Is Dr. Will Kirby Really Done With Reality TV After ‘DONDI’ Exit?

Dr. Will Kirby came in like a wrecking ball on Deal or No Deal Island Season 2 and proved, once again, why he’s one of the greatest reality television stars of all time with his fearless style of gameplay. On Tuesday’s (February 18) episode, though, he met his match when David Genat — whom he correctly identified as a prior winner of Survivor: Australia, by the way — beat the banker and got to send Will, arguably his biggest competition, home.

Upon leaving the proverbial building, Dr. Will declared that DONDI was his last stop on the reality television train, which may come as a surprise to folks who’ve seen him on TV since 2001. Is he really done with reality TV, though?

For now, at least, the answer seems to be yes. Back in January, Dr. Will spoke to People about his stint on NBC’s Deal or No Deal spinoff, and said, “This is a young person’s game… I really love what I do for a living. I love reality television, and I have been part of it for 25 years. But nothing in life is sadder than a reality television person who doesn’t know when to retire. If I’m being really transparent, I think it’s time to pass the torch.”

Another sign of his true intent to say goodbye to TV came in September, when he stepped down from the Big Brother jury roundtable for Season 26, telling Parade, “I can confirm that I will not be serving as the Big Brother jury roundtable host this season. It’s simply time to hang up the proverbial cleats. The run I’ve had on the show, first as a contestant and then as a host, is practically unheard of, but nothing lasts forever; I am ready to pass the reality television baton!”

As for why he decided to join DONDI in the first place, well, he told the publication that it was a matter of being cool with his young kids: “My kids are 11 and 14, and they’ve never seen me on a competition reality show,” he told People. “My daughter in particular, we watched Deal or No Deal Island Season 1. I won’t tell you what it was, but she said, ‘It would be really, really funny if you did this on that show.’ And I said, ‘You know what, sweetheart? I’m going to do that.’ And I did it.”

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Dr. Will got his start in reality TV in 2001 when he competed on the second season of Big Brother, with highly memorable results. A dermatologist by trade, he also came back for Season 7’s all-stars season and appeared on shows like Bravo’s Battle of the Network Reality Stars and The Traitors. He also hosted NBC’s Love Shack and appeared on The Doctors, among other shows.

We’ll have to wait and see whether DONDI really is his last hurrah in the reality world, but for now, it seems he really is serious about stepping away from the spotlight.

Deal or No Deal Island, Tuesdays, 9/8c, NBC

From TV Guide Magazine

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