The Big Picture

Trishelle and CT’s friendship was tested on the show; their old rivalry is gone.
CT learns he’s a sex symbol; Trishelle enjoys showing him fan reactions.
Fans hoped CT and Phaedra would hook up, but CT and Trishelle’s friendship grew.

When Trishelle Cannatella and Chris “CT” Tamburello first met in 2004 on Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno, they did not like each other. One could say that they nearly hated each other. Trishelle’s reality TV debut took place in 2002 on The Real World: Las Vegas, while CT made his debut a year later on The Real World: Paris. Twenty years later, the duo not only mended those fences, but came together to take the win. Their win was polarizing due to the final banishment of Mercedes “MJ” Javid, who felt so betrayed that she went home and immediately blocked both of them on Instagram. Fans were also incredibly divided after watching the finale; the Bravo fans were upset that MJ was eliminated in the final stretch, as they felt she was eliminated unjustly. Gamer fans of shows like The Challenge, Survivor, and Big Brother felt they played the game well and that they deserved the win.

Regardless of what the fans or haters think, CT and Trishelle were happy about their win and winning together. Collider had the opportunity to speak with them shortly after the incredibly emotional finale and discussed what was happening in their heads as they stood at the fire of truth. They also discussed playing the game after years of a complex friendship and CT’s new status as “Castle Daddy” from the fans.

The Traitors (US) Contestants in the game move into a majestic castle and work as a team to complete a series of dramatic and challenging missions to earn money for the prize pot. Some contestants are traitors some are loyal.Release Date January 12, 2023 Cast Alan Cumming , Kate Chastain , Cirie Fields , Arie Luyendyk Jr. Seasons 2

The Fire of Truth Was a Test of Trishelle and CT’s Friendship
Image via Peacock

When they first arrived in Scotland alongside fellow Challenge legend Johnny Bananas, it was clear immediately that the three of them had a sibling-like relationship. When speaking with Collider a day after the game began, they talked over each other like family members, expressing their excitement for the intense game. Speaking to them after their win, it’s clear that their old rivalry was dead and gone. The finale was intense, with CT, MJ, and Trishelle standing at the end. Trishelle, experiencing a moment of doubt with CT, voted to banish one more person. When asked about what was going through their minds at that moment, Trishelle shared, “[Sandra] was like, ‘You know, I think CT is your traitor angel, and Phaedra was mine.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, maybe he is a traitor.’ I was just playing right into Sandra’s plan. So I was ‘No, we have to keep Sandra because I like her. So whenever he turned and went from Kate to Sandra, that was actually, I think, a good game move because he’s right; she would’ve gotten rid of all of us, but I liked her. And then it made me think even more that CT was suspicious.” The moment became intensely emotional, with CT looking absolutely heartbroken after seeing that she wrote his name down for banishment. He shared, “After Phaedra went home, I think that there was a good assumption that it was Kate, but then we were also thinking it was somebody else, but then there was just not everybody’s thinking… paranoia sets in. It’s been sitting in for, I don’t know how many weeks.”

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Neither of them regrets the decisions they made. Trishelle was even fine with CT winning if he was a Traitor, saying, “Even if he’s a traitor, just let him have the money. Because I don’t want to see that sad look on his face ever again.”

CT Learned a New Phrase Thanks to Thirsty Fans of ‘The Traitors’
Image via Peacock

One thing CT did not expect as a result of this season was his newly crowned status as a sex symbol. When asked about this, he shared, “I just found out what caked up meant,” referring to the countless memes posted by his amorous fans of him in a wetsuit. Trishelle had even more to say about his new status, saying, “All my friends to my married friends are like, ‘Oh, CT.’ I’m like, stop, girl. Like, I’m sending him screenshots of what people are saying about him. I’m like, ‘CT, look at this. Like all, my Bravo accounts that I follow.’ And he has no clue about this whole world. I’m like, ‘These women love you!’” It wasn’t just CT that the fans were loving; they were also loving the flirtatious relationship between him and Phaedra Parks. The internet was filled with fan videos of them set to romantic music. There were tweets saying things like, “The way CT looked at Phaedra and said- ‘How you doing?’” followed by hot and sweaty emojis. Many fans hoped that the two of them would hook up, but CT shared later in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly that their relationship did not move past flirting.

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While the fans continue to hope for Phaedra and CT to hook up, CT and Trishelle are happy that their friendship grew over the experience. CT shared, “I can characterize me and Trishelle’s relationship on The Traitors as, ‘She trusts me, she trusts me not. I’m just picking rose petals.” Trishelle added on to this, saying, “But you know what? I knew by CT’s face that I had really [hurt] him whenever I put his name up. And I was just like, ‘Oh man, I made a mistake. Like he’s not a traitor,’ but there was a small part of me that still needed him to say it.” The emotional moment proved that a Faithful win can be equally entertaining as a Traitor win.

The Traitors season 2 is available for streaming in the U.S. on Peacock. Watch Collider’s full interview with Trishelle and C.T. above.Watch on Peacock