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 one among 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.
Nevertheless, 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 detrimental response, which additionally led to followers resurfacing Underwood’s previous authorized controversies, obtained so unhealthy that The Traitors needed to problem an announcement condemning the cyberbullying and harassment of the solid.
How I confirmed up on Traitors just isn’t how I present up in my actual life.
“One factor that folks don’t perceive is how I confirmed up on Traitors just isn’t 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 type of in my blood to compete and play onerous. 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 tip, 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 recreation, which, in flip, sealed Dillard Bassett’s destiny as the subsequent traitor to be banished. Beneath, StyleCaster spoke to Underwood about his response to the detrimental 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 scorching seat: “There’s going to be quite a bit mentioned.”
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 affix this season. I feel every part occurs for a cause. It was an ideal match for me.
What was your response whenever you realized who the traitors have been?
It was sensible. Lisa, Candiace, and Rob. It’s the right combine, proper? You might have somebody to name the wild card in Lisa. You might have the quiet, reserved Rob. Then you may have what I might take into account the chief of the pack in Candiace, and type of the brains of the operation. It simply made a lot sense when I discovered them out.
We noticed you observed 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 advised everyone he had the dagger. It didn’t add as much as me. Why would he try this? There’s six of us right here, statistically talking, one among us is a traitor on this group. Why hastily, are you telling everyone you may have this? I believed it was for positive a protection play. I used to be like, “When 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 feel Rob’s taking part in an excellent recreation. However a part of me thinks it was just a little little bit of a mistake to kill me off. I had no suspicion of Rob. My loyalty was one hundred pc with him. He and Natalie have been my one and two. I used to be able to go after Candiace onerous, and I might 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 type of like there isn’t a deal-making. There is no such thing as a different identify. It’s Colton, and we’re not leaving this turret till you say it’s Colton.
You’ve acquired quite a lot 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 just a little bit of hysteria. Folks have watched me develop up in entrance of them by The Bachelor in my early days, and my journey has been one I’m extraordinarily happy with, and it has not been excellent. I might be the primary one to say that. By means of my Netflix present and different numerous instances, I’ve owned the errors I’ve made in my previous, so I undoubtedly perceive it’s difficult at instances 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 perpetually.
I need 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 type of nemeses. She is an icon and a legend, and one of many best to do, not solely housewives, however her profession basically. I feel anytime you watch one thing again, it brings up the feelings and the depth of what that recreation was. After that episode, you type 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 enjoying the sport, however when it turns into greater than that, that’s when we’ve got 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 improper with Tiffany, and I’ll be the primary to take a seat 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 recreation with conviction and confidence. The second you’re wishy washy—you noticed that with my gameplay on the very first spherical desk. I let anyone pull me off my intestine to go along with Donna, and I went with Porsha and made a mistake. From then on out, as quickly as I mentioned a reputation, I used to be sticking to it, it doesn’t matter what. However it’s a recreation. I feel she understands that too, as a recreation participant, and I’m positive she’s gonna have quite a lot of questions for me, too. However I respect her gameplay. I wasn’t as aware of her recreation fashion from Huge Brother till after the present. Hopefully, she’ll respect the sport of all of it.
Traitors is a person recreation.
How do you are feeling in regards to the reunion developing, and do you intend 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 quite a lot 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 mentioned there.
At a couple of roundtables in the past, Michael Rapaport made a remark that you just interpreted as a dig towards your sexuality. Michael has since apologized and mentioned that he didn’t imply it like that. What do you consider now?
What I’ll say about that scenario is I consider 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 need to create a bias when there’s not. I need to deal with everyone as the identical. I need to simply collect info and current it. I feel 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 cellphone, and he’s apologized. I’m not anyone who holds grudges or needs to take a seat 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.
When you weren’t murdered, do you assume you would’ve received?
At that time, I performed such a brash, daring recreation, and I used to be very proactive in looking for Traitors out that the one approach I might have received the present is that if I had been recruited.
At that time, you had quite a lot of suspicion on you as a traitor. When you have been recruited, how would you may have stored the suspicion off of you till the tip?
If we’re talking in hypotheticals, my first transfer, sadly, would have been to activate Rob. Throw him proper beneath the bus and be the solo traitor on the finish, rattling. That will have been savage, however Traitors is a person recreation. Sure, there are traitors. Sure, there are faithfuls. And sure, it’s important to work collectively, however it’s a person recreation. It’s a competitors recreation present. And I’ll at all times respect individuals for enjoying the sport onerous 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 take into account 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 quite a lot of relationship-based exhibits. Even Love Island. I’ve by no means skilled that. However there’s technique concerned. You need to make choices 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 type of competitors. I don’t even know in case you would name it a contest relationship actuality present, however there’s a competitors facet to it. I’m happy with the illustration from Bachelor Nation through the years. I feel everyone who’s stepped onto the present from that franchise has achieved a wonderful job.
I need to speak in regards to the outfit with the blue sweater over your shoulders. Followers made quite a lot of memes of that look. What was your response to that?
I stand by all of my wardrobe selections. 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 need to have enjoyable with it. I labored with an unbelievable stylist to place collectively items that I felt comfy and assured in and that I may 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 scorching, so that you drape it over, after which it’d be over one shoulder. After which it could simply be off, after which it could be totally again on. You’re going inside and outdoors. 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. Nevertheless, the place I’m at in my life as a father and a husband, I’ve been by a lot, and it takes a sure degree of vulnerability to return in entrance of the digicam. I type of dip my toe again in, after which I’m like, “OK, I would like a couple of years off once more.” I might in all probability take into account it. It simply could be a bigger dialog with my household the subsequent time.
