13-03-2025
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@
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@ or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on NJ native, former teacher eliminated on 'Deal or No Deal Island'
