Temptation Island makes its big debut on Jan. 15. The series originally premiered in 2001 and ended in 2003. Revivals are all the rage right now, and Temptation Island is getting a second chance. Mark L. Walberg returns as host of the reality show, and HollywoodLife got the chance to sit down with Mark about coming back to the show. “It’s probably the fullest plate as a host that I’ve ever had,” he told HollywoodLife.
Mark stressed that the show keeps the same format as the original series, except in one case. “From a format standpoint, it’s very much the same,” he continued. “If you are nostalgic for the old Temptation Island, you’re gonna get all of that, but there’s a lot that’s different in how we approach it. One big difference is that, where originally, the tempters are almost an afterthought. They were just there to tempt and not really about the couples. Here, it’s a two-way street. These singles are chosen because they are also looking to find their one. They want to find love.”
The show features four couples who are at a crossroads in their relationships. They’re soon separated for a month and introduced to single men and women. “The relationships start to form, and it’s easy to say it’s either a love connection or a sex connection or not, but there are all kinds of relationships that happen there,” Mark teased. “At the end, there’s three possible outcomes with the couples: either they decide they want to stay together, they leave separately alone, or they fall in love with somebody else and are leaving with them. And I will tell you that all three of these outcomes are in play up to the very end.” Nothing is set in stone until the couples see each other again after a month.
Over the course of the season, Mark finds out everything as it unfolds. “My reaction on everything is in real time, for real,” Mark told HollywoodLife. “It’s a choice for me. I could find out.” While he does have some insight, he’s not “not spying and watching and showing up out of nowhere. When I’m there, I’m there, and when I’m not there, I’m letting them live their life.” Temptation Island airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on USA Network.