Defeat the Traitors? Challenge accepted.
During the jaw-dropping season two finale of The Traitors, The Challenge alums Chris "CT" Tamburello and Trishelle Cannatella walked away victors after a shocking final elimination that saw them banish fellow finalist—and Faithful—Mercedes "MJ" Javid from the game. And while the tension continued over into the reunion, where the Shahs of Sunset star called the pair "grifters" for their vote, the way CT sees it, it was all part of the game.
"I don't know what I'm apologizing for," he told E! News in an exclusive joint interview with Trishelle. "I'm playing a game and I'm sorry it hurt her feelings. We said this in the reunion—we're gamers we're here to win, this what we do. We can take that sort of disappointment differently because we've been chewed up and spat out by The Challenge for so many years. It's nothing personal."
In fact, for the MTV stars, nature The Traitors is much more similar to their realm of reality TV.
"This is MJ's is introduction to the competition reality world and it was a little harsh for her," Trishelle admitted. "CT and I have been doing this for a long time. In The Challenge you are just like going at each other, you're voting people off face to face it doesn't feel good. We're just used to it. And I understand she's upset because she's not used to that whole thing, but it wasn't like purposeful. We weren't like 'let's please screw over MJ.'"
After all, despite the trio voting to banish Below Deck alum Kate Chastain—the last Traitor standing—the game hadn't been called.
"It's not like we won the money and then I stole it from her," CT noted. "We made it to the final and she almost won—she played a great game and she should be very proud of that. It's not like I took anything from her, she didn't have it."
He added, "I can have empathy for her. I tried to say it at the reunion and she didn't want to hear it."
With so many twists and turns during the finale, which also saw Survivor legend Sandra Diaz-Twine get banished, the remaining Faithfuls were more than a little on edge. As such, Trishelle simply wasn't convinced that all her remaining competitors were actually Faithfuls.
When host Alan Cumming floated the idea that there could still be a Traitor in their midst, "It makes you think," Trishelle explained. "Both CT and I were like there's room for Kate and one more Traitor to add this last group of five people. So yeah, that's where my mind started spinning and I was just like, ‘oh my god is CT a Traitor?' There's just like a lot going on toward the end of the game."
In fact, fact during the first found of voting during the finale elimination, each of the remaining contestants received a vote—with MJ voting for Trishelle, CT for MJ and in a shocking move, Trishelle for CT. It was during the second round that Trishelle and CT voted to send MJ packing.
"It gets to the point where you're burnt out and you just don't even care anymore," CT noted, adding of his mindset in the moment, "I'm not trusting anybody except for one person—but then that person ended up trying to send me home so there's that."
But despite the tension it's an experience the Real World alums—who split the $208,100 prize money—wouldn't trade for the world.
"I had such a blast," CT added. "Honestly, it was one of my favorite shows that I've ever filmed. I had such a good time. It was intense but there were a lot a lot of fun moments."
The Traitors season two, and its reunion, are airing now on Peacock. For a look back on all the Faithfuls and Traitors who trekked to the Scottish castle for their chance to win big during season two, keep reading.
Phaedra Parks
Married to Medicine and The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Ekin-Su Culculoglu
Love Island UK
Tamra Judge
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Peter Weber
The Bachelor
Parvati Shallow
Survivor
Trishelle Cannatella
The Real World: Las Vegas
Larsa Pippen & Marcus Jordan
The Real Housewives of Miami, Basketball Player
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dancing With the Stars
Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio
The Challenge
Sandra Diaz-Twine
Survivor
Kevin Kreider
Bling Empire
John Bercow
UK Parliament
Janelle Pierzina
Big Brother
Carsten "Bergie" Bergersen
Love Island USA
Shereé Whitfield
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Dan Gheesling
Big Brother
Mercedes "MJ" Javid
Shahs of Sunset
Deontay Wilder
Boxer