a bad reality star but I’m just not really one that thinks I need to win by any means necessary. And there’s more than one way to win in life.
Kim Stempel: And when you were leaving you told everyone to not be so cut-throat so early in the game.
Claudia Jordan: Yeah. I just feel like at this point we should all be focusing on building the pot and let the weak players fall by the wayside. Let the people who are going to add millions of dollars to the pot stay. But you know, personal issues started coming into play. Vendettas. Jealousy—a lot of that. I just felt like, Damn! We’re going to be here for like almost a month. Like let’s try to keep it as cordial until we need to get to…you know when it gets down to the wire I understand it.
But in the beginning, like out the gate, people were already playing it, like just being kind of wicked. I just thought, I can’t imagine being around you by week three. You know? Like come on, ladies and gentlemen. I care about peace, and I care about serenity. That’s why I’m 50 years old, and I look the way I do because I don’t allow a lot of stress in my life, and I try to keep my environment peaceful. And I do that in my real life.
And I know people are like…You’re the one who had a big scene that cussed out somebody. I did, but it was a retaliation for a lot of little microaggressions that were happening.
How Stephanie’s decision switched up the game
Kim Stempel: Why do you think Stephanie backed out of the plan to take Kim’s case?
Claudia Jordan: I still don’t know why she did that. It doesn’t make sense. It put a target on her back. And now the camp, I know, is looking at her like, Wow. You can’t be trusted.
Let me tell you something. Her playing dumb like that was just mind-blowing. Her and Alyssa came into the tent to tell me about the plan. Alyssa came up with the plan, went to Stephanie [was one of the first people she went to], they crafted… like discussed it, and put more planning into it, and then they brought it to me. So, for Stephanie to sit there and act like she didn’t know that was mind-blowing.
I’m like, My friend. I know you don’t have any TV experience. But let me just tell you how cameras work. They actually record what you say and what you do. And you actually have evidence of what you said and did on camera that can be played later. Ta-da! You’re welcome! That is how television works!
I’m always mind-boggled and like flabbergasted when people do something on camera and then go back on it. It’s like, We have receipts, ma’am. You see me take her to the side. I go, What are you doing? You’re causing mistrust amongst the group already. I don’t know, she freaked out. I mean, how are you this smart in real life but so oblivious when you get on an island?
That’s something that she is going to have to live with. The public has been really expressing their disappointment in her actions and she’s gonna have to be back in that camp and deal with the consequences of that and how she is going to be perceived from here on out. So, good luck, my sister.
Claudia was glad that she bonded with Boston Rob
Kim Stempel: Why did you bond so quickly with Boston Rob?
Claudia Jordan: You know, when I first got there, people were trying to campaign against him to me. So, then I took it upon myself to go have a little sidebar conversation with him one-on-one, and just kind of feel him out for myself. And I’m glad I did. Because I didn’t know the same person who was campaigning against Rob was doing the same thing about me.
Before we had to turn in our phones, Googling our net worth, and…making an argument like, You don’t belong here because you’ve already been successful. I think that was wrong.
If I’m here like you’re here then I passed all the tests to be here, and I don’t think I should be punished because I’ve been successful in my life. Who couldn’t use an extra 10, 20, 50 million dollars? And I just feel like people were kind of getting in their feelings like, You’ve already been on TV. You don’t deserve to be here.
But that’s kind of how people are in real life. Sometimes you get punished because you’ve been a hard worker, but there’s a lot of sacrifice that goes with that. They weren’t with me when I had to go on auditions and like basically put off motherhood and never having a child because I put my career first. They weren’t with me when I had to choose work over relationships. So, to kind of sit there and kind of penalize me for the sacrifices that I chose to make because you went a different route. I think it’s wrong.
Kim Stempel: I wanted to mention that you are a big favorite with our editors and staff. We’re crossing our fingers and hoping that someday you make it back to RHOA.
Claudia Jordan: First of all, thank you so much for that. That’s really kind. Please tell the [Reality Tea] staff…thank you for that. I appreciate any kind of support. ‘Cause a lot of times you see the negative, and you don’t really get to hear the positive. Or you see it, and it doesn’t stick as much as the negative.
I mean, I really was hoping that Bravo, and it still could happen, would be open to a reboot of the Dallas housewives, ’cause I have quite a great group of friends here. And I have a pretty glamorous lifestyle here in Dallas. I actually would do it now. I feel like I’m in a much better place and I have a lot more to show.
This interview was edited for clarity.
Deal or No Deal Island continues on Monday, March 19 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
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