When Vanderpump Rules alum Tom Sandoval signed on for The Traitors, he had one concern. Tom worried that cheating on his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix, would hurt his game. While the scandal certainly didn’t help his gameplay, it also didn’t kill it.
Tom Sandoval thought he might be eliminated “right away” after cheating on ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix
Of course, Pump Rules viewers were giddy at the thought of Tom being murdered first during The Traitors Season 3. After Sandoval’s affair with Rachel Leviss ended his nearly decade-long relationship with Ariana, the fall-out went viral.
So, naturally, Tom was concerned about his longevity in the game. “I was worried of that, actually. I felt like people might bring that opinion of me into the castle and get me out right away,” Tom told PEOPLE.
So, what strategy did Tom employ in the castle? “I felt like it was really important to just be nice, open-minded, build bonds with everyone, and prove my worth and my value,” Tom explained, “in a sense of working hard to win missions and make money for the collective group. And it worked, pretty much.” In fact, Tom survived until Episode 10, when he was murdered by those tricky Traitors.
Tom Sandoval didn’t want to be a Traitor after being unfaithful to his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix
While VPR fans speculated that Tom might don the cloak, he wanted to be a Faithful. “Oh, I could never have been a Traitor. Absolutely not. I had no desire,” Tom stated. “In fact, I told production, ‘If you make me a Traitor, I think I’m just going to go home. I’ll quit.’ Because there’s no way I would be good at it.” He added, “I would be so in my head the entire time.”
Tom continued, “There were people out there who wanted to be Traitors, and I knew they’d be much better than I would. It’s like I told [host Alan Cumming]: ‘If you force somebody to play an instrument versus somebody who wants to play an instrument, the person who wants to play an instrument is going to be a lot better,'” Tom stated. “I was never going to play that instrument well.” Well, let’s face it. No one can play the trumpet or penis flute like Sandoval.
Still, Tom enjoyed his time on the show. “I had an absolute blast. I feel like I found my calling in these competition reality shows,” Tom explained. He continued, “I really felt like I was in my element. I fully dove in headfirst and loved every minute of it.” I must admit that Tom stole the show with his wild theories and ability to sing lullabies backwards. It was a different take on his persona.
As for who Tom hopes wins the prize pot? That’s easy. “Look, if they’re a Faithful, I want them to win. I just want the Faithfuls to beat the Traitors,” the Pump Rules alum stated. “If that happens, I’ll feel like we all won.”
The Traitors Season 3 finale drops Thursday, March 6 at 9/8c on Peacock.
TELL US – DID YOU THINK THAT TOM SANDOVAL AND ARIANA’S DRAMA WOULD TORPEDO HIS CHANCES ON THE TRAITORS? DID YOU WANT TO SEE HIM MAKE IT TO THE FINALE?
