To put it bluntly,Courtney “CK” Kimis a gamer.
The moment she stepped foot on the Banker’s Private Island, CK came to play.
Her journey onDeal or No Deal IslandSeason 2 was a divisive one.
Image by Zanda Rice, Peacock
Was she too cutthroat?
Did she have a social game worthy of victory?
Did she toe the line between game and personal?
No matter who you speak to after the fact,everyone’s opinion about CK and her game differs.
And that’s what made her such excellent reality television.
Nevertheless, she made it to the final three, where her past came back to bite her.
On the show, she said believed in karma.
Well, karma had some choice words for the season’s wildcard.
Congratulations on an incredible run onDeal or No Deal Island.
How are you feeling?
COURTNEY “CK” KIM:Oh, pretty good.
It’s interesting, you know, to have lived it six months ago and reliving it now.
COLLIDER: Let’s start simple.
If you could describe your experience in three words, what would they be?
COLLIDER: Fair enough.
What was it like being out there on the Banker’s Private Island?
CK: It was a lot.
And I was like, ‘My skin."
That’s the one reason I actually likedDr.
Will [Kirby].
He had some really good products.
It was always a stressful experience for me because I just went out there to win.
I have a pretty private life.
Oh my God, how are they going to cut this?"
Like that part I hated.
But my head, I was like, “I’m playing for millions of dollars.
You’ve got a job to do, CK.
Go get it done.”
COLLIDER: What inspired you to go out on this adventure?
Hopefully we’re finally pregnant.
CK: Thank you.
When I talk to my friends, they all tell me that babies literally cost a million dollars.
So I was like, okay, let me go on the show and win a million dollars.
COLLIDER: My favorite thing to do each week is ask everyone about CK.
And now I get to ask CK about CK.
You were such a fascinating character this season.
You were portrayed as a very divisive character.
You had a target on your back.
You were a wild card, yet you made it to the final three unscathed.
Messy, maybe, but a gamer, absolutely.
What, what did we get wrong about your journey?
CK: I think they didn’t show enough of my strategy.
Having high emotions to bring that out in others was kind of part of my strategy.
I’d be like, “Oh, thank you so much.”
Parvati thinking she could help me.
[Alexis] Lete thinking she could help me.
Even I went to Dr. Will a couple of times.
Anything I had to do.
But again, you don’t see a lot of that.
You guys only see it as me being selfish and protecting myself.
And I think, strategically, how I chose my team was the smartest thing I could have done.
I was working really closely with Parvati, which most people don’t see or know on the show.
And I picked David [Genet].
My number one pick was the biggest, strongest guy for two reasons.
Either he’s going to help me win, or if we lose, he’s a bigger target.
And so I was like, well, this makes it easy, I’ll take Will.
So there’s so much more strategy.
So I was like, like, give me that case as soon as possible.
But, of course, the edit’s more like “She has no integrity.
And so I think it was a brilliant move, and it worked.
I got Will out.
COLLIDER: The season was all about a big majority alliance of The Family.
How did it become so successful, and why was it so hard to penetrate these twoSurvivorlegends?
CK: Well, NBC made it really easy for them because they brought Will in.
The game was really set up for one of them to win.
And, and so them two just got to skate by.
But Will’s such a better player.
If he’s left alone in that game without us, Will wins.
So you’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don’t.
CK Calls Out Dr. Will’s ‘DONDI’ Cheating
COLLIDER: You said you believe in karma.
Were you ready forkarma to catch up to you in the final excursion?
CK: I guess.
But at the same time, what did I really do?
Okay,Seychelle [Cordero], I got you out.
My only options were you, La Shell, or Dickson.
Lete’s your number one.
Lete just let me know that she cares more about Phillip.
You all want to work with Dr. Will.
What choice did I have?
I’m never gonna take La Shell out.
I really didn’t have a choice.
It wasn’t personal against Seychelle, it’s part of the game.
She just took it very personally.
And then, yeah, the rest of them, I don’t really know.
Like, Dickson’s so funny.
But like, how we played the game, Dickson I understand the most.
I really went after Dickson more times than I needed to.
So that karma, fair, Dickson.
But Dr. Will, give me a break.
He was cheating the entire game.
So for him to talk to me about cheating, it drove me nuts.
COLLIDER: Let’s talk about the cheating.
Obviously, it’s on camera.
It’s talked about.
What did we as viewers miss?
Everybody else, a little bit bigger, taller.
My purview is directly in it.
I’m the smallest player out there.
So I dropped it.
And then when I picked one up, it’s when I couldn’t see it anymore.
And then I chose it.
Happened to be Lete.
I was like, “No f–ing way.”
And then I saw it.
She was like, “you’re able to see it.”
I was like, technically, I can see it.
I didn’t really think it was a big deal.
I was like, “I could see it.”
But they were like, “Oh, it’s the cheating scandal.”
I’m like, “It’s a random draw.
I’ll just redraw.”
It really had zero effect on the game.
Oh, the director said.”
At one point, he even told us he wasn’t a real contestant.
That he could not win the game.
And literally, you’ve seen how smart this cast is.
Half of them believed him.
So I actually had to pull the story producers in, tell them to stop doing this.
They just believed in what he said.
And I was like, “He’s not playing by the rules.”
But again, of course, he gets a pass because he’s Dr. Will.
And, and the rest of the cast knew that.
CK Shares Advice to Future Players
COLLIDER: You and Phillip had a very interesting rollercoaster situation.
In the end, he did offer you the highest case, which you didn’t take.
So that’s why I did it.
COLLIDER: How are the two of you now?
I know he has been in his exit interviews saying some things.
CK: I think Phillip’s a great guy and wish him nothing but the best.
We don’t talk to each other, but I have nothing negative to say about Phillip.
COLLIDER: Fair enough.
Now, this jury twist.
I think it’s pretty damn cool.
It does throw a wrench in the game for future players ofDeal or No Deal Island.
What would your advice be to future players should this kind of twist return?
CK: You think it’s cool, Michael?
Do you think I thought it was cool?
You think that was fun for me?
I mean, yeah, I played a cutthroat game, thinking maybe we’ll have a puzzle.
Maybe me being 5'2 and 110 pounds won’t matter.
And then it’s just a big whole game.
I was like, “No way.”
When they told me there was a jury.
Oh, I was like, what is thisBig Brother?
I was so mad.
I mean for other contestants, it’s so tough.
Because this game is silly.
But also do whatever you got to do to get to the final three, because who cares.
So much of this game is luck when it comes to playing the Banker.
And you know what?
It all depends on your castmates.
My castmates are insane.
Lete put her neck on the line for Phillip.
They played the game, the whole game together.
And then David sent him home after he told him he wouldn’t.
For that $75, 000 and Philip still helped David.
Who knows what kind of game it’s possible for you to play?
For the most part, David really screwed someone over and they still helped him.
Lete really worked with someone really hard and he didn’t.
So, who knows?
I really don’t know the answer to that question, what I would tell them to do.
Just get to the end, figure it out then.
COLLIDER: What made this season so good is the chemistry between this cast.
This cast was a breakout cast.
Every single one of you has become a star.
I’m ready to see CK on another show.
Any other reality TV aspirations?
CK: If my wife will let me, I would do another one.
Yeah, I think they’re fun.
I guess it depends on which one.
I got a job.
But some of the other ones I think would be really fun.
Of course, I want to doThe Traitors.
Everybody wants to do Traitors.
COLLIDER: My final question, let’s end on a positive.
The best moment of myDeal or No Deal Islandexperience is blank.
CK: Is getting to meet both La Shell and Parvati.
COLLIDER: I love that.
But yeah, it was fun.
I’m glad you guys enjoyed it.
If nothing else, I would say at least CK made the show interesting.
There’s no doubt about that.
COLLIDER: You sure did.
Congratulations on an amazing run.
CK: Thanks, Michael.
Your Rating
Your comment has not been saved
