The Traitors star Gabby Windey has spilled some behind-the-scenes secrets from the set of the reality competition show, including whether there was sexual tension among the star-studded cast.
The weekly Peacock show follows a group of celebrities – some of which have been secretly named Traitors – as they compete for a cash prize amount of up to $250,000.
Although some stars have already been ‘murdered,’ including Dorinda Medley, Nikki Garcia, Bob Harper and Rob Mariano, those left in the competition include Traitors Carolyn Wiger and Danielle Reyes, and Faithfuls Gabby, Sam Asghari, Dolores Catania, Dylan Efron, Britney Haynes, Lord Ivar Mountbatten and Tom Sandoval.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Gabby – who was the season 19 Bachelorette lead alongside Rachel Recchia – said that the film crew was literally ‘a fly on the wall’ while the cast filmed in Scotland in June 2024, and confessed that some of the cast truly was ‘real,’ despite playing a game of deception.
‘We had some downtime. Like we ate our lunches kind of off camera. You see us having breakfast. And production is really hands off.
‘This is the one show that like when you know when people say production isn’t involved, they mean it. They barely looked us in the eyes.
Gabby Windey spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com on February 13 about The Traitors behind-the-scenes secrets
The Bachelorette star was introduced as a cast member when season 3 premiered on January 9 (pictured is Bob Harper, Ciara Miller, Gabby, Bob the Drag Queen, Nikki Garcia and Chanel Ayan)
Gabby was named a Faithful by host Alan Cumming and remains in the competition
‘They’re like, “We’re not here. We’re a fly on the wall,” Gabby, 34, revealed while speaking to DailyMail.com at the AT&T in Times Square on February 13 for a special Guaranteeing Galentine’s Day with Gabby Windey event.
She went on to say that in-between the morning reveal of who had been ‘murdered’ the night before and participating in the day’s competition, the cast congregates to chat among themselves and converse about other competitors.
‘We kind of broke down for lunch, like the set [breaks down] or whatever, so we could a little bit digest from the morning and whoever got killed at breakfast.’
She added, ‘Lots of stress.’
The contestants had to rely on their castmates, especially their confidants, for support rather than relying on support from outside the castle.
Gabby said they only got to call home ‘like once a week or so,’ which, in a way, brought her and her girlfriend, Robby Hoffman, ‘closer’ – especially spending ‘six weeks’ apart, which was the longest they had ever been away from each other.
‘It did bring us closer because the whole time I couldn’t talk to her and I was spending time, you know, with all of the people in the castle,’ she shared.
‘I’m like, “Oh, nobody compares to Robby.”
Gabby told DailyMail.com about the cast’s ‘downtime,’ in which they ‘ate our lunches kind of off camera’ and ‘the cast congregates to chat amongst themselves’
The TV personality said that there’s ‘lots of stress’ involved in the reality competition show, and that they only get to call home ‘once a week’
The Dancing With the Stars alum and the Brooklyn-born comedian met during a lesbian night at a Los Angeles bar months before Gabby came out as bisexual and announced their relationship publicly on an episode of The View in August 2023.
In a recent interview and photoshoot with Interview magazine, Gabby revealed Robby, 35, moved in with her in August 2024, Gabby is ‘talking about converting’ to Judaism, and that they both agree that they do not want kids.
‘No kids! This is my baby and I’m her baby. We’re taking a page from the gays: Double income, no kids,’ Robby said.
When asked by DailyMail.com if anyone from The Traitors had a ‘crush’ on her, Gabby at first joked, ‘All of them,’ but then dished on the show’s ‘sexual tension.’
‘All of them. No, I’m just kidding. This is the one show I feel like with like the least amount of sexual tension,’ she teased before adding, ‘if you could imagine with like Ivar [Mountbatten], and that kind of a cast.’
She continued, ‘And we were just like so down bad in murder mystery, which is the opposite of sexy I feel.’
The TV personality joked that she could care less about seeing her cast showing off their muscles, which is something she even slammed during a confessional.
‘I don’t know if they’re working out [during their downtime] and thank God because they should not be doing it in front of my face,’ she insisted.
Gabby said she spent ‘six weeks’ apart from her girlfriend, Robby Hoffman, which was the longest they had ever been away from each other
Robby and Gabby met in the spring of 2023 in Los Angeles, but kept their relationship a secret until August 2023 when the reality star announced she’s bisexual
They have since moved in with each other and both agree that they do not want kids (pictured with Bethenny Frankel in September 2023)
She’s made it clear – like many of her castmates – that Tom Sandoval was the most annoying – ‘definitely him’ – explaining she ‘wanted Tom Sandoval as far away as he could possibly be at all times’ because they’ve all seen him on TV, referring to Vanderpump Rules and his scandalous affair with Rachel Leviss.
Instead, Gabby said she’s formed a close friendship with her clique, which they referred to as the ‘Bambi Alliance,’ and which includes herself, Chrishell Stause and Nikki Garcia.
Nikki, however, was eliminated in episode five after she was wrongfully accused of being a traitor. It was ultimately Boston Rob, a Traitor himself, who manipulated people in believing she was a traitor – even getting Chrishell and Gabby to vote against her.
Chrishell from Selling Sunset was ‘murdered’ in the February 13 episode and is no longer in the competition.
‘We were able to really form bonds. Nikki and I kind of bonded right away,’ Gabby told DailyMail.com.
‘I feel like she’s just – she’s so real, she’s so down to earth. She’s been in the industry forever and you cannot tell.
‘She’s just like the realist out there and she’s so sweet. So yeah, I feel like we gravitated towards each other.’
She went on to say that if any conversations got deep among each other, producers would ‘shut it down.’
Gabby told DailyMail.com that she bonded the most with Nikki Garcia, who was eliminated in episode five, calling her ‘the realist out there’
The Dancing With the Stars alum formed an alliance with Nikki and Chrishell, but stayed away from Tom Sandoval, whom she called the ‘most annoying’ among the cast
‘If you start talking too much, you know, they want it on camera so if you’re [chatting] over a meal or something, production was like “shut it down,” Gabby explained. “We were getting in trouble.’
As for other behind-the-scenes secrets, there were some Gabby was unable to confirm or deny – she ‘plead the fifth’ – including whether the cast slept at a hotel near the Inverness Airport and eat their breakfast at the hotel before being driven to the castle.
Host Alan Cumming revealed in an interview with The Daily Beast back in January 2023 that the season one cast ‘stayed in the airport hotel in the Inverness airport,’ adding, ‘How glamorous, you come to Scotland and you stay in the Inverness airport hotel.’
Meanwhile, John McManus, who starred in season 1 of the UK version, told The Sun, ‘We get breakfast served to our rooms in the hotel, before the on-screen breakfast!
‘There’s security, your food’s brought to your room, and the welfare team are brilliant, knocking on your door regularly to check you’re okay, but there’s none of this mixing or hanging about.’
With only a few episodes left, the Traitors, Danielle and Carolyn, are still in the competition after the other Traitors, Bob the Drag Queen and Rob Mariano, were identified and sent home by the cast at the round table.
‘As you know, I have an affinity for those traitors. I love them and I love them near,’ Gabby said. ‘But, I think people saw earlier in the season that I did kind of catch Danielle coming out [from behind a hidden room]. You don’t know who you can trust.
‘But it was always in the back of my mind. Carolyn, no way. She was just way too close to me. But actually I think it’s not that bad of a strategy.
Gabby told DailyMail.com that she had no idea Carolyn Wiger was a Traitor: ‘Carolyn, no way. She was just way too close to me’
The TV personality said she caught Danielle Reyes as a Traitor earlier in the season, but didn’t know who she could trust
There are nine contestants left after episode 8 aired on Thursday, February 13
‘People are like, “Oh, she’s a bad game player.” It’s like, “But I’m great socially,” and that’s also part of the game.’
On Friday, she said she plans on spending the special day with her girlfriend in New York City where the couple has plans to dine at celebrity hotspot Carbone.
‘We tried to go last time we were here and they obviously rejected us right at the door,’ she recalled as she explained her excitement this time around.
‘So we went to an Italian restaurant like across the street, around the corner and that’s where all of the rejects from Carbone went, so we were in good company.’
Gabby chatted with DailyMail.com at AT&T in Times Square on February 13 as part of a special event to meet fans on ‘National Breakup with your Carrier Day’
She said, ‘I’m in my silks, as you can see, to hang out with all of my fans and just kind of gossip and Kiki at the AT&T store’
When asked if she has future TV plans, Gabby told DailyMail.com that she doesn’t have anything set in stone right now and might be taking a little break from the reality world.
‘I don’t have any plans right now. This is my fourth reality show in like four years. So I think this might be a good time to like take a step back,’ she said.
However, if there were a Traitors All Stars, she would totally be down to be a part of it.
She teased, ‘Honestly, kind of a lot to come. A lot in the works… and yeah, just kind of seeing like where this next chapter takes me.’
Fans can continue to root for Gabby on The Traitors when new episodes air on Peacock every Thursday at 9pm ET.
