Feb
Boston Rob Mariano Reflects on His Time on The Traitors and the Chaos of the Game
Boston Rob Mariano, a reality TV veteran known for his intense gameplay on Survivor, had a tough time navigating the drama and dysfunction on The Traitors this season. Despite his history with team struggles, this game presented a whole new set of challenges. Rob, along with fellow contestants Danielle Reyes and Carolyn Wiger, found themselves constantly at odds in the turret. With Danielle targeting Carolyn and Carolyn targeting Danielle, Rob was left to search for some relief, specifically in the form of Advil, as the tensions mounted.
Rob’s journey was always going to be difficult due to his reputation, and after he confronted Bob the Drag Queen for floating his name, the spotlight on him only grew. He survived the intense episode 6 Roundtable, but after taking out Derrick Levasseur, who was onto him, the evidence against Rob was too strong, and he was ultimately banished from the group—much to the surprise of Carolyn and Danielle.
Rob recently sat down to discuss his experience in the game, the fallout of coming in late, and the accusations of being a “sellout” from fellow player Tony Vlachos.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve been through plenty of chaotic tribes on Survivor. How did this season of The Traitors compare?
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: Oh, it was definitely a different beast. I kind of sparked the chaos right from the start, and it wasn’t easy. In this game, it wasn’t just the Traitors versus the Faithful. It felt like it was me against both sides. From the beginning, I didn’t have anyone’s trust, and I contributed to that with my move against Bob the Drag Queen. I stand by it, but it didn’t need to go down so quickly. Once he called me out, I had to act fast, and things just spiraled out of control after that.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Take us into the dynamics of the turret with Carolyn and Danielle. There was a lot of tension.
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: Well, when I came into the game, I wasn’t even told about the twist. They didn’t want me there, and it was clear from the start. I showed up, and within a day, I saw the three cages. That told me everything I needed to know—it wasn’t going to be easy. I wasn’t part of their bond, and I was the outsider. I tried to lay low at first, but once things started happening, I couldn’t stay quiet. Letting them kill Jeremy was a bad move for me, but I didn’t stop it. Then, after Bob was banished, trust was completely broken between me, Danielle, and Carolyn. It was a mess.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Do you think coming in late put you at a disadvantage?
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: It definitely made things harder. But, you know, I’m used to being in tough situations. I’ve been through enough on Survivor that I can handle pressure. It was a disadvantage, sure, but I don’t cry about it. If anything, I tend to rise to the occasion when I’m under pressure.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Did it feel like you were doomed from the start, especially with the villagers coming after you?
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: Honestly, I thought I was probably a goner from the start. But I still held on to hope that I could work with Carolyn. I could tell right away that Danielle was not going to work with me. The one thing I have going for me is self-awareness, and I could tell after Bob was banished that Danielle wanted nothing to do with me. We were never on the same page, and it became obvious quickly.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Tony Vlachos called you a sellout at the Roundtable. What did you think of that?
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: Tony had his feelings hurt, and I understand that. But at that point, I didn’t have much of a choice. The group was already moving against him, and I was just going with the flow. I wasn’t about to make waves. Once Bob Harper pushed me for my opinion, I realized Tony was probably done anyway, so I just went along with it. I did what I had to do.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Who impressed you the most as a player?
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: Initially, I was impressed by Dylan. He’s sharp, he’s watching everything, and he can pivot quickly. He and I became good friends after the show. I also got along well with Chrishell and Nikki. It was cool to meet new people from outside the reality TV world. We worked well together during the statute challenge. And Carolyn, of course—she really impressed me as a player.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve been critical of Danielle. What made you say she was a “bad Traitor”?
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: I stand by it. She wasn’t great at the game. I didn’t see her play Big Brother, so I was judging her based on her performance as a Traitor. And let’s just say there were some big mistakes she made that didn’t even make it to air. There was one challenge where she was doing great with the riddles, but then she made a huge mistake by taking down her own picture instead of Derrick’s. That was a huge blunder.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What’s something interesting that didn’t make it to air?
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: Honestly, I think the show did a good job editing the drama. But there were some intense moments with Bob and me that didn’t make it to air. At the end of the day, it’s what it is. The gameplay was top-notch, though. People like Bob the Drag Queen, Wes, Derrick, Tony—they’re all really smart players. It wasn’t an easy game, and you had to figure out the serious threats quickly.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What’s next for you?
BOSTON ROB MARIANO: I’m focusing on the Deal with No Deal Island After Show right now. My phone has been blowing up with messages, and I’ve got some ideas. I’m taking a little time to figure out what comes next. Honestly, I’ve thought about moving to the hosting side of things, but after all these years, I still enjoy competing. Maybe there’s some hybrid of the two—something where I can both coach and play at the same time. I’d definitely be jealous watching others play, so maybe I’ll figure something out!
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