Tiffany Mitchell’s time on The Traitors Season 4 was short, but it was impactful. As expected, the Big Brother icon who created the framework for the series’ legendary alliance, The Cookout, came in with a gamer’s mentality, but was eliminated earlier than expected after suspicion turned her way, seemingly out of nowhere.
In an exit interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, we caught up with her to talk about the blindside, why she was ready to play as a Traitor, and how it feels seeing so much fan love — even after her exit.
Were you surprised at how quickly the tide seemed to turn? Because I went into the episode thinking Tiffany shouldn’t be on anybody’s radar — at least not right now. And then all of a sudden, it was just such a big case made so quickly. Were you caught off guard by that, and how did you feel and react to that in the moment?
It changed very quickly. I think I can tell when something’s off or if I’m in danger, and I didn’t get that inclination. I wasn’t feeling that. I’d not heard my name. I did not have any idea until really it presented itself to me in real time. I had gotten a little hint, but it wasn’t confirmed until I sat down at the table. And because I didn’t have time to strategize how I would execute my defense, I immediately just was hot. It’s like when you see red, and that’s just where I was. And it wasn’t Game Tiffany anymore. I watched that moment last night and was just like, “Oh, Tiff.” I mean, yeah, I defended myself, but I don’t know if I defended my game, you know what I’m saying?
So I’m not not proud of me. I just know that if I had more time, I could have laid out why this just doesn’t make sense.
Honestly, for me — as I watched that episode and the next — it seemed like the Faithfuls, as a whole, kind of let Colton [Underwood] and Eric [Nam] off a little easy for being so loud and so wrong. That’s what I’ve been thinking, and it seems like other fans have been thinking that too. Do you sense that as well?
I mean, I will say we had such a beautiful cast. Everyone was very kind. I loved every single person — including Michael [Rapaport]. Michael treated me very kindly. If you ask Michael, “Where’s Tiffany from? How old is her son? What’s his name? What does she do?” — he cared to get to know me. And those things do matter when you’re working with someone.
I think because there was also love in this hell that we were living in, you don’t want to actually attack someone, even if it is game. Eric’s very kind. I think maybe that’s why they let him off. But I love that y’all hold their necks to the fire, put their faces right in it for me.
It just felt like the gamers were really down bad this season — Ian [Kirby] gone, Rob [Cesternino] gone. When you were coming into the castle, did you think, “I want to be a Traitor,” or were you like, “OK, I’m a Faithful, let me play the best Faithful game I can play”?
I wanted to — for safety — be a Traitor. And plus, it’s Traitors. Let me go in here and be a Traitor. I also felt that it would be a challenge for me to be a Traitor, but it would allow me to play a different game than I’ve played. I know some people think, “Oh, well, you played Big Brother — you were definitely duplicitous.” But being a Traitor is a totally different style than playing Big Brother, where — I mean, I guess to a certain extent, you’re pretending to be someone you’re not. But I didn’t really know for sure.
I said, “I’m going to leave it up to fate. I’m going to pitch to be a Traitor. I’m going to make up in my mind that I’m going to be a Traitor.” I had to mentally prepare myself to be a Traitor, but I never had to prepare myself to be a Faithful. Why do I have to prepare myself to be myself?
So when I wasn’t tapped, it wasn’t disappointing. It just meant this is the way… I’m a very just matter-of-fact person about, “These are the cards you’re dealt. Play with the cards that you’re dealt.” And so I don’t have time to cry over spilled milk. This is what it is. This is what it’s supposed to be then.
Lastly, I know you mentioned watching the episode back and realizing you weren’t in “game” Tiffany mode during the roundtable. But from seeing fans’ reactions to how you defended yourself — I mean, people are treating that like a win in itself. What’s it been like seeing the fan love and support after the episode aired?
I love love. Love is one of my favorite things. I love to feel it. I love to give it. I love to share it. I love to know it. I am a person who will always rather love and lose than not love at all. So the fact that I’m getting so much love and people just are showing up for me and seeing me as how I try to be — authentically myself — it makes me feel really good.
I was very anxious. I always knew the outcome of how I did, and so I was really anxious about how it was going to come off. I think I have this reputation of being this person, this strategist, this mastermind. And I was like, “Oh my God, they’re going to drag me through the sand. All they care about is [that] she didn’t win.”
But I’m a person who believes that the best players don’t always win the game. And just because I may not win the game, I still feel like a winner. Working with NBC, being on Peacock, the team, going to Scotland, living in the castle, playing the game of Traitors, meeting the people I met — I won. I have nothing to be sad about or feel bad about. I love it here. I do.
The Traitors airs new episodes Thursdays on Peacock.