After a season full of Traitor-on-Traitor violence, the Faithful squad of contestants left on Peacock’s The Traitors went on to achieve an unlikely win.
The award-winning show went into its final episode of the season with viewers waiting to see if Britney Haynes voted against her fellow former Big Brother player Danielle Reyes – spoiler alert, she did. Haynes herself was eventually banished during the final roundtable, leaving influencer and producer Dylan Efron, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania, former Bachelorette Gabby Windey and British aristocrat Lord Ivar Mountbatten to make the decision whether or not they wanted to end the game. They did end the game, revealing they were all Faithfuls and winning the show.
“It’s a little surreal for all of us,” Mountbatten tells The Hollywood Reporter over a Zoom, sitting among his fellow winners. “We shot this in June, so it’s been quite a long time trying to keep this secret.”
The final group was an unexpected mix of contestants. It was noticeably a year void of “gamers” – those that come from competition shows like Survivor, Big Brother, The Challenge and more – at the fire of truth. “It was The Breakfast Club of winners,” Catania jokes.
Catania’s win breaks a streak of bad luck – which many believe is a bias against – for contestants hailing from the Real Housewives franchise. This season’s first kill and second kill were both Housewives – New York’s Dorinda Medley and Dubai’s Chanel Ayan, respectively. “It’s not an idea, it’s a truth,” she says on whether or not she thinks contestants go after Housewives. “I feel like I’ve vindicated my friends by winning after everybody went after them, and it’s just a great feeling. I can’t explain it. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”
The four players all had different strategies going into the The Traitors. “Not at all,” Windey says when asked if she prepared at all before heading to Scotland. “I try and just go in and have my own experience, but of course I want to win. Second place is the first loser.”
Catania says she watched The Traitors on the way to Scotland and then watched Netflix’s Baby Reindeer on the burner phone production gave her to prepare. Meanwhile, Mountbatten said his daughter suggested he use ChatGPT to make a strategy. “I researched before,” Efron previously told THR. “I knew I had a good shot.”
Heading into the final act of The Traitor’s season three finale, host Alan Cumming asked players about what winning and the prize money would mean for them. Windey, in a little wink to the viewers at home, said she’d use the money to marry her at-the-time girlfriend, writer and comedian Robby Hoffman; the pair posted photos of their January wedding days before The Traitors’ finale aired.
“I still have $49,300 left. Our wedding package was $700. It was the most deluxe. It came with a limo and photos, but we haven’t seen a dime, let’s be honest.” Windey says of how she’s used her winner’s earnings, eliciting a laugh from her fellow Faithfuls. “We haven’t even had a chance to spend it.”
“I want it pre-taxes. I think the UK is really tough on taxes,” Windey thinks aloud. “We have to pay both taxes,” Catania responds before Windey adds, “I have an accountant.”
“You have a double taxation fee between the countries,” Mountbatten begins to explain before Efron cuts in. “I got a new apartment,” Efron says of his post-winning splurge. Meanwhile, Mountbatten has shown a little extra care to one of his children. “I was just in Whistler with my daughter. She’s a paramedic,” he says. “I’m treating her to a lot more fun things.”