RHAP: We Know Big Brother
“Best of 2025: Dr. Will Finally Bares All”
Host: Rob Cesternino
Guest: Dr. Will Kirby
Date: December 31, 2025
Episode Overview
In this “Best of 2025” episode, Rob Cesternino delivers a highly-anticipated, wide-ranging interview with reality TV legend Dr. Will Kirby. While the conversation touches lightly on Big Brother, the focus is far broader: Will’s return to unscripted television on Deal or No Deal Island, the evolving world of reality TV, his career and worldview, and deeply entertaining digressions into topics such as politics, wellness, pets, 1980s TV, and the philosophy of life and death. The tone is irreverent, candid, and rich with Dr. Will’s trademark wit and self-deprecation, offering listeners both humor and insight into what drives one of reality TV’s most enigmatic personalities.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Will’s Return to Reality TV: “Deal or No Deal Island”
[07:14–13:44]
- Why Return Now: Dr. Will was a last-minute cast addition; motivated by timing and a desire for his kids, who had never seen him on television, to watch him compete.
“My daughter has never seen me on TV... I felt like I had to show my daughter a good time on tv.” (10:37)
- Late Entry Experience: Will hadn’t watched Dealer No Deal Island before being cast—he binge-watched it with his daughter to prep.
- Why the Show is Appealing: Lavish accommodations and treatment for contestants: “They make your bed every day. … Everything clicked. It was just the greatest experience.” (11:49)
- Strategy Discussion: Came in “hot” and over-the-top, purposely making himself a target to become both distraction and opportunity for alliances, echoing his original Big Brother tactics.
“I wanted to make my target so unbelievably big that people would want to keep me because of the distraction quotient…” (27:34)
The State & Evolution of Reality TV
[13:44–18:06, 50:30–53:59, 116:01–120:18]
- The “MCU” of Reality TV: Rob compares current crossovers of reality stars to Marvel’s intersecting universes. Will’s take: interconnectedness is fun, but “there really is only one reality, and that’s the reality right now.” (14:02)
- Name Drops & Comebacks: Will would cast Jervis Peterson and Brennan Swain if he was producing, highlighting the need to bridge “old school” charisma with the new wave.
“Jervis... is an old school OG gangster. ... I would really, really like to see him come back.” (15:17)
- Golden Age Returns: References to the resurgence of classic unscripted formats, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and entertainment value over merely “winning.”
“If you’re watching television and you’re not entertained, then you’re doing it wrong and the participants are doing it wrong.” (36:41)
On Entertainment, Social Media, and Public Perception
[29:38–39:25, 81:38–82:32, 116:50–120:18]
- Body Shaming & Internet Feedback: Will shrugs off negative social media commentary on his appearance:
“No one ever, on their tombstone, has engraved, ‘I wish I had spent more time on Facebook.’ ... I don’t believe cyberbullying is real because you can just hang up your phone, right?” (30:43)
- Social Media’s Double-Edged Sword: Both Rob and Will discuss the loss of “skin in the game” online, the pervasiveness of anonymous criticism, and the fading value they find in digital discourse.
“The feces don’t hit you if you don’t go to the zoo.” (34:19)
- Entertainment as Priority: Will insists on playing and appearing for his own personal amusement, arguing that the best entertainment comes when one is ultimately self-fulfilled.
“If I can make myself laugh, I most assuredly am making someone else out there laugh too.” (36:19)
On Personal Life, Career, and Stigma
[51:04–53:59]
- Reality TV & Professional Reputations: Will explains how his Big Brother win initially stigmatized his career in medicine, which he countered by excelling in dermatology.
“I take my dermatological career very seriously... Reality TV at first really stigmatized that, and then it actually helped.” (51:32)
- Reality TV as a Catalyst: Encourages listeners to apply for reality TV, emphasizing that stepping out of one’s comfort zone can be transformative.
Fun & Tangential Topics on “The Wheel”
Throughout, Rob spins a wheel loaded with both serious and silly conversation starters. Dr. Will addresses each with humor and candor, including:
- Can men over 50 wear Sambas? (20:07)
- Will’s kids veto his fashion, Rob supports self-expression.
- “Can a 50 year old man wear hip clothing or does that just make them look like Jeff Bezos?” (20:46)
- Running for Political Office? (40:27)
- Will considers a common-sense, no-salary, one-term approach to governance; prioritizes competency and “ushering in an era of common sense.”
- Pets & Obsessions: (83:30)
- Will showcases rare breed Yorkies and discusses his love of turtles, including the “turtle smuggling” problem.
- Dream Pet: (88:40)
- Advocates for a “long legs, short body” dog—“like a dead giraffe dog...a Yorkie body, but then like Great Dane legs.” (90:39)
- Philosophy on Luck vs. Talent: (36:41)
- “There's a lot of luck involved… skill matters... but luck truly dictates the ultimate outcome of any of these shows.”
- Cold Plunges and Sleep Hygiene: (194:02)
- Recommends the “3-2-1 Rule” for sleep: 3 hours before bed no food, 2 hours no liquids, 1 hour no electronics.
- Point Break as the Greatest Movie: (177:02)
- “Football player goes undercover in the FBI to infiltrate a gang of surfer bank robbers. That's all you need to know. ... It's the greatest movie ever made.” (177:09)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Strategy & Entertainment Value
- Dr. Will Kirby [27:34]:
“I wanted to make my target so unbelievably big that people would want to keep me because of the distraction quotient or they would want to join with me because they weren't in another alliance and they might as well work with the person who they knew people were going to be against.”
On Reality TV’s Purpose
- Dr. Will Kirby [36:41]: “If you’re watching television and you’re not entertained, then you’re doing it wrong and the participants are doing it wrong.”
On Social Media
- Dr. Will Kirby [30:43]: “No one ever, on their tombstone, has engraved, ‘I wish I had spent more time on Facebook.’ … I don’t believe cyberbullying is real because you can just hang up your phone, right?”
On Playing for Himself
- Dr. Will Kirby [36:19]: “If I can make myself laugh, I most assuredly am making someone else out there laugh too.”
On Reality Show Legends
- Dr. Will Kirby [15:17]: “Jervis… is an old school OG gangster… I would really, really like to see him come back.”
On Rejection and Adaptation
- Dr. Will Kirby [235:13]: “I have had reality television break my heart so many times… And that really is a phenomenal lesson… There are things you can control and things you can’t control. … Never give up, but you just go with the flow and do the best you can.”
On Applying to Reality TV
- Dr. Will Kirby [246:08]: “If you are a reality television fan, stop watching and start playing. All you have to do is apply. … There is a show for everyone these days.”
On Strange Yet Enduring Bits
- The Bear Strip Club Song (Recurring with gusto):
“Take me down to the paradise city / Where the bears are bears and the bears bear…” (multiple timestamps)
Notable Segments by Timestamp
-
DR. WILL ARRIVES, REALITY TV COMEBACK / DEAL OR NO DEAL ISLAND
[05:37–15:06] -
FASHION AFTER 50: ADIDAS SAMBAS & KIDS’ JUDGMENT
[20:07–21:24] -
POLITICS & THE NEED FOR COMMON SENSE
[40:27–46:02] -
PHILOSOPHY OF LUCK, ENTERTAINMENT, AND SOCIAL MEDIA SKEPTICISM
[36:41–39:25; 81:38–82:32] -
PETS, TURTLES, AND SMUGGLING
[83:30–88:29] -
ASTROPHYSICS & UFOS
[92:11–94:37] -
SLEEP HYGIENE / HEALTH TIPS
[189:09–194:02] -
90s & 80s TV SITCOMS: THREE’S COMPANY, ALF, MR. T
[166:02–175:08] -
REALITY TV STORYTELLING VS. “MR. BEAST GAMES”
[101:05–107:19] -
EGOT, CAREER ‘WHAT IFs’, AND UNAIRED PILOTS
[224:04–238:14]
Takeaways for Listeners
This podcast is more than a recap or star interview—it’s a sprawling, kinetic showcase of Dr. Will’s humor, perspective, and enduring commitment to making reality TV, and life, both entertaining and meaningful. If you want “classic Will,” you’ll get spectacle (the bear strip club, anyone?), but also get real, lived wisdom about failure, evolution, and the importance of taking swings at opportunity—on reality shows, or otherwise.
If you’re a reality TV fan, Will urges you to stop passively consuming and start playing.
If you want to be entertained, watch those who are daring to entertain themselves first.
Final Thoughts
Rob Cesternino [247:05]:
“I wouldn’t have changed anything about how this went. It was an all timer for me.”
Dr. Will Kirby [245:06]:
“...if you do [Survivor 50], Rob, one little request: a yellow Livestrong bracelet, you'll know it’s for you.”