Even before Peacock announced the cast for The Traitors Season 3, Bravo fans were strongly campaigning for Dorinda Medley‘s spot in Alan Cumming‘s castle. But the fanfare surrounding Medley’s participation in the show wasn’t enough to save her from Housewife hungry Traitors. Just as soon as the Real Housewives of New York City alum entered the game, she was swiftly taken out by Traitors Bob the Drag Queen (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Danielle Reyes (Big Brother), and Carolyn Wiger (Survivor) in Episode 2.
“I cried my eyes out!” Medley told DECIDER, referring to the moment she became the first murder in the castle. “When I saw that envelope, it was so unexpected.”
Medley prepped long and hard before jetting out to Scotland, noting that she read The Art of War twice as well as works from “every philosopher.” But what disappointed her the most was that she wasn’t able to wear “all the fabulous outfits” she had curated for her time on the show.
With Real Housewives of Dubai star Chanel Ayan also getting booted in the first three episodes, it’s clear that the Traitors were purposefully targeting Real Housewives stars.
“I just think they realized that the Housewives are strong characters. We’re opinionated, and we’re strong,” Medley said. “I think people especially think of me as a strong woman who’s been through a lot of stuff and doesn’t take a lot of bullshit.”
Clearly, Bob the Drag Queen, Reyes and Wiger don’t understand the “great content” that would’ve come from keeping Medley in the game longer. “I feel like I could have … wreaked some havoc in that castle,” she said. And she’s not wrong!
Check out our full interview with Medley below.
DECIDER: Dorinda, I was so excited to see you’d be joining The Traitors Season 3. What made you want to sign on for this show?
DORINDA MEDLEY: I was so excited when I got asked. I got a call from my agent, Ryan Tresdale, who I adore, and he said, “You know what? Do Traitors.” I’ve always admired the show. And of course, I love my Phaedra [Parks]. I was totally ensconced in that whole last season. And who doesn’t want to stay in the castle for three weeks?
What’s more stressful: hosting a group of Housewives of Bluestone Manor? Or competing on The Traitors?
That’s pretty close, I think. Different, but Alan Cumming is just such a great fit for the place. You feel like he just lives and exists there in all ways. He’s like the Disney version of Scotland.
That’s so true. Going into the show, did you have some sort of strategy in mind?
I prepared probably too much. I read The Art of War twice, I read every philosopher. I wrote in my journal. I planned my outfits to a T. My outfits were off the charts. But I just think it all falls to the wayside once you’re there. You don’t know what to expect. That’s the problem. So you have to just sort of go with the flow and you don’t really take on, until you’re there, how much you really are sort of in isolation there for those three weeks.
Did you talk to any of your castmates ahead of time?
We weren’t told anything. Not only is the process of doing it secretive, but the process of getting on it is very secretive. So nothing was really confirmed until you saw people step into the castle.
That must’ve been fun!
It was. I was very happy to see Dolores and Bob Harper. I was like, “Okay, they’re here.” Robyn. It was great. It’s always great to see a fellow Housewife or friend or whoever. And then you got to meet so many new people.
You’re not the first Real Housewife to join The Traitors. Before you, there was Larsa Pippen, Tamra Judge and Phaedra Parks. Did they give you any advice before you flew off to Scotland or did you have to keep it from them too?
We weren’t allowed to talk about it, which I think is great. You really aren’t allowed to sort of go out and say anything. They’re sort of like, “Don’t say anything.” Even while you’re filming and after you’re filming. It’s a real thing. That’s not pretend, which I think makes it more interesting.
I think so, too. It keeps the mystery.
Right? Yes, it does feel very mysterious when you’re there.
Yes! Well, I didn’t like how Tom Sandoval immediately started doubting the Housewives crew. Did you expect more loyalty from a fellow Bravoleb?
Not from Tom Sandoval. No shade. I didn’t un-expect his answer. Listen, I didn’t really get to know Tom that well. As you know, I wasn’t there that long. But I think he lives up to who we think he would be. I wouldn’t expect loyalty from him for me. And I don’t even mean that negative, I guess. But he was a funny guy. I have to say, in a lot of ways, he was very funny.
It kind of seemed like he went with what everyone said as long as the heat was off of him.
He’s definitely a character. He’s a real character.
I was super bummed when you were the first person killed by the Traitors.
You? I cried my eyes out! When I saw that envelope, it was so unexpected. First of all, I think I should have been a Traitor. But it was so devastating because unlike the Housewives, where you can sort of go on and you’re in control of what you say, how you say it, what you’re doing…this, you just have no control over. And there really is no reason because you don’t know. I’m hoping it was because they were intimidated by me. I’m trying to make a negative a positive.
Well, they take out the strongest first.
There you go, let’s stick with that. But I think the most disappointing thing was I couldn’t wear all the fabulous outfits that I curated. And I have some fabulous outfits. Strangely, I haven’t touched any of them since.
Did you have a favorite one you can describe that you were excited to wear?
I love that Libertine jacket that I wear in the promo, I just think that’s everything, with the British flag. And I had a lot of great Miu Miu, Prada tartans that I had found on the Real Real. And I broke out all my old Vivienne Westwood. Vivienne Westwood does tartan like no other.
You have to do some sort of TikTok showing off the outfits.
I think so. I have a sort of slide of everything I did from the stylists. I should say, “And this is what you missed this season.” But the experience was great. I was really sad to go home because I really did enjoy being there. I enjoyed watching the thing play out. I feel like I could have created some great content, wreaked some havoc in that castle.
If you could do it over, is there anything you would have done differently?
I don’t even know what I did. I just was sort of doing the castle.
You said you felt like you came into the show with a mark on your back. Why is that? Was it because you’re a Housewife?
I just think they realized that the Housewives are strong characters. We’re opinionated, and we’re strong. I think people especially think of me as a strong woman who’s been through a lot of stuff and doesn’t take a lot of bullshit.
It’s clear that these people don’t watch Real Housewives because they all thought it was a calculated move that the 4 of you jumped on the rafts first. It’s because you’re not going to physically exhaust yourselves if you don’t have to! Would you have stayed in the boat if you could go back and do it again?
I would’ve still gotten off. I can’t leave my girl Dolores hanging. Loyalty above all else. And people were not jumping off for her, so I couldn’t just leave her hanging there. That’s my Dolores.
Besides Dolores, who would you say you were closest with during your time on the show?
Probably Bob Harper. We still all hang out. I knew him before the show. But it was nice meeting Chrishell [Stause], getting to know Ciara [Miller] a little better. I found the Survivors very interesting. It really is a totally different thing, the Survivor people. They are true gamers.
They’re very serious.
Very serious. They do things like eat bugs and survive on stuff. It’s wild. I could not do that show. I have so much more respect for them. I never watched the Survivor show, believe it or not.
If you had made it to the first round table, who would you have voted for? Was there anyone you were suspicious of at the time?
I didn’t think that it’d be Bob [the Drag Queen]. I never guessed that Bob would be a Traitor. I thought maybe Tom Sandoval would be a Traitor. That’s who I thought … I really thought that Nikki Garcia might have been a Traitor.
She was kind of quiet.
That’s what you realize, too. I think the real question is, if you went back, what would you do differently? I think people like Nikki and Dolores are very good at holding their cards close to their chest. That’s how you win the game. And God knows I’m not great at that.
I remember when we interviewed Tamra over the summer, she said you don’t want to talk too much but you don’t want to stay quiet. You have to find a happy medium.
The fine balance, yes. I think I did find the fine balance, but everybody comes in, especially when you have characters that are more well-known people, you may come in with a preconception a little bit. I’m sure that plays a little part in it.
Who do you plan to address at the Season 3 reunion? What do you want to tell them?
Why did you kill me? What were you thinking? Don’t you know I make great content? Come on now, they paid me a lot of money to be here. You should’ve kept me on longer. Don’t you miss seeing my outfits? I’ve got the important questions for the reunion, okay?
Did you at least get to stay in Scotland after and travel or did you come right back?
No, because we were hired for the three weeks. The most important thing was that we kept the whole thing a secret. And because they announced it so early this time, they announced who was on and stuff, I basically dug a hole in the ground at Bluestone Manor and hid for two weeks so no one would know I was off. I went back to JFK, like with a cloak because I didn’t want to ruin it for everyone. All I needed was to be sighted by one person, and they put two and two together. And then I’m getting a call from NBC, “What are you doing?” No, I stayed off everything. Social media, everything, because I wanted to make sure the integrity of the show could play out the way it should.
Well, listen, Bluestone Manor isn’t the worst place to hunker down.
And I had such a great time. I’m so happy I did it, and I would do it again. It’s all about the experience at the end of the day. And I got to meet great people, got to see the castle, and I got to go back to Scotland. Because you have to remember, my daughter’s half Scottish. I lived in London for 10 years and went to Scotland every weekend. So that was nice.
If you could nominate any of your RHONY castmates for a potential fourth season, who do you think would do well?
I think Luann [de Lesseps] would be great. I think Ramona [Singer] would be amazing. Because Ramona’s very, very good at looking at things. She’s like a producer. I think they’d be the best.
What’s next for Dorinda Medley? I know there’s been some chatter about a Bluestone Manor show. Do you have any updates on that?
Yes, we are constantly and consistently moving forward with that. So we’re hoping that we can begin the casting soon. So we’re hoping, fingers crossed, but you never know until you know. And then, I’m still working on my Bluestone Manor Bourbon and working on some great projects to launch, a couple of lines at Bluestone Manor and things. It’s been years coming. And then I have my Sirius XM radio show on Tuesdays, which I just love to bits.
I think it’s so important to always stay busy, right? But I also think, I was saying the other day that 2024 was such a dense year. I think 2025 is really about exploring yourself and enjoying it a little more. I felt like there was a lot of fear in 2024, and I feel like 2025 is a space to open new things, new, exciting things. So fingers crossed for the show at Bluestone Manor!
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The first three episodes of The Traitors Season 3 are currently streaming on Peacock. New episodes drop Thursday nights at 9/8c on the streamer.
