For years, The Banker, an anonymous moneyman, wheeled and dealed with contestants on the long-running syndicated game show Deal or No Deal, and he returned for Deal or No Deal Island — or so we thought. Who was revealed as The Banker on Deal or No Deal Island? Spoilers for season 1 are ahead!
NBC resurrected the game show as a reality competition series that pitted 13 players against each other to determine The Banker’s ultimate opponent. Deal or No Deal Island premiered in February, and during the final episode on May 13, the faceless financer was revealed.
Viewers were teased with The Banker during episode 11. However, her opponent’s identity was revealed only when Jordan Fowler stood as the sole remaining contestant in episode 12. And it was none other than Deal or No Deal’s longtime host, Howie Mandel, in the way of Fowler’s seven-figure payday.
Mandel was the frontman of NBC’s game show for its five-season run. But, he didn’t sign on as Deal or No Island’s host. Instead, True Blood actor Joe Manganiello took the reins, while Mandel hung out in the background as a producer. Well, that’s not all he did.
Mandel arrived in a helicopter on his “private island” during the season finale and was greeted by Fowler and Manganiello. They shared some words while Mandel played the role of the arrogant and powerful Banker. Mandel and Fowler went head to head in the final Deal or No Deal showdown. But, instead of Mandel being off-stage and speaking with Manganiello on the phone, Mandel was front and center while Jordan opened case after case. He tossed a few deals and quips at Jordan during the process, and she ultimately accepted his offer of $1,230,000.
For the uninitiated, it’s worth mentioning that Mandel wasn’t The Banker during Deal or No Deal. In the episodes, we’d see a silhouette of a man speaking with Mandel on the phone while he steered the ship. So, it was a fun moment seeing Mandel carry the torch of The Banker and gleam in his new role.
With NBC recently announcing that Deal or No Deal Island was receiving a second season, there’s no doubt that Mandel will be around for that. And now that we know his identity as The Banker, it’ll be interesting to see how the network moves forward with that knowledge. Will Mandel be physically present for all the Deal or No Deal showdowns in season 2, or will he only pop up at the end? Only time will tell!
