‘Temptation Island’ Host Mark L. Walberg Talks ‘No Rules’ Couple Ahead of Season 3 Premiere (Exclusive)

Things are heating up on Temptation Island this season, and one couple has decided to throw all the rules out as they test their love with the 23 singles of Season 3. Ahead of Tuesday’s season premiere at 10 p.m. ET on USA, Temptation Island host Mark L. Walberg shared with PopCulture.com his thoughts on the “emotional” journey to come for the season’s four couples: Chelsea Orcutt and Thomas Gipson; Erin Smith and Corey Sobczyk; Kristen Ramos and Julian Allen; and Erica Washington and Kendal Kirkland.

“It’s emotional. This one’s emotional,” Walberg said of the upcoming season, which had filming postponed at the last minute last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “One of the things I love about the show is you really don’t have to change the format — it’s all about the couple. …There’s stuff in each of the couple’s past that’s traumatic that shows up.”

Washington and Kirkland had been together for almost three years before heading to Temptation Island, but surprised fans with their declaration in the season trailer that they had “no rules” for one another heading into the singles villa. Walberg doesn’t think it’s as radical an approach as viewers might, however, noting just how much “leeway” past couples have taken with the rules they’ve laid out.

“You make the rules, and there’s a lot of ways to get around those rules,” he noted, adding, “Look, if you think this is about not cheating — if that’s why you’re here is to prove that you don’t cheat — even the worst dog can make it 30 days running the gauntlet. …Just because you didn’t cheat doesn’t mean you’re going to keep your love alive.” He continued, “The better way to do this is to get a family counselor and work on [relationship issues] in therapy, but if you choose to come here, you’re saying, ‘Let’s be single and work on this here.’”

Going into each season, Walberg admits he makes the “wrong call” when it comes to his first impression of how the couples will fare. “I see a couple and I’m like, ‘They’re not going to make it through the night,’ and then you have [Season 1 couple Javen Butler and Shari Ligons] engaged and happy years later.” Don’t miss the start of the four couples’ journey on Temptation Island, premiering on Season 3 Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 10 p.m. ET on USA.