How The Traitors’ Rob Rausch Feels About Being Season 4’s Heartthrob

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Rob Rausch doesn’t consider himself to be the bombshell of the castle.

The star of Traitors, who co-starred with Johnny Weir (who said it was difficult to look at him because he was so attractive), finds the talk about his looks on the Peacock reality show Love Island USA amusing and takes it all in good humor.

Rob shared in an interview with TopMob News’ Erin Lim Rhodes that people often joked about his appearance while he was on the show, but he didn’t let it bother him much.

Even though he’s gaining a lot of fans – with some even comparing him to fan favorite Dylan Efron from season three – the 27-year-old is staying grounded as the current season’s most popular contestant.

Rob said he was really flattered. He thinks Dylan is a wonderful young person – genuinely sweet, kind, and considerate in how he communicates.

The snake wrangler, who prefers to keep his personal life private, is just as pleased when people compare him to “Boston Rob” Mariano. Like Mariano on Survivor in the early 2000s, he’s receiving a lot of positive attention from viewers.

Rob said he thinks this person is great. He mentioned that the person contacted him recently, and they, along with Dylan, might be joining him on a snake-catching trip soon, which he’s excited about.

Currently, the Alabama native is concentrating on his first collaboration with Sonic, where he’ll be the spokesperson for the “Break Up With Your Burger” campaign promoting their $6 All-American Smasher meal.

“Sonic and me actually have a lot of history,” he shared. “My brother used to work at Sonic.”

While his fellow actors on Traitors were enjoying Scottish smoked salmon, Rob was craving an American favorite. He explained, “There’s never a wrong moment for a Smasher burger – it’s incredibly tasty!”

For more behind-the-scenes secrets about The Traitors, read on…

Right now, the Alabama native is concentrating on a new collaboration with Sonic. He’s the spokesperson for their “Break Up With Your Burger” campaign, which highlights the $6 All-American Smasher meal.

“Sonic and me actually have a lot of history,” he shared. “My brother used to work at Sonic.”

While his fellow actors on Traitors were enjoying Scottish smoked salmon, Rob was craving an American favorite. He explained, “There’s never a wrong moment for a Smasher burger – it’s incredibly appealing!”

For more behind-the-scenes secrets about The Traitors, read on…

Deception is a key part of the game in The Traitors, but players are randomly assigned as either a Traitor or a Faithful player. However, beginning with season two, contestants like Phaedra Parks and Kate Chastain had the opportunity to argue their innocence to host Alan Cumming.

The selection process for who plays the Traitor is very important, and we definitely consider Alan’s thoughts on it,” explained executive producer Mike Cotton in an interview with Variety. “It’s similar to a job interview – we carefully evaluate everyone and make a final decision right before the pick. We’re looking for a diverse group of personalities who will each bring something unique to the game.

The players didn’t initially know how many Traitors were among them. Cirie Fields, a winner on Survivor, explained to TopMob News in 2023 that they were told at the start of the game there could be three to five Traitors.

Players were also asked to recite the Traitor’s oath, which asked them if they would lie and deceive others throughout the game, if they were willing to eliminate other players each night, and if they would keep both their own and other players’ identities hidden.

To get a sense of who might be good at deceiving others, the show uses a personality test to assess the contestants. As Cotton Variety explains, this helps identify traits that could make someone a convincing liar. However, the producers don’t actually know who the ‘Traitors’ are until the very moment Alan identifies them.

Alan Cumming was thrilled to take on the over-the-top role and even bring his dog to work. He told The Daily Beast in 2023 that when he first heard the pitch, he envisioned playing a character similar to a James Bond villain, and suggested incorporating his dog into the scenes. The producers loved the idea, and that’s what convinced him to sign on.

With his rescue dog, Lala, by his side, he fully embraced his on-camera role, playfully quoting the works of William Shakespeare and Plato. He described adopting a dramatic, intense persona – ‘like a flaring-nostril sort of thing,’ he said. He admitted to improvising a lot, often receiving lines directly in his ear, making the experience similar to performing stand-up comedy because he was essentially making it up as he went along.

While the actors filmed at the beautiful Ardross Castle in Scotland, they didn’t get to live there permanently – it wasn’t their personal residence.

Cumming told the Daily Beast that none of the cast and crew stayed at the castle itself. Instead, they stayed at the hotel near the Inverness airport. He explained that he did have a room in the castle, but only used it to get ready and change. He said the room had a large bed and he often took naps there, but never stayed the night.

You know, when we were brainstorming ideas for the show, things got wild for a minute! Our creator, Marc Pos, actually told Variety he initially wanted to film everything on a boat off the coast of Australia. The twist? If a contestant lost a challenge, they’d have to jump overboard and swim to a nearby island! Thankfully, we all realized that would have been a logistical nightmare to actually pull off, so we scrapped that idea. Can you imagine the insurance?!

Contestants didn’t have access to the entire castle. According to Cotton, who spoke with Variety, they’re using only a section of it – a specific wing where the game takes place. Players also have access to the outdoor areas and are free to move around within those boundaries.

Okay, so imagine this place has, like, thirty bedrooms! It’s HUGE, but that’s what’s brilliant! He said if you tried to bug everywhere, it’d be impossible. They could all spread out and talk privately, but it’s still cozy enough that you could, like, stand outside a door and overhear things, or notice when someone slips away for a secret conversation. It’s perfect for keeping tabs on everyone, you know? It’s not sprawling, so nothing goes unnoticed! It’s genius, absolutely genius.

It makes sense that Big Brother contestant Rachel Reilly said the best time to make plans with other players was during car rides to and from challenges. She told Reality Blurred, “You’re isolated, and no one can overhear your conversations.” She explained that inside the house, you have to whisper to avoid being heard.

Players weren’t allowed to discuss strategy at the hotel. According to Dan Gheesling, a contestant from season two, this was because anything said off-camera couldn’t be used in the show if it revealed important information. He told Business Insider, “You’re not supposed to talk about the game when the mics aren’t ready or the cameras aren’t on, because if we say something that’s important and it’s not on camera, they can’t use it on the show.”

Chrishell Stause, from season three of the show, shared that they weren’t allowed to have a hair and makeup team. She told Us Weekly that she would have loved to have glam services available at the castle, but Alan didn’t permit it.

Getting the ‘Faithful’ to their separate rooms for the nightly murders and then allowing the ‘Traitors’ to regroup requires a huge effort, like a large-scale military operation,” Cotton explained to Variety.

Even though Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan were a couple during season two of the show, they weren’t permitted to share a hotel room. According to executive producer Sam Rees-Jones, producers felt allowing them to do so would have given them an unfair advantage over the other contestants.

Despite the rules, Reza Farahan from Shahs of Sunset tried to add some playful mischief. He told Digital Spy he attempted to slip notes under contestants’ doors while he was supposed to be confined to his room. The notes jokingly accused them of past betrayals, signed ‘The Traitors,’ just to have some fun.

The production schedule is demanding, with the team aiming to film one episode each day. According to producer Rees-Jones, this fast pace helps maintain an immersive environment for the cast and keeps them focused. While it’s a lot of pressure, they believe it’s the best way to create the show. A typical day involves breakfast, a planning meeting, a mission, and a murder mystery, then they start the process all over again. Sometimes, filming runs late – Stause mentioned one night they didn’t return to their rooms until 2 a.m.

According to Cotton, who spoke with Variety, breakfast on set is carefully scheduled with actors arriving at different times. However, the meals themselves don’t last long – usually no more than an hour.

Producers of reality shows likely limit alcohol consumption to keep contestants focused. Ekin-Su Culculoglu, winner of Love Island and a participant on season two of The Traitors, explained to Entertainment Weekly in 2024 that contestants were only allowed one alcoholic drink per night, making things “quite restricted.”

Even though it’s tough to find genuine friendships while filming, every contestant is paired with a dedicated welfare team member. Mercedes Javid, a popular cast member from last season, shared on the Just Sayin’ podcast that these team members are constantly checking in on the players. She described them as positive, professional, and made her feel well-supported throughout the competition.

When it comes to building relationships on the show, contestants don’t find out who their competition will be until they arrive in Scotland. Casting director Deena Katz told Time that this is intentional – they don’t want anyone to research each other or make pre-game alliances. However, once the competition begins, players are given information about each other and a journal to keep notes.

Cumming jokingly refers to himself as a “Traitor,” a role he played in a social deduction game. In a 2023 interview with the Daily Beast, he explained the game’s dynamic, noting that players would readily accuse each other of being traitors based on flimsy evidence. He humorously suggested he could label someone a traitor simply by touching them, highlighting the arbitrary nature of accusations within the game.

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2026-01-29 21:20