Warning: This interview incorporates Traitors Season 4 spoilers. After eight episodes, six banishments (each failed and profitable), and one controversial blue sweater, Colton Underwood was formally murdered on The Traitors, thus ending the time of considered one of Season 4’s most controversial contestants.
Underwood—who’s finest recognized for his appearances on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and made historical past as the primary former Bachelor to come out as homosexual in 2021—was chosen as a devoted in Episode 1 and was a robust participant from the beginning, main the banishment that took out Season 4’s first traitor, Donna Kelce, in Episode 2.
Nonetheless, because the episodes went on, the followers (and his fellow solid members) appeared to bitter on Underwood, with many criticizing his aggressive and reckless gameplay. The damaging response, which additionally led to followers resurfacing Underwood’s previous authorized controversies, acquired so dangerous that The Traitors needed to challenge an announcement condemning the cyberbullying and harassment of the solid.
How I confirmed up on Traitors will not be how I present up in my actual life.
“One factor that individuals don’t perceive is how I confirmed up on Traitors will not be how I present up in my actual life as a dad and a husband. I’m not that intense in actual life,” Underwood tells StyleCaster. “I’m a really aggressive individual. It’s kind of in my blood to compete and play arduous. There are lots of people who’re first discovering out about me on this present, and I get it, I used to be intense, and I used to be aggressive, however that’s actually not who I’m in my on a regular basis.”
Regardless of his finest makes an attempt to make it to the top, Underwood was murdered in Episode 8 of The Traitors Season 4, which noticed remaining traitors Candiace Dillard Bassett and (Underwood’s closest ally) Rob Rausch seal his destiny within the sport, which, in flip, sealed Dillard Bassett’s destiny as the subsequent traitor to be banished. Under, StyleCaster spoke to Underwood about his response to the damaging response he’s confronted on The Traitors; the place he stands with Lisa Rinna, Michael Rapaport, Tiffany Mitchell, and extra rivals from the present; and whether or not he plans to attend the collection’ upcoming reunion, the place he’s positive to be within the sizzling seat: “There’s going to be quite a bit stated.”
Was this the primary season you have been requested to be on The Traitors?
This was the third season I used to be requested. The primary one simply didn’t work out logistically for my schedule. The second time I used to be supplied was proper round when Bishop was born, so logistically it wasn’t within the playing cards. However I used to be so appreciative and so honored to hitch this season. I believe every thing occurs for a motive. It was an ideal match for me.
What was your response while you discovered who the traitors have been?
It was sensible. Lisa, Candiace, and Rob. It’s the proper combine, proper? You have got somebody to name the wild card in Lisa. You have got the quiet, reserved Rob. Then you will have what I’d think about the chief of the pack in Candiace, and kind of the brains of the operation. It simply made a lot sense when I discovered them out.
We noticed you watched each Lisa and Candiace. Did you ever suspect Rob?
Rob was not on my radar one bit. The one factor that made my antennas go up on Rob is when he informed all people he had the dagger. It didn’t add as much as me. Why would he do this? There’s six of us right here, statistically talking, considered one of us is a traitor on this group. Why impulsively, are you telling all people you will have this? I believed it was for positive a protection play. I used to be like, “Should you want protection, protection from who? Your identify wasn’t introduced up in any respect at that time.” That was his solely mistake, for my part.
Do you assume it was a mistake to homicide you?
I believe Rob’s taking part in an excellent sport. However a part of me thinks it was slightly little bit of a mistake to kill me off. I had no suspicion of Rob. My loyalty was 100% with him. He and Natalie have been my one and two. I used to be able to go after Candiace arduous, and I’d have liked to have been recruited. I haven’t seen that episode but, so I don’t know the way it performs, however from what I’ve heard, it was kind of like there isn’t a deal-making. There isn’t a different identify. It’s Colton, and we’re not leaving this turret till you say it’s Colton.
You’ve acquired lots of backlash to your gameplay this season. What has your response been to that?
At this level of my life and my profession, anytime I’m again into the highlight, it offers me slightly bit of hysteria. Folks have watched me develop up in entrance of them by means of The Bachelor in my early days, and my journey has been one I’m extraordinarily happy with, and it has not been excellent. I’d be the primary one to say that. By way of my Netflix present and different numerous occasions, I’ve owned the errors I’ve made in my previous, so I undoubtedly perceive it’s difficult at occasions to learn issues which are both inaccurate or lack context. However I’m additionally happy with how I confirmed up and performed the sport. I made some nice friendships with the individuals who have been on this season of Traitors, and so they’re gonna be recollections I cherish ceaselessly.
I wish to speak in regards to the Lisa Rinna of all of it. After your back-and-forth with Lisa on the roundtable a few weeks in the past, she posted a remark about you on Threads, which she later backtracked on. What was your response to that, and what’s your relationship now?
Lisa and I talk through textual content and message one another. We’re pleasant. We additionally perceive we’re on a tv present collectively, and we have been kind of nemeses. She is an icon and a legend, and one of many biggest to do, not solely housewives, however her profession generally. I believe anytime you watch one thing again, it brings up the feelings and the depth of what that sport was. After that episode, you kind of depart the drama of the present to the present. There have been conversations she and I had the place we have been similar to, “Hey, we’re all for taking part in the sport, however when it turns into greater than that, that’s when we have now to have a dialog as buddies.”
Tiffany can also be somebody who’s had phrases for you on social media after she was banished from the present. What’s your relationship now?
I used to be incorrect with Tiffany, and I’ll be the primary to sit down right here and be like, “I tousled. I made a mistake.” However I went for Tiffany, how I went for Donna, and the way I went for Lisa, and the way I used to be planning on going for Candiace. I wished to play this sport with conviction and confidence. The second you’re wishy washy—you noticed that with my gameplay on the very first spherical desk. I let any person pull me off my intestine to go together with Donna, and I went with Porsha and made a mistake. From then on out, as quickly as I stated a reputation, I used to be sticking to it, it doesn’t matter what. However it’s a sport. I believe she understands that too, as a sport participant, and I’m positive she’s gonna have lots of questions for me, too. However I respect her gameplay. I wasn’t as acquainted with her sport fashion from Massive Brother till after the present. Hopefully, she’ll respect the sport of all of it.
Traitors is a person sport.
How do you’re feeling in regards to the reunion developing, and do you propose to attend?
We’ll have to determine and tune in for that. That’s what I’ll say there. Clearly, lots of people are going to have lots of issues to say and get off their plates. This season undoubtedly didn’t lack, not solely gameplay, however drama. There’s going to be quite a bit to be stated there.
At a couple of roundtables in the past, Michael Rapaport made a remark that you simply interpreted as a dig towards your sexuality. Michael has since apologized and stated that he didn’t imply it like that. What do you imagine now?
What I’ll say about that state of affairs is I imagine it was a low blow. I at all times went into the roundtables with proof from the sport, and I by no means wished to make something private about no matter I knew about these gamers. I simply don’t wish to create a bias when there’s not. I wish to deal with all people as the identical. I wish to simply collect data and current it. I believe when that second occurred, you see me take a step again, and it took me out of the sport the place I’m like, “OK, that wasn’t cool.” Since then, he has referred to as, and we’ve spoken on the telephone, and he’s apologized. I’m not any person who holds grudges or needs to sit down in that for very lengthy. So after all, I forgave him, and we moved previous it. I’m positive, if he’s on the reunion and if I’m on the reunion, we’ll have to speak about it once more. However after the present, he dealt with it I believed in a really respectful and great way.
Should you weren’t murdered, do you assume you could possibly’ve received?
At that time, I performed such a brash, daring sport, and I used to be very proactive in looking for Traitors out that the one approach I’d have received the present is that if I had been recruited.
At that time, you had lots of suspicion on you as a traitor. Should you have been recruited, how would you will have saved the suspicion off of you till the top?
If we’re talking in hypotheticals, my first transfer, sadly, would have been to activate Rob. Throw him proper underneath the bus and be the solo traitor on the finish, rattling. That might have been savage, however Traitors is a person sport. Sure, there are traitors. Sure, there are faithfuls. And sure, you need to work collectively, however it’s a person sport. It’s a competitors sport present. And I’ll at all times respect individuals for taking part in the sport arduous and taking part in the sport that they really feel is finest for them.
My journey has been one I’m extraordinarily happy with, and it has not been excellent.
Do you think about your self a gamer?
I undoubtedly assume I’m a gamer from different elements of my life. I’ve been within the trade lengthy sufficient now to grasp sure issues. You see this too, with lots of relationship-based exhibits. Even Love Island. I’ve by no means skilled that. However there’s technique concerned. You need to make selections about what’s finest to your life, what’s finest to your relationships. Sure, it’s a love and romance present, however there may be some kind of competitors. I don’t even know if you happen to would name it a contest relationship actuality present, however there’s a competitors side to it. I’m happy with the illustration from Bachelor Nation through the years. I believe all people who’s stepped onto the present from that franchise has achieved a superb job.
I wish to speak in regards to the outfit with the blue sweater over your shoulders. Followers made lots of memes of that look. What was your response to that?
I stand by all of my wardrobe decisions. If I’m going to go compete on a tv present with Alan Cumming in a citadel in Scotland and do essentially the most campy, theatrical homicide thriller efficiency, I wish to have enjoyable with it. I labored with an unimaginable stylist to place collectively items that I felt snug and assured in and that I might put on on sure days that perhaps I wanted to really feel good. My general temper board was preppy jock. I used to be undoubtedly feeling myself on the blue sweater that day. I noticed the memes on-line. You movie all day, and typically, you get sizzling, so that you drape it over, after which it’d be over one shoulder. After which it will simply be off, after which it will be totally again on. You’re going inside and out of doors. Your physique temperature is altering. It was good to have the choice to both get heat or let it breathe.
Would you do Traitors once more?
Naturally, the competitor in me screams sure. Nonetheless, the place I’m at in my life as a father and a husband, I’ve been by means of a lot, and it takes a sure stage of vulnerability to return in entrance of the digicam. I kind of dip my toe again in, after which I’m like, “OK, I want a couple of years off once more.” I’d in all probability think about it. It simply could be a bigger dialog with my household the subsequent time.
