Since debuting on NBC in 2005, Agreement or no agreement and its host, Howie Mandel, have become part of the game show lexicon. Now, the latest version of the series is shaking things up with some bold changes.
Premiering Monday on NBC, Island of agreement or no agreement Transport 13 players to the banker's elusive private island. Hidden on the island are 100 briefcases with a combined value of more than $200 million. Players compete to recover cases through a series of challenges. The last one standing will face the Banker to potentially win the largest prize in franchise history.
Don't expect to see 26 women with briefcases. The island is only big enough for the show's host, Joe Manganiello, and two models. Ben Crofchick and Kamari Love, the show's only models, also act as the banker's eyes and ears throughout the series.
Although male models have appeared in episodes of the original series Agreement or no agreement series, an NBC representative confirmed to Yahoo Entertainment that Crofchick is the first male briefcase model to become a series regular on the American franchise.
It's a humbling achievement for Crofchick, who told Yahoo Entertainment that he almost missed a deadline last year to submit his audition tape to the show's casting department.
“I guess it was meant to be,” said Crofchick, who was a sales representative before turning to modeling full-time in 2019. “It still blows my mind that I model, so to think I'm the first [regular] male model to open the briefcase, it is incredible.”
'It's about representing everyone'
For Crofchick, work is much more than opening a briefcase; It's a testament to the growing demand to show “all kinds of bodies and experiences” on television, he says.
“Ben is much more than a briefcase model,” Corie Henson, executive vice president of unscripted content at NBCUniversal, told Yahoo Entertainment. “With moving a studio to this beautiful tropical island, we wanted to reimagine the program, and part of that change is being more inclusive in the way we choose.”
Crofchick takes that idea seriously.
“Deal or no deal “It’s an iconic show and the female models are a big part of it,” she said. “It's about representing everyone rather than a specific generational idea of what beauty is. “Everyone has the opportunity to see what they are drawn to today and that is a beautiful thing.”
Crofchick believes that television models are no longer just “pretty faces”[s] that hit the mark,” but rather an embodiment of the idea that confidence looks and feels different for everyone.
“The modeling world is starting to show that beauty is on many types of spectrums,” she said. “Any model in my position or in the past who has done what I do, being a television model, will say that it is more than just the idea of being there looking good. You are selling something. “You are selling yourself.”
That's a feeling she had to tap into when she started modeling. Crofchick said casting directors called him “overweight” and routinely criticized his body.
“We all have an idea of what sells to me and what sells to you,” he told himself. “I realized that when you first find the beauty in yourself, people can't help but see it too. With modeling, you can help insecure people find their own confidence, and that's what I try to do on the show.”
This is especially true when Crofchick is tasked with revealing potentially life-changing news to the contestants in the form of monetary prizes.
“It is the simplest type of modeling because it is the purest. I never have to fake a reaction,” she said. “When it's a good case, it's easy to smile and sell it cheerfully. But as the show progresses into the season, opening the case becomes difficult. “I don’t want to open it up and show what the amount could be because there are so many things at stake.”
Looking ahead, Crofchick said television models have an important role to play for younger generations, who should not be seen as an object but rather as a role model. That's an attitude he plans to take with him off the island.
“Your humility and how you treat people is the most beautiful thing,” he said. “That will take you longer than anything else. If my career ends today, or if it continues for 20 years, that's what I'll take with me.”
Island of agreement or no agreement premieres February 26 at 9:30 pm ET on NBC and streams February 27 on Peacock.
