East Brunswick native, former Bridgewater teacher eliminated from 'Deal or No Deal Island'
It was the end of the line for East Brunswick native and former Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School middle school teacher Phillip Solomon Tuesday on Season 2 of "Deal or No Deal Island" (DONDI).
Episode 10, which included a double elimination, left viewers knowing Solomon was headed home − though $75,000 richer − but cut off in a cliffhanger as to the identity of the second player eliminated.
DONDI is a reality game show set on an island off the shores of Panama on which contestants compete in excursions to collect briefcases. After the weekly excursion, the players participate in the Banker's Challenge, the conventional high-stakes game of "Deal or No Deal."
Known for his witty banter and penchant for drama, Solomon was one of the final five DONDI contestants. Throughout the show's antics, he maintained his kinship with fellow players, although he is "done" with one "backstabber" now − Courtney Kim (C.K.)
"I feel amazing about the way I played," Solomon said to Boston Rob in the DONDI after-show. "I was so scared that I was going to come in here and be not a true version of myself, not an authentic version of me and I was going to hold back on certain things. And I did not. I think we can watch every episode and be like, 'Yep, that was me 100% of the time.' I didn't win, but I get to walk away with so much more. A wallet full of cash, a smile on my face, and I promise you, a heart that is so, so full."
Solomon was raised in East Brunswick and became a mainstay in the drama department. He also taught English for a decade at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School.
Solomon relocated to Austin, Texas a few years ago. The fitness instructor/bodybuilder became a fan favorite on the show, dealing out pithy banter each week amid fair play − and that honesty may have sealed his fate.
Noting that the paradise was full of "snakes and eels everywhere" − and not the reptilian kind − Solomon was up against expert manipulators. It was during "The Banker's Fire Pit" excursion that set Solomon up for the his final showdown.
More: East Brunswick native, former Bridgewater-Raritan teacher will 'go to war' on reality show
Players had to hold onto a bag of money above a burn pit and whomever held on the longest would automatically win $75,000 − even if they were not the winner of the game as a whole.
The sacks were calibrated to weigh one-quarter of each player's weight. As they were holding onto the bags, players watched as the briefcase models opened cases with random monetary values. Whoever secured the highest-value case won automatic immunity, with the lowest being up for elimination.
To claim a case, the players had to drop their money bag, thereby burning it. It didn't take long for the schemes and shenanigans to kick off in episode 10. From the start, Solomon was considering just how much the $75,000 would afford him "stability," but as he said to Boston Rob, he "would not ever be like, 'Guys, I've had a good run!' "
"Even if I felt it in my head, in my spirit, I never would have said that out loud," Solomon said. "Because I'm not stupid, because I know that everyone's always looking for an easy out."
Solomon held on the longest, guaranteeing himself $75,000, but ended with the lowest value case. "Australian Survivor" champion David Genat nabbed the highest case.
Genat then chose who to send home and who would face the banker. Even after an earlier promise to "take each other to the end," Genat sent Solomon home.
Trust is a tricky thing − and perhaps it was misplaced, or perhaps Solomon was ready to go home and relax with a few thousand under his pillow.
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ native, former teacher eliminated on 'Deal or No Deal Island'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lawmakers get theatrical at annual ‘Will on the Hill' show
Several lawmakers took a break from debating legislation on Capitol Hill to instead recite William Shakespeare at Harman Hall on Tuesday evening. The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) hosted its annual 'Will on the Hill,' welcoming members of Congress, journalists and students to perform popular Shakespeare scenes to fund its youth arts education programs, which reach nearly 20,000 students and teachers across the region. The more than 20-year long tradition also seeks to promote bipartisanship, bringing together lawmakers and political strategists from across the aisle to bolster support for theatre and the arts. Rep. Dina Titus's (D-Nev.) performance of the last scene of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was the hit of the night. Her interpretation of old-English Shakespeare, which included a Southern accent, made the crowd roar in laughter. Another notable performance was the standoff between the Capulets and Montagues, two enemy families, in the opening scene of 'Romeo and Juliet.' As Atlantic journalist Steve Clemons, Republican political strategist Grover Norquist, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) and Fox News correspondent Rich Edson bit their thumbs at each other on stage, the producers noted that giving them foam swords was the safest amid a tense political climate. The crowd then commended Sen. Chris Coons's (D-Del.) impersonation of Brutus plotting the assassination of Julius Caesar in the Shakespeare play of the same name. With political tensions rattling the country, seeing lawmakers fumbling over their words and trying to remember their lines proved to be refreshing entertainment. The elected officials were accompanied on stage by Holly Twyford, a pillar of D.C. theatre, and Renea Brown, an award winning actor. The show also included a stage combat demonstration by STC students. An elementary school student brilliantly played King Oberon in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' and two high school students performed 'All's Well That Ends Well.' STC Executive Director Angela Lee Gieras praised the event as an opportunity for children to express themselves, highlighting the courage it takes to perform in front of an audience. This year's performance was presented by Michael Evans, former Democratic chief counsel and deputy staff director for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, who is an avid Shakespeare enthusiast. Samantha Wyer Bello, STC's senior director of learning, returned to direct her sixth production of 'Will on the Hill.' The STC also honored the memory of the late Democratic Reps. Gerry Connolly (Va.) and Charles Rangel (N.Y.) for their dedication to public service and their year-after-year support of 'Will on the Hill.' Other notable cast members included Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI), D.C. Council chairman Phil Mendelson, DC councilmember Brooke Pinto, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities executive director Aaron Myers, Washington Post columnist James Hohmann and Politico journalist Olivia Beavers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fun to Do: Summer concert series begins, psychic Theresa Caputo, Juneteenth and more
Looking for something to do during the next week? Here are just a few happenings in Hampton Roads. TGIF Summer Concert Series kicks off the season with music by Good Shot Judy. 6 p.m. Friday, with the band playing from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., at Downtown Festival Park, 215 W. Washington St., Suffolk. The free series, which runs through Aug. 16, also includes performances at Bennett's Creek Park. For details, call 757-514-7250. Psychic medium Theresa Caputo brings her 'The Experience' tour live to the Oceanfront. 8 p.m. Saturday at The Dome, 400 20th St., Virginia Beach. Verified resale ticket options available. For options, visit For details on the show, visit Juneteenth in the Park, a festival of unity and freedom featuring live performances by national and local acts, food, activities and more. Noon to 10 p.m. with 9:30 p.m. fireworks Saturday at Town Point Park, Waterside Drive, Norfolk. Free. For details, visit English comedian Sarah Millican brings her 'Late Bloomer' tour to the Oceanfront. 8 p.m. Sunday at The Dome, 400 20th St., Virginia Beach. For ticket availability, visit Williamsburg Players continues with its production of 'Pippin,' winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival in 2013, through Sunday at 200 Hubbard Lane, Williamsburg. For information, including times and tickets, visit Celebrate Juneteenth across Hampton Roads with events, ceremonies and festivals Virginia Black Film Festival runs June 19-22, featuring more than 60 films in competition, speakers, and events including a business expo. Ticketed and free events planned. Proceeds will support historically Black colleges and universities. Various hours and locations including The American Theatre, 125 E. Mellen St., Hampton. For ticket information, visit For the schedule, including film screenings, visit Events may change. Check before attending. Want more information about what's happening around Hampton Roads? Sign up for our Weekend Scoop newsletter. Patty Jenkins,
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Teens Who Fled War Are Now Graduating from U.S. School and Remembering Family They Left Behind
A group of teens who fled the war in Ukraine are graduating from a performing arts school in Philadelphia As they plan their futures, they also reflect on the loved ones they left behind 'I never could possibly imagine that I would be in America and graduating school here," a student saidA group of teens who fled the war in Ukraine are celebrating their graduation in Philadelphia, even as they miss the family and pets they were forced to leave behind. 'I never could possibly imagine that I would be in America and graduating school here,' Oleksandr Melenchuk, an 18-year-old who moved to the United States in 2023, but continued taking classes at his previous school in Khmelnytskyi, told NPR and PBS affiliate WHYY. 'It was in my dreams just to come to America, but finishing school here and knowing English and graduating, that's really fun.' Melenchuk is one of seven students from Ukraine who will graduate from Philadelphia Performing Arts, along with about 150 other students, this spring, WHYY reported. The campus is one of three in Philadelphia run by String Theory, a nonprofit education organization, which has accepted 88 Ukrainian students since Russia invaded the smaller country in February 2022, according to the outlet. The school did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. 'I knew like zero English, and teachers helped me a lot to learn it,' 18-year-old Olesia Skorets, who fled Ukraine in 2022, told KYW Newsradio. 'Ukraine is more home for me, but America is home too.' In February 2023, a year after about 60 Ukrainian students had arrived on campus, Daniel Betekhtin, an English as a second language teacher, told KYW that staffers realized the new arrivals would need extra help. "They, I think, were so moved by the events that we saw starting last February that everyone realized it's like, now is the time for all of us to step up to the plate,' he said at the time. Counselor Susan Thomas admires the focus and dedication of the Ukrainian students, she told WHYY. 'They did have trauma in their background. Many teenagers have trauma, whether you grew up in Ukraine or the United States,' she told the outlet. 'We work with mental wellness. We moved forward and got them into a plan step by step.' Skorets, who plans on becoming a dermatologist, is set to attend Holy Family University in the fall. But she doesn't know when she'll return home, according to KYW. Her classmate, 17-year-old Sofiya Ionina, will also attend the same university to study graphic design, but is worried about her grandmother. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'I called my grandmother a couple of days before, because some bombs were just next to her. Like, it's two houses away from her,' Ionina told the outlet. 'Of course, I cry sometimes when I think about this. Or, just, I'm very worried about her.' She hopes to see her grandmother and the cat she left behind this summer, but also wants to stay in the U.S., according to the report. Mykola Peredruk, 18, arrived with his mother and sister. His father was injured defending Ukraine. 'Of course it makes me feel bad,' Peredruk told KYW. 'My dad is a soldier. He used to be in the war, but then he got a lot of traumas, and he's a veteran right now.' He will attend Penn State Abington in the fall, while Melenchuk will go to the Community College of Philadelphia to learn about video production. Read the original article on People
