Parvati Shallow reveals which reality shows she's declined; talks Deal or No Deal Island, Survivor

Jack Vita
Mar 19, 2025
4 min read

Each week on the Jack Vita Show, Jack sits down with the most recent eliminated contestant from NBC's Deal or No Deal Island for an exit interview. This week, Jack is joined by four-time Survivor contestant, Survivor: Micronesia winner and former cast member on Peacock's The Traitors, Parvati Shallow! Parvati chats about her time on DONDI, and reflects on her 19-year reality television career!

Parvati made her reality TV debut back in the fall of 2006, appearing on Survivor's 13th season, Survivor: Cook Islands. She was 23 years-old at the time, and placed sixth. She would return to compete less than two years later, on Survivor's 16th season, Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites, also known as Survivor: Micronesia. A member of the 'Black Widow Brigade', Parvati reached the final two, defeating Survivor: China second runner-up Amanda Kimmel, in a 5-3 jury vote.

Parvati competed on Survivor a third time in 2010, placing second on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. She took a ten-year hiatus from competing on shows, declining opportunities that presented themselves to her. In 2020, she came out of retirement at the age of 36, for Survivor: Winners at War. She has since appeared on Peacock's hit show, The Traitors, and she will soon be competing on Australian Survivor, alongside Survivor winners Tony Vlachos and Cirie Fields.

Parvati discusses her time on Deal or No Deal Island. She earned safety from elimination in the first nine rounds of the competition. Had she not won safety, Parvati would have been targeted much sooner. Why were so many contestants going after Parvati, and is there anything she could have done differently to get them off her back? How does Australian Survivor winner David Genat rank among her greatest allies from all of the shows she has competed on? And how was Parvati able to identify David?

Parvati also chats about her life on reality television. Did she ever think she'd still be doing this thing in her 40s, with a young daughter? Why does she keep returning to TV, and how selective has she been over the shows she's done? Parvati reveals in this interview that she has declined opportunities to compete on CBS' Celebrity Big Brother, USA Network's Snake in the Grass, E!'s House of Villains and Amazon Prime's The GOAT. Parvati explains why she won't accept just any opportunity to be on television, and why it needs to be the right opportunity.

For over a decade, Jeff Probst has hyped Parvati up as the ultimate flirt and heartbreaker. But does Parvati think that's a fair assessment of her gameplay on Survivor? This is a question Jack has always wanted to ask Parvati. Parvati reflects on her time on reality television, looks ahead to her next chapter and discusses how the genre has changed in her near-20 years of reality TV stardom. All this, and much more, in an exclusive interview on the Jack Vita Show!

Fan of Deal or No Deal Island? Catch our weekly episode recaps, with DONDI S1 third-place finisher Stephanie Mitchell!

1) Deal or No Deal Island S2 E1 "The Banker Strikes Back" recap with Stephanie Mitchell

2) Deal or No Deal Island S2 E2 "Where There's a Will, There's a Way" recap with Amy McCoy | DONDI

3) Deal or No Deal Island S2 E3 "Chain of Command" recap with Kim Mattina, Stephanie Mitchell

4) Deal or No Deal Island S2 E4 "Throw and Tell" recap with Stephanie Mitchell | DONDI Season 2

5) Deal or No Deal Island S2 E5 "Trust Fall" recap with Stephanie Mitchell | DONDI Season 2

6) Seychelle, Phillip: CK cheated more than once on Deal or No Deal Island | S2 E6 "Power Grab" Recap

8) Deal or No Deal Island S2 E8 "Safety in Numbers" Recap with Stephanie Mitchell | DONDI Season 2

Catch all of our Deal or No Deal Island exit interviews!

1) Why Luke Olejniczak turned down a juicy offer on Deal or No Deal Island | DONDI S2 E1 exit interview

2) Why Sydnee Peck was SHOCKED by David Genat's confessionals on Deal or No Deal Island | DONDI S2 E2 exit interview

4) Storm Wilson talks showmance with Maria-Grace Cook | Deal or No Deal Island S2 E4 exit interview

5) Why MG thinks Dickson was jealous of Storm | Deal or No Deal Island exit interview Maria-Grace Cook

7) La Shell Says Phillip did not emotionally manipulate Parvati | Deal or No Deal Island Exit Interview

8) Dickson Wong planned to blindside David Genat on Deal or No Deal Island | DONDI S2 E9 exit interview

9) Why Phillip Solomon took $75K over safety on Deal or No Deal Island | DONDI S2 E10 exit interview

10) Parvati Shallow reveals which reality shows she's declined; talks Deal or No Deal Island, Survivor

Follow Jack on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Jack Vita Show on YouTube or wherever podcasts are found.

18 Comments

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Julia John

Jan 08

It’s so interesting to see the choices behind which reality shows she joined or declined, and it really highlights the strategy and personal boundaries involved in these decisions. It reminded me of times I had to prioritize tasks under pressure, especially during finals. Tools like Last Minute Assignments and UK best last minute assignment help quietly helped me manage deadlines and stay focused on the most important work without feeling overwhelmed.

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Maurice Duke

Jan 06

It's always so interesting to hear the behind-the-scenes reasoning for why icons like Parvati turn down certain shows, especially since it really highlights the importance of strategy and timing. I remember back when I was a student, I felt like I was playing my own version of Survivor trying to balance a full-time internship with a brutal finals week. I was so burnt out that I actually spent a whole night reading forums about online exam takers just to see if there was a way to navigate the stress without losing my mind. Just like Parvati choosing her battles carefully, I realized I had to prioritize my mental health and find better ways to manage my schedule. It’s funny how much "game…

Adrian Anderson

Parvati’s journey through reality TV is honestly fascinating her strategy, timing, and selective choices show how much thought goes into staying successful for nearly two decades. It even made me think about the importance of guidance and support in other areas, like needing help with online biology class when things get complicated. I loved how the interview highlighted her balance of personal life and career, showing that being selective and intentional can lead to long-term success, both on-screen and off.

Joseph Nik.

Reading this post about Parvati Shallow talking about the reality shows she said no to made me smile because it shows she picks only the ones she really wants to do and stays true to herself. I once had a big school week and was so swamped that I actually asked someone to write my assignment for me to stay sane, and that gave me time to enjoy fun things like watching reality shows without stress. Parvati Shallow, a Survivor star, talked about her long TV career and shared which reality shows she turned down because they were not the right fit for her.