It’s amazing what a change of scenery can do for a person’s image. If you’re a Traitors fan who just met Rob Rausch in Alan Cumming’s castle, you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s a buff, erudite king. I mean, look at him. He’s got those innocent blue eyes and those cool snake tattoos, and he’s also way smarter than he lets on. Put it all together, and you’ve got yourself a bona fide TV heartthrob.
If asked to sum up Rausch’s Traitors persona, I’d say he’s got the energy of every slightly tipsy hetero guy who’s ever jumped to touch a street sign or tall branch with their fingertips: disarming, charming and a little silly. But Love Island fans know there’s way more to him than meets the eye – and some of what lies beneath the unassuming surface isn’t so cute.
Rausch first appeared as a bombshell on Love Island USA Season 5. He lasted only five days but, just like on Traitors, his “hot snake guy” persona made an impression. Naturally, producers brought him back for Season 6, and that’s where we really got to know who he is. To put it bluntly, he was kind of a cad. He hopped from connection to connection, and more often than not, his interactions with women in the villa didn’t feel genuine. Case in point: the time he dumped Leah Kateb for incoming bombshell Andrea Carmona, all while making a big show of crying, covering his face with a towel and insisting that Leah consider his feelings. After several minutes of dramatic waterworks, Rausch said he “needed a minute” and jumped into the pool.
Rausch and Andrea Carmona on Love Island Season 6. (Getty Images)
Later on, when the women of the house ousted Carmona, Rausch rushed to say he’d leave with her. Shockingly, he backed out of that plan. “I wish I wouldn’t have said it,” he later told Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper, “but in that moment, that’s what I was doing. I was set on leaving.” Sure, Jan.
All of this brings us back to Rausch’s latest reality TV gig in Scotland, where he’s been absolutely crushing it as a Traitor. Yes, a couple of people have started looking at him sideways (and, if his fellow Traitor Candiace Dillard Bassett has her way, he’ll soon be going home) but, for most of the game, he’s flown completely under the radar. Love Island fans might say that manipulation is in his DNA, but Rausch’s successful rebrand also speaks to The Traitors’ general knack for image rehab. See Tom Sandoval, Phaedra Parks, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Peter Weber, all of whom came into Traitors with controversial histories and left looking shinier than before.
Still, what is it about Rob Rausch that’s got Traitors fans so besotted? After some deep research, I’ve compiled a little list.
Rausch is a standout on The Traitors Season 4. (Getty Images)
He’s hot
It must be said: America loves beautiful people. And Rausch, with his toned bod, piercing eyes and wavy brown hair, looks like he was designed in a lab to appear on an Abercrombie & Fitch shopping bag. Good work if you can get it!
He loves his overalls
As Zoolander once taught us, being really, really, ridiculously good-looking certainly has its benefits. But to some, it can also be a little intimidating or even off-putting. This is where Rob’s unconventional style choices come in handy. Yes, he’s got the face of a Greek god, but he also loves to walk around in overalls with no shirt (a tradition also seen on his Love Island seasons). He wears T-shirts that say things like “Wild Desert Cowboy.” And, as we saw on Love Island, he also covets a bucket hat.
Like many of his choices on reality television, Rob’s style feels like a bit of a calculation: country-boy charm with contemporary twists like floral crop tops thrown in for good measure. If this really is (as I suspect) a branding exercise, celebrity stylists should be taking notes.
He’s got good vocabulary and isn’t afraid to use it
We love an articulate king. One of the biggest drags early on this season was Michael Rapaport, who never seemed to stop harassing everyone else in the house. But when Rapaport latched onto former Bachelor Colton Underwood with the nickname “Conniving, Commiserating Colton” at a fateful roundtable, Rausch dealt him a fatal blow.
“Commiserating means to feel sorry for someone,” Rausch interrupted. With an exasperated grin, he added, “I’m sorry, that’s driving me nuts.” It was the vocab lesson heard around the world. Anyone who was not already on the Rob train before quickly climbed aboard, and for good reason. It was the final nail in Rapaport’s coffin – confirmation that the entire house was absolutely sick of him. He went home that night.
He loves snakes
Those snake tattoos aren’t just for chatting girls up at the bar (although they probably don’t hurt). Rausch’s Instagram is loaded with videos of his snake-hunting expeditions. Slither on over and take a look.
Born and raised in Alabama, Rausch loves to spend his time outdoors, and it seems he isn’t afraid of a little venom. He even asked Lisa Rinna to come snake hunting with him, although I’m guessing that ain’t happening anytime soon.
He’s got Southern charm
Despite his player persona on Love Island, part of Rausch’s charm is his (cow)boyish nature. See, Exhibit A: a guided tour of his trailer, which includes such classic visuals as Rausch throwing rocks at a bell, patting his cows on the head and picking up sheets of metal to see if there are snakes underneath.
And yet, despite hailing from Sweet Home Alabama, Rausch’s accent is often barely detectable – that is, as long as he’s not angry. Like so many Southerners, his drawl gets stronger when he’s feeling heated. In fact, you might have noticed it last week when Candiace Dillard Bassett wrote his name on her placard at the roundtable. Some viewers were perplexed but, as one (presumably Southern) TikTok commenter aptly put it, “I, too, speak cornbread when I’m irritated.”
He’s loyal (well, kind of)
I know, I know. Love Island USA fans are probably rolling over laughing at this one, along with Lisa Rinna. But – in certain situations and with certain people – it seems Rob can be a true friend. At least, if you’re a guy.
Just look at how Rausch bonded with comedian and actor Ron Funches, who found himself a little isolated in the house as cast members like Real Housewives of New York star Dorinda Medley looked at him askance. He also forged a friendship with Underwood and refused to vote against him at the roundtable.
Rausch refused to vote out Ron Funches (middle). (Getty Images)
Speaking with Access Hollywood, Funches confirmed that the bromance with Rausch felt genuine. In his view, Rausch was “a man who saw another guy who was being misjudged, and who felt that he could relate to him and knew what it was like to be introverted and knew what it was like to be misunderstood.” I’m sorry, one minute – there’s just something in my eye …
He’s strategic
There’s a lot more to Rausch than good looks and a strange fascination with snakes. He’s also made some seriously smart moves in this game. From picking clever murder targets that leave no trace, to using the castle’s chessboard as a ruse to plan a murder in front of everyone, he has revealed himself to be a master of intrigue.
Right now, however, the question is whether Rausch can keep his streak going. Last week was a big one, as he successfully secured a dagger that guarantees him a second vote at any single roundtable he chooses. At the same time, his choice to throw his fellow Traitor Rinna under the bus (again) didn’t sit well with his other teammate, Bassett, who is now ready to cut him out.
Both Rausch and Bassett have built strong connections in the castle, and, at this point, both have left a few people feeling suspicious. It’s anyone’s game, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll both make it out of that turret alive.
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