Temptation lures host back again to reality show

Mark L. Walberg has been working in television most of his adult life, but he has never seen anything as bizarre as his latest job.

“Waiting (16) years for another season of a show is a little unusual,” he said.

He’s referring to the return of the reality dating show “Temptation Island.” When the series launched in 2001 on Fox (long before anyone thought about “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelorette” franchise), it brought together a bevy of beautiful people to a tropical setting.

The idea was to see which couples were committed and which just wanted to have fun.

Flash-forward to 2019, and “Temptation Island” is back with the same concept.

Four couples are at a crossroads in their relationships when they visit Temptation Island (better known as Maui), where they will be tempted by 24 singles.

This time, the sunand-sex series is shown on the USA Network, where it premiered Tuesday.

Television is filled with reality dating and marriage series these days, but there was nothing like “Temptation Island” when it was first introduced.

“It was a new genre and a genre I didn’t particularly think was going to stay around,” Walberg said.

The South Carolinaborn host remembers how the production team for the first incarnation showed up with detailed plans on how it planned to follow the lustful ways of the participants.

That quickly changed as the relationships started to get heated. The decision was made to just let the stories unfold before the cameras.

Since his first stint on “Temptation Island,” Walberg has worked as a host on various TV series, including “Antiques Roadshow,” “Russian Roulette,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “Home & Family.” He also is one of the hosts of “The Price Is Right, Live,” the traveling game show.

He acknolwedged that returning to a show that ended many years ago seems surreal.

But the hosting duties felt comfortable from the first day of taping the new batch of “Temptation Island” episodes, he said.

Walberg, who was 39 when he hosted the original “Temptation Island,” said he is happy that the older version of himself is getting to host the new episodes because he brings a more grounded perspective to the action. He still believes in the philosophy of “Be careful what you wish for.”

One of the biggest differences between then and now for Walberg is that he now has children who are the same age as participants on “Temptation Island.”

“So instead of being like an older brother in the first season of ‘Temptation Island,’ now I am definitely more in the dad role," Walberg said. "But I didn’t look at my position as an advice-giver or a judgment person. I am more of a facilitator and (am there) to ask the questions that would inform everyone the best.

“I have to stay out of the way and let them — without judgment — have their experience even if I know in my heart of hearts it’s not going to bring them what they hoped.”