Chris “CT” Tamburello of “Real World” fame may have won Season 2 of Peacock’s “The Traitors” competition show, but he also began a connection that blossomed long after leaving the Scottish castle: he is in a relationship with fellow contestant Phaedra Parks, a mortician and “Real Housewives” alum.
Yes, that’s right — the chemistry that fans of the show spotted on screen eventually led to a relationship off-screen.
Could “faithful” fans have possibly willed this relationship into existence? We’ll never know … but we can hope!
So, how did these “traitors” become “faithful” to each other? Here’s a timeline of key moments in Parks and Tamburello’s relationship.
Fall 2023: Parks and Tamburello Meet While Filming ‘The Traitors’
Tamburello, 46, and Parks, 52, film Season 2 of “The Traitors” on location in Scotland.
The second season of the show featured familiar faces — and notable rivals — from popular reality TV programs.
Tamburello made his way to the cast via MTV. He first appeared on “The Real World: Paris” then went on to find success on “The Challenge.” Per People, he has won “The Challenge” five times (plus two spinoff seasons) and competed in 19 seasons.
His “Challenge” rival, Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, also competed in this season of “The Traitors.”
The witty and outspoken Parks starred on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” from 2010 to 2017, as well as in 2025 and 2026. She now dabbles in several projects, and on her Instagram page, she describes herself as an “attorney to the stars,” mommy, mortician, model, actress and author.
On both shows, she sparred for screen time with fellow Atlanta “Housewives” star Shereé Whitfield.
Early 2024: ‘The Traitors’ Premieres — and Fans Watch Their Connection Unfold
Episodes of Season 2 of “The Traitors” aired from January to March 2024.
The vibes between the two were noticeable.
Tamburello may have a tough Boston accent, but he seemed to turn into a softie around Parks. And while Parks could eviscerate an opponent in 30 seconds or less, she seemed surprisingly sweet on Tamburello, calling him her “Castle Daddy.”
Tamburello ultimately helped remove Parks from the castle, but as he voted for her as a Traitor, he smiled and said, “I think you came on here to be the opposite of who you are in real life. And I think you’ve been the best Traitor we’ve seen yet.”
March 2024: These Fan Favorites Comment on Their Chemistry During Press Tour
In an interview that spring, Vulture flat out told Parks, “So the internet wants you and CT to be boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Parks replied, “Oh, god.”
She went on to say, “CT is a great guy, and we definitely had a wonderful connection. He’s a sweetheart. He’s a really good guy, and he’s attractive and all those good things. He’s a gentleman. There was never anything romantic between us at all. It was just a sweet, pure friendship.”
Tamburello shared similar sentiments in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in March 2024.
“No, nothing real happened, I’ll be honest with you,” he said in the interview. “It was fun. I loved her because she’s a cornball. She was great. I would say there was a sense of sincerity, for sure. But it was also playing a game, you know?”
August 2026: Parks Admits She Might Have More Than a Friendship With Tamburello
During a Sept. 4 appearance on “Jeff Lewis Live,” Parks said that she would be attending the Emmys with a date that was “not” platonic.
Admittedly wanting to make a splash with their relationship, Parks withholds details but shared that something has been brewing with a mysterious “CT” for a while.
A caller piped up to “connect the dots” for everyone.
“They were on ‘The Traitors’ together. She called him her ‘castle daddy’ on the show,” said a caller identified only as Megan. “So I know you want to wait to disclose it to the world, but please don’t plead the fifth. Let us know if it’s that CT.”
“Ummmm … I think so,” Parks replied hesitantly.
Lewis confirmed that he could see Tamburello outside the studio, and that the “CT” Parks mentioned was definitely her “Traitors” competitor.
September 2026: Tamburello and Parks Hard Launch Relationship on the Red Carpet
Phaedra Parks doesn’t do anything halfway, and the hard launch of her relationship with Tamburello is no exception.
The pair stunned on the red carpet at the first night of the 78th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 5.
Along with photos from the evening, Parks posted this comment on her Instagram page on Sept. 6: “Some came for the awards. I came with the prize. Thank you to the real trophy for making a beautiful night even better.”
Fellow “Traitors” contestant and occasional “Challenge” rival Devenanzio used the same comment and hilariously paired it on Instagram with photos of him and Tamburello from the same event.
Parks posted a response: “We are a thropple.”
