The Traitors is arguably one of the best reality shows on the air, and certainly one of the most popular. Those with a Peacock subscription have been treated to four wild seasons, in addition to the international versions. Season 4 gave the Real Housewives new power, although there are some fans who want to see them banned. But player (and Survivor legend) Rob Cesternino has a different take on that discourse.
Rob was part of The Traitors Season 4 cast list, and unfortunately was voted off early after accidentally trusting Traitor (and Real Housewife) Candiace Dillard Bassett. During an appearance on Page Six Radio while promoting his new book The Tribe and I Have Spoken, Cesternino pushed back against the sentiment that the Housewives should be banned from the Emmy-winning series. In his words:
No, they shouldn't because I really think that the Housewives put the asses in the seats for The Traitors. I really think that traders became a phenomenon in Season Two and I really think a big part of that was Phaedra and Phaedra brought in so many Housewives fans. Ad she did such a great job and I think that she doesn't get enough credit for helping to build the popularity of the show.
Mic drop moment. As someone who loves both Bravo and competition shows like Survivor, and RuPaul's Drag Race, The Traitors is basically my Avengers. But not all fans are created the same, and there are plenty of fans folks who tuned in to watch the Peacock series simply because The Real Housewives were included. And Rob C seems to think the Bravo community is a big reason why the show ended up getting as popular as it has become.
Later in his same appearance on Page Six Radio, Rob Cesternino compared the "gamers" from Survivor and Big Brother to the Real Housewives when competing in The Traitors. ASshe put it:
Whereas I think that the game people really understand the inner workings of how to play The Traitors, but I think that the Housewives bring so much of the audience and the fanfare to The Traitors, and I think that they're the biggest reason why the show's a big hit.
He ain't wrong. The Real Housewives have been part of some of the most iconic moments from The Traitors over the years, and they obviously know how to make good TV. I'm thinking of Candiace's conga line of death, as well as Phaedra Parks' 'Not Ekin-Su' moment. And the show casting a unique mixture of reality TV personalities is a big reason for its success. That includes the ladies of Bravo.
The Traitors Season 4 is streaming in its entirety (alongside the new season of UK) on Peacock as part of the 2026 TV schedule. As for Rob Cesternino, he's currently touring with his new book, get more info at https://robhasawebsite.com/events.
