During Deal or No Deal Island Season 2, the reality show was so great that it is one of Peacock’s best shows. One of the reasons DONDI is a must-see is that its cast is amazing, including Joe Manganiello, who is a great host, and Seychelle Cordero, who is hilariously blunt. Deal or No Deal Island also featured the Survivor Hall of Famer Parvati Shallow, who feuded with the iconic Dr. Will Kirby.
While Dr. Will’s “golden gods” feud was so great that he boosted the show’s ratings when he confronted David Genat, two reality show newbies were also great. Since Dickson Wong and Phillip Solomon played the game so differently, it is fascinating to learn what they exclusively told TheThings about how each other behaved.
Deal Or No Deal Island’s Dickson Wong And Phillip Solomon Discussed How Differently They Played The Game
In March 2025, TheThings journalist Matthew Thomas interviewed Phillip Solomon and Dickson Wong together about how they both played. As that conversation began, Phillip explained how much he and Dickson had in common and the different routes they took.
“Dickson and I are probably the biggest reality competition fans of the cast… I think that it’s weird that we were so close on the island because we couldn’t have played a more different game. I think that when you watch enough reality TV, you understand you could have gone the, ‘I wanna be a good guy and well-liked and cultivate relationships,’ or the ‘I wanna make big moves to get to the end.'”
After Phillip perfectly explained the shared background he had with Dickson and how differently they played, he was asked his opinion of what Dickson did in the game. In response, Phillip had hilarious remarks about what playing with Dickson was really like.
During their joint interview, Dickson completely owned the fact that he was willing to betray his castmates during the show. “I played the weasley game. I’ll admit to it. As a fan of the show, you always wanna go out there. You always wanna go out guns-a-blazing.”
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 |
When asked about how his castmate playing like a weasel, Phillip hilariously explained to TheThings that Dickson’s duplicity was a double-edged sword.
I was always entertained. I’ll say that no matter what. I love the fact that I never knew what Dickson was going to do. Also, I hated the fact that I never knew what Dickson was gonna do.
After expressing that Dickson’s chaos could be challenging, Phillip brought up how great that was for the show. “I think that as a reality TV viewer, that’s what you want. The idea of keeping it exciting, keeping people on their toes, and I think Dickson Wong kept that entire island on our toes at all times.”
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At that point, Dickson was asked to talk about how Phillip played the game. In response, Dickson began by telling Phillip how much he loves him as a person. “I took a different route than Philip. You know, Philip, I love you, man. You know, I do love how you’re honest and stuff.”
When Phillip spoke to TheThings in March 2025, he revealed that he and Dickson actually were a lot closer during the game than it seemed. “I had, I’m gonna say almost a talk with Dickson almost every morning before anyone woke up. It was just probably me and David or me and Dickson every morning just talking about anything. I think that we really did connect.”
After showing his affection for his castmate, Dickson also had something hilarious to say exclusively to TheThings about Phillip. Dickson began by explaining that he was never out there to play an honest game and that he didn’t think that was what Deal or No Deal Island was about.
I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t come to play Integrity or No Integrity Island. I came to play Deal or No Deal Island.
During Deal or No Deal Island Season 2, it was always clear that Dickson Wong wanted to leave his mark on the show. With that in mind, it is important to note that Dickson and Phillip were a huge part of what made the season so great.
While talking to TheThings in March 2025, Dickson Wong explained that he is very honest in his real life. “Dickson in real life and Dickson on the show are two different people. I think I’m more definitely like Philip in real life where I do strive on integrity, doing what’s right in the world, compared to, you know, a game show where I am being edited as a character.”
That said, it is to Dickson’s immense credit that he exclusively told TheThings that he believed Phillip’s way of playing got him in a better position in the game.
“What got me in trouble at first is the fact that as a fan of the show, I wanted to go out there, make alliances, try to play this great game, and it blew up in my face the first week. And unlike Philip, I think I was in a really bad position, in the sense that I had to do whatever I could to stay in the game because people did not like me, since I was trying to make a lot of deals. You know, I think one thing about Philip’s game that I can respect, is he was always in a great spot in the game because he was just a very likable guy.”
Throughout Phillip and Dickson’s interview, one thing that was extremely clear was how much respect and love they have for each other.
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When Phillip was talking about Dickson’s game, he also gave his castmate credit. While speaking exclusively to TheThings, Phillip expressed that he loves that DONDI players could win based on either a weasely or integrity strategy.
“What I love the most about our show is that if you really look at it, either one of us could have won the game. That’s not to say which one is a good plan versus the bad. The best part about Deal or No Deal Island is that every winner of every season could look brand new depending on their path to the end and the relationships that they make along the way.”
Dickson’s final remarks to TheThings about how Phillip played the game focused on how different people react when they watch a show versus play on one.
“I feel like when you’re playing the game and you’re watching it on TV, it’s two different things. When you’re watching it on TV, you want someone, like Philip was saying, to spread some chaos around, make it entertaining. But when you’re playing the game, you wanna work with the honest people, because they’re predictable in the sense that you know what you’re getting. And I think a lot of people did wanna work with Philip because he was very honest. And I think throughout the entire game, Philip was in a better spot, because of it. So, you know, I always wanna say that.”
DONDI’s Phillip Solomon And Dickson Wong Discussed If They Would Have Succeeded If They Switched Styles
Since Phillip Solomon and Dickson Wong have a lot in common, it is fascinating to think about how things would have played out differently if they switched styles. Would Dickson have succeeded playing an integrity game and Phillip prevailed if he broke his word. During their exclusive TheThings interview, Phillip and Dickson reflected on whether they could have walked in each other’s shoes.
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When Dickson was talking to TheThings about how great Phillip was doing in the game, he simply stated that he never would have played that way. “I wouldn’t play an honest game.”
Later during the interview, Dickson was asked how he would have lasted if he was determined to play honestly. In response, Dickson explained why he didn’t think he could have played an honest game even if he wanted to. Dickson further explained that in that situation, the best he could have hoped for was to be dragged to the end.
“I think, like, at some point, a lie would have to come out, you know. And that’s just the way I see the games. I’ve always loved players like Dan Giesling, from Big Brother. You know? The guy was swearing on the bible. He was doing whatever it took to win the game. So for me to play an honest game, I don’t think I would have lasted as long, but you never know. Maybe someone would have dragged me to the end, because I was, you know, naive enough to, you know, fall for everything.”
Similarly, Phillip exclusively told TheThings that he didn’t think he could have played like a weasel for fascinating reasons.
“I think for me, just having the physical appearance and the personality that I do. Playing a weasley game was not really an option. I think I’ve learned as both an educator and a group fitness instructor, I need to be approachable to a variety of different people and ages. And so I think, in being a larger person, a male, a louder person, a person of color. There are so many other reasons that if I played a weasley game, I would have been out almost immediately.”
Phillip further explained that self-awareness made him know he had to play the game and go through his real life with honesty. “I knew that [being dishonest wasn’t] necessarily the route that I had to take to feel good about not only my spot in the game, but my spot in kinda the world as a whole.”
