He also explains what tipped him off to the murder in plain sight

Rob Cesternino reveals if he would have chosen *Survivor 50 *over The Traitors

He also explains what tipped him off to the murder in plain sight

By Dalton Ross

Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. *Survivor* is kind of his thing.

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January 12, 2026 2:02 p.m. ET

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Rob Cesternino on 'The Traitors' season 4. Credit:

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

He was once called the “smartest player to never win” *Survivor* by none other than Jeff Probst. Which means he was way too smart to be kept around on *The Traitors*. Rob Cesternino was the second player “murdered” on *The Traitors* after secret Traitor Donna Kelce put him on her short list for elimination, and then the other Traitors decided to take him out.

Making his early exit as the second player murdered even more painful was the fact that Rob had correctly sniffed out that a murder in plain sight was happening. Eschewing the impromptu conga line, Rob was on to the Traitors’ scheme, yet was powerless to stop it.

What tipped Rob off to his execution? Does he think it was fair that no “gamers” were picked as Traitors? And how did he handle being eliminated so early after waiting 22 years to get back on TV? We asked Rob all that and more, including what he would have done if he had been invited back to play *Survivor 50,* which was filming at the same time as *The Traitors. *You can either watch or read the full interview below.

**: What was your initial tip-off that a murder was happening in plain sight. Was it the way certain players were acting, or did you pick up on something different in terms of production, like that they were letting you all mingle in the castle for longer than usual or something?**

**ROB CESTERNINO: **Yeah, the first thing that tipped me off was that it was a very late night and I really was expecting us to go to bed. And I was like*: Why? I feel like something is amiss here because it's just such a late night and it feels off. *And I know that typically early in the season is when that murder in plain sight happens. And so I put two and two together and realized that I thought something was off in the castle that night.

**Did you know Candiace had started the conga line when you told her about your murder in plain sight theory and then asked her about it?**

She had mentioned it a couple of times that she wanted to get this conga line started. So I had heard her earlier mention that she wanted to start the conga line. And so when I had gone into that kitchen, I was really trying to warn Mark and Candiace about it.

And then in talking it through, I said, "Oh wait, but you were the one that said to start the conga line." And I thought for a second, "Oh, did I put my foot in my mouth?" But I was really saying it like, "Oh, well, then obviously *you're* not a Traitor, so it couldn't have been something that the Traitors did because you did the conga line."

Rob Cesternino on 'The Traitors' season 4.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

**You waited 22 years to come back to reality competition TV. We saw just a snippet of you getting pretty emotional over your exit. I know how important this is to you, so be real with me: How difficult was it after waiting so long to be eliminated so early?**

It was really hard to process in the moment because I really had felt like everything was going to work out. I had a lot of faith in myself and I was really feeling very confident when I went to go play. And that morning when I woke up, I was confident that a murder in plain sight had happened, and I was also confident that I didn't do anything that would have led me to get murdered in plain sight. So when I sat in the chair and got that letter, it was a lot of confusion on my part of: *How did this happen?* Because I knew that there was a murder in plain sight and they didn't get me. But now I know.

**We’ve seen this game before turn into gamers vs. Bravo. Are you surprised there were two Housewives in the turret and zero *Survivor* or *Big Brother *players?**

Yeah, that was a really big surprise for me that there was not only no gamers, but also two Housewives. I had assumed that there would be a Housewife in the turret. And I do think for the long-term health of the show, I think that they needed to do this at some point. I just wish it could have been on a different season that I wasn't on because I thought that if there was a game person in the turret, I felt like that they would have kept me around because I really was working to try to protect those numbers.

Rob Rausch, Porsha Williams, Dorinda Medley, Natalie Anderson, Tiffany Mitchell, Rob Cesternino, Lisa Rinna, Ian Terry on 'The Traitors' season 4.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

**So you knew it wasn't you and I'm sure you're assuming there is a game person as a Traitor, so who do you think it was?**

I thought it was Yam Yam. I thought that he was so odd, and he's somebody that I know in real life, but the way that he carried himself in the castle with such a nervous energy, I felt like that this is not the person that I saw on *Survivor*, and this is not the person I've met outside of *Survivor*.

**Ian Terry told me there was an immediate unspoken connection between you and him, especially after seeing who was safe after the first mission and who was not. Did you feel the same way from your end with him?**

I love Ian Terry and you know how far back that we go with Ian Terry. And so I was thrilled when he was there at the castle and I felt like that he was somebody who I didn't see connecting as quickly with people and I thought he would potentially have more to worry about at the roundtable. And so I was actually very surprised that he was the first person murdered.

The season 4 cast of 'The Traitors'.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

**Who else besides Yam Yam did you suspect as Traitors while you were playing?**

I thought Dorinda was somebody who could have been a Traitor. I thought it made a lot of sense that they brought her back, and then I thought maybe wanted to keep her safe. And she was so zen after they put the casket in her grave, where we saw how she reacted last season and then this season she could be the first person murdered again and she was like, "Eh, c’est la vie." I was like, "Really? That's it, Dorinda?"

And so I was a little surprised. I would've thought that she would've had a bigger reaction, but good on her for making the adjustment between season 3 and season 4 and not flying off the handle.

'The Traitors' star Ian Terry names the 'Big Brother' alum he'd like to see play next

'The Traitors' season 4 premiere reveals first victims and 'Secret Traitor' twist

**So, *Traitors* season 4 and *Survivor 50* filmed at the same time. Had you gotten an invite for *Survivor 50*, which show would you have done?**

You know, that would've been really hard because *Survivor* is my heart, as you know. But *Traitors* I think is such a great opportunity. And so I'm very fortunate that I didn't have to make that choice, Dalton.

**You know how this works, Rob. You've interviewed enough people. You know I'm not going to let you get by with that. You gotta give me an answer.**

I think I would've said yes to *Survivor* considering that it's *Survivor 50*, and I think I would've hoped that *The Traitors* came calling another time.

Natalie Anderson, Rob Rausch, Mark Ballas, Porsha Williams, Rob Cesternino, Tara Lipinski on season 4 of 'The Traitors'.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

**That's the right answer. Were you ever contacted by CBS casting for *Survivor 50?***

Yes. I was in the mix for *Survivor 50*, and I was very excited. I had said I wanted to go, but ultimately, they found a great cast of 24 other people and I had the other amazing opportunity to go participate on *The Traitors,* so I was very happy.

**Who should *The Traitors* cast from *Survivor* next?**

There are so many different great Survivors to bring back. I think that Tyson is somebody who I'm really surprised that he hasn't played yet on, on *The Traitors.* I think that Kelley Wentworth is another great person that they could look to, but there's also Jerri Manthey. Could you imagine Jonathan Penner in *The Traitors* castle? Obviously, Coach would be another great one. So there's so many different great Survivors I think that would be amazing on *The Traitors.*

**If you could only pick one, who would it be?**

The season 4 cast of 'The Traitors'.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

**Your only other experience is *Survivor*, which is a very different production experience from *The Traitors,* where you get breaks and you can think things over. What was that like adjusting to that? It's not 24-7 the way *Survivor* is.**

*Survivor* is just so immersive where that 24-hours a day, you are in *Survivor*, but I think it's very hard to turn your mind off even in the moments that you are to yourself on *The Traitors*. And from what it looks like on television, it looks like *The Traitors* could be an even bigger mind F. But for as long as I was there, I just had the best time and there was really no downside where I was really questioning the decision.

**Was there a disadvantage to sitting in the front of the car on your way to the castle? Was your mind already working in that way?**

It was a disadvantage in that I needed to see a chiropractor after it was over because my neck was craned backwards for an hour riding in the car and I was getting motion sickness. But I don't think there's any sort of disadvantage. I mean, the game hasn't even started yet. Nobody is a Traitor and nobody's a Faithful and I was in a really fun car with Monét and Lisa and Donna Kelce. So I had to really just turn my neck in an uncomfortable way, but I don't think there's any advantage or disadvantage to sitting in the front seat.

Rob Cesternino on 'The Traitors' season 4.

Sam McElwee/Peacock

**Tell me any strategy you or tricks you planned to employ this season that we didn't get a chance to see.**

So I really was vying for the Traitors to murder Michael Rapaport at that first night when we were all on the shortlist. I didn't wanna just sit around and wait for the Traitors to make a decision. I was very active when we got back to the castle and I felt like that if I could sort of exacerbate the situation with Michael Rapaport — and I feel like that I did contribute to that blowup that you had in the kitchen — I thought that maybe he would piss off the wrong person and the Traitors would murder Michael Rapaport and keep me and Ian safe.

**I don't understand. Are, are you saying he's *not* the best looking, smartest, dopest, faithful, Faithful?**

[Holds up a Micheal Rapaport cardboard cut-out] “Are you f---ing kidding me, Dalton? Are you f---ing kidding?” I mean, Micheal Rapaport, listen, this guy knows how to get screen time and he is working very hard for the Traitors right now to help confuse the Faithful as much as possible. Not intentionally, but I think that he is being, and I mean this lovingly, a useful idiot for the Traitors, that they are using in the best possible way. So I applaud the Traitors for what they're doing with Michael Rapaport.

The season 4 cast of 'The Traitors'.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

**Speaking of which, did you have to put any money in the family curse jar after your kids watched you say the F word on television?**

I think the better question is: Was it more uncomfortable for me to watch that with my kids or my mom? And I think on both ends, I was like, "Hey, everybody, I am sorry. I didn't think they were gonna put that in the show."

**What would we have seen if you hadn't been murdered? Did you have a long-term plan that we did not get to see put into place?**

You know, maybe the Traitors did me a favor of murdering me at the point that they did because I think I probably would've tried more and more hairbrained ideas, many of which would not have made me look good. I did consider really going to bat for Donna Kelce and thinking that maybe she might be somebody who was just getting a bad rap. And so I potentially might have gone to the castle and looked very stupid, but I had a million plans of things that I wanted to do. And I think left to my own devices, I was just scribbling down notes of, like, more and more crazy plans that I wanted to try to do.

The cast of 'The Traitors' season 4.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

** I mean, Rob, you've interviewed  so many people that have gone off early on *Survivor* in the past. And you know that people always like to say, "Oh, they took me out because I was a threat," and you're probably rolling your eyes when they say that. However, sometimes it's true. And while I know that you're not happy with going early, you do have to be happy that it was shown that you were taken out because you *were* so smart.**

Yeah, Dalton, I didn't know what they were gonna show and I didn't know how they were gonna receive it because I've been sitting on this for seven months and I didn't know how it was gonna go, but I really was so happy with what they showed and even so overwhelmed with the response that I got from people who felt like, “Yeah, they, look, this sucks that this happened, but we understand why they did it to me.”

I've just had nothing but the most amazing experience with all of this. And I would have loved to have done more on the show, but this was all just such a cool opportunity and I'm so grateful for the experience.

**I was texting with some mutual friends of ours and everybody was saying, “If you gotta go early, this is the way to go.”**

And you'll never ever see me in a conga line.

**It was a pleasure seeing you back on my TV screen after so long.**

And this is wish fulfillment to get another exit interview with you.

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Source: “EW Survivor”