If there’s one thing the season four cast of The Traitors can agree on, it’s that Rob Rausch played a good game. Well, his former Traitors, who he voted off, might not agree, but even they’d have their moments of praise.
The Love Island alum came into the game knowing virtually no one. But very quickly, the 27-year-old Alabama native, whose non-reality television profession is quite literally snake wrangling, had the entire castle endeared to him. There were many moments throughout the season that contestants would get in their confessional and swear up and down that there’s no way Rausch could be a Traitor. There was no one louder on that subject than fellow Love Islander Maura Higgins, the only person Rausch knew before the show.
Starting the game with Housewives mainstays Lisa Rinna and Candiace Dillard Bassett as his fellow Traitors — Donna Kelce was later revealed to be a secret Traitor, who was also voted out — Rausch flew under the radar in a way his fellow Traitors didn’t. Rausch ended up voting against both, with Bassett returning the favor not once, but twice. He eventually recruited singer Eric Nam to join him as a Traitor, the pair making it until the end until Rausch had to vote against him to win against Higgins.
Below, Rausch speaks with The Hollywood Reporter about his journey to victory, whether he’d do the show again and what he’s looking forward to now that it’s done.
***
How have things been since the episode came out?
They’ve been good. I really haven’t gotten to see a lot of stuff. I’ve been so busy. I’ve been doing a lot of press and traveling and brand deals and stuff, so I’ve been out of the loop, but I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad it can be in the past now.
You obviously played a good game. Most people just never had an idea. Take me through what you were thinking going into the game?
Going into this show, I had no game plan. It seemed silly to come up with a game plan. Going into a show that’s entirely based off of the cast that you walk in with. I mean, it’s a game, but it’s a game based off the players and their personalities and their mentalities. There was no point in really doing it. Also, I didn’t know if I was going to be a Faithful or a Traitor, so I had no plan. Once I got picked as a Traitor, I was super happy. Having been explained the rules, I was like, “Yeah, I want to be a Traitor.” They have all the control in the game.
When you’re a Traitor, I feel like the only person that can lose the game for you is yourself. It’s all up to you to do the best with that position. However, if you’re Faithful, there’s a lot of things that can just ruin your game.
In the beginning, you Traitors certainly worked together. Last season, they immediately went after each other. After you guys got Lisa out, was the idea always that you were doing this solo
No. No. Every time a Traitor was voted out, it was pretty much their time that they were getting talked about. As soon as Lisa was voted out, that next day, I had heard Candiace’s name from every single person in the castle saying how she rode hard for Lisa, which is the exact reason why I voted for Lisa. I didn’t want that suspicion on me. I mean, Candiace was going to go either way, and it’s better that I voiced a little here and there about her to look like I was a part of the group that got out a Traitor.
Can you take me through decision to ask Eric [Nam] to be your fellow Traitor?
Eric just made the most sense. I needed somebody who was steady, someone who was playing a good game as a Faithful, but also not someone who was the most trusted. He wasn’t. He had a lot of trust with people, but he wasn’t anyone’s number one. He was just a little bit in the middle. I felt like he was the perfect guy for the job because I needed someone that could last long enough to get to the end of the game and have that extra vote there, but not necessarily someone that was more trusted than me and could flip on me and take me out of the game win.
Obviously, when it came down to the end there, he was hoping it was going to be you and him. But it was very clear that Maura was going for Eric. Did you have second thoughts about that?
I definitely did have second thoughts because it was possible to just win anyway, with Eric. I did think there was a slight chance had I thrown green, and agreed with Eric, and Maura saw that; she might’ve flipped on me last second. Then Eric would’ve won. It just wasn’t a chance I was willing to take being a Traitor from day one and getting to the end. That wasn’t going to happen. I also started thinking just logically, would you give $100,000 to someone you just met? No, I don’t think so.
I think everyone watching might’ve questioned how you could’ve done what you did, but when you said that about giving someone you just met all that money, I could see that.
When you really think about it, when you actually put yourself in this situation, I think it makes a little more sense.
There’s been a lot of talk about Maura and how loyal she was to you and really believed you to be a Faithful. In that moment, what were you feeling? I know it’s a game, but you are friends. That’s tough.
That was a tough moment for sure. I was dreading it, but like you said, it was a game. Maura understood that. She got over it quicker than anybody else really that I’ve played with, especially the Traitors. I commend her for that. She gets high praise for that. She’s an amazing sport and she played well.
When you were picked as a Traitor, how much did you know about your fellow Traitors Lisa and Candiace? Were you concerned that they were both Housewives and would have a base-level bond there?
I had no idea who either one of them were. I didn’t know who anyone was in the castle except Maura. I was like, this is a disadvantage having two people with common ground in [with] me. I thought there was definitely a chance that, if the time came, they may collude and turn against me. That didn’t happen, but it crossed my mind for sure. I’m thinking about everything when I’m playing this game.
Do you see yourself doing something like this again?
I don’t know. At this point, I really don’t know. Maybe, maybe not.
If they asked you to come back and do Traitors again, would you do it?
No, definitely not. I couldn’t have gotten a better experience. What am I doing? What am I chasing? Nothing. I’m good.
What are you looking to do after this then? You obviously have a bit more exposure on you and have options, I assume.
I don’t know. All I can think about right now is just some downtime. I just want to be home. It’s about to be spring in Alabama. It’s going to be gorgeous. It’s getting warmer. I just want to be outside and hang out with my family and my friends. That’s all I really care about right now.
***
Check out more of THR’s The Traitors coverage here.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
#Rob #Rausch #Traitors #Season
