Dorinda Medley, a television personality is known for her roles in “Real Housewives of New York City” and other ventures is also one of the most well known cast members on "The Traitors."
Early Exit From The Traitors
Dorinda was the first person eliminated on “The Traitors” season 3. The news shocked many viewers as her long run was anticipated but it was the end of her journey and also led to discussion about reality TV show bias. Even though her time was short it created an immediate emotional moment.
Reactions To Early Elimination
She confessed in multiple interviews she cried and was very upset . This was in part because she had curated the "best outfits" and did extensive preparation for the competition. The feeling of betrayal combined with not having control of her own game plan added a complicated twist for Medley in the competition and this early exit highlighted that.
"Housewives Bias" and Perceived Threat
Dorinda along with her counterparts from the “Real Housewives” series were quickly labeled a threat during this competition and that resulted in them being an immediate target. Many think they realized that housewives tend to be strong willed, strong minded with direct opinions and they should therefore be taken out quickly.
Preparedness and Strategy
Despite the early exit Medley claims that she over prepared for “The Traitors” by doing a vast amount of research into strategy, history and she mentioned that her outfits were going to be iconic, but unfortunately the execution of this game plan had it’s challenges. In preparation for all of the unknowns she read multiple philosophy books and developed unique methods of planning which was not enough to take her to a new position on the show.
Dorinda Medley's Take on the Traitor Dynamics
She has mentioned several times she believes she was wrongly voted out by those players that didn’t realize her strong value she could provide to the show. She also believes it could have been interesting if she was instead brought on as a "Traitor" where her strength and character could have been an asset. There was an opportunity lost with an early vote off which could have altered the whole season.
"Traitor" Potential
Medley thinks that she had good traits to have played the Traitor role that went missed. The Traitors also mentioned the Housewives would go into an alliance and their removal of the early eliminations might have also been bias towards strong and recognizable personalities. She also feels she was well placed to navigate this new position with more skill and focus, which could have given unique content for the viewers.
Future Appearances and RHONY
Though short this experience also gave her recognition by her peers with all her efforts. As she leaves “The Traitors”, she now understands better the dynamic of her peers. She even mentioned a few Real Housewives stars who she felt would also excel in a show like "The Traitors". Those individuals were Luann de Lesseps and Ramona Singer. Both of these options were in part because of Ramona being “good at looking at things” making for potential future show picks.
Possible Returns
Dorinda has stated “Never Say Never” in returning to reality tv shows. As she was a popular cast member on "Real Housewives of New York" her ability to come back to screen isn’t something that is completely far-fetched, many fans will follow her on her next journey.
Other Aspects of Dorinda's Life
Business and Personal Ventures
Dorinda is now continuing development of her Bluestone Manor bourbon line, fashion lines as well as working on a SiriusXM show she does weekly. In addition there are discussions regarding the series “Bluestone Manor” which she is currently working to develop which was one of the show elements that contributed to her iconic image over the past several years.
Past Relationships
On the show there was also mention of her relationship with her first husband who had a Scottish heritage and this led her to frequent trips throughout her life to visit that country. Her ex and her have maintained a friendly bond and are good friends through today. Her previous marriage with Richard Medley also played an important part of her presence on TV even after his passing.
Key Takeaways
- Dorinda Medley was the first person eliminated on Season 3 of The Traitors creating a moment many will reflect on from the early start.
- She felt she would be good as a traitor and was saddened for an early elimination, which also sparked thoughts on a housewife’s bias within show formats.
- Dorinda mentions being a victim of early targeted efforts of “Housewives” from being seen as threatening within reality tv scenarios.
- Dorinda also thinks that her previous research was unhelpful to this dynamic as it really was important to take the challenges as they came for this format which requires some intuition.
- Beyond the Traitors, Medley is still engaged in developing multiple businesses, while also maintaining a notable presence in the entertainment space, while taking the experience of a game like "Traitors" with her into her future ventures.