Where Is Deal Or No Deal Island Filmed?
"Deal or No Deal Island" combines briefcases filled with unknown cash values with popular reality television contestants and asks, what's more fun than watching people pick out cases on a soundstage? The answer is watching fan favorites from "Survivor" and "Big Brother" compete in challenges alongside reality TV newcomers to earn cases from the banker in a tropical environment. If they're lucky, the value of their case will let them stick around another week — or even become a millionaire.
Hosted by actor Joe Manganiello ("True Blood," "Magic Mike"), the game show takes the long-running competition series to the next level by transporting the iconic cases to a new, tropical environment. Unlike "Deal or No Deal," the spin-off features multiple people, eliminating contestants one by one until there's only one left standing. With new contestants and a new banker each season, anything can happen on the island, from bribery, cheating, and bad deals to playing the cases to determine how much money the winner will walk away with.
But does "Deal or No Deal Island" actually film on an island? And where is the guest pavilion and cast camp? If you've been wondering where the series films, look no further. "Deal or No Deal Island" is shot in the Panama Islands, and here's what you need to know about the exact location.
Deal or No Deal Island films in the Panama Islands
The Panama Islands is where "Deal or No Deal Island" is played and filmed. "Survivor" contestant and winner Rob Mariano, also known by his nickname, Boston Rob, competed on the first season of "Deal or No Deal Island" and confirmed where the competition series films in an interview. Mariano previously filmed "Survivor: All Stars" in the Pearl Islands in Panama, meaning that shooting a reality competition show in the area is nothing new for him.
"No, we're near Bocas del Toro," the Survivor winner told Entertainment Weekly when asked if the "Deal or No Deal Island" camp was close to the "Survivor: All Stars" camp. "Some people were complaining about the elements, and I was like, 'These kids have no idea!' We were in a tent, we had a fan, we had food."
Bocas del Toro is a city in the southern portion of Isla Colón and is part of the Bocas del Toro archipelago. The cast camp for Season 2 boasts geodome-style tents with air conditioning and shared living areas with comfy chairs and couches right on a beach.