CT Tamburello and Phaedra Parks may seem like an unexpected reality TV pairing, but “The Challenge” star says their differences are part of what makes their new romance work.
Weeks after Parks publicly confirmed that their longtime friendship had turned romantic, Tamburello is opening up about where they stand and what he appreciates most about his girlfriend.
Speaking with Us Weekly at the UFC 331 red carpet outside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on September 19, Tamburello offered a promising update on his relationship with Phaedra Parks.
“I’ll say, I don’t want to jinx it, but I’ll say we’re in a good place,” he said. And despite navigating much of their relationship long-distance, Tamburello believes the arrangement might actually work in their favor.
CT Tamburello Says Phaedra Parks Brings Him ‘Peace’
When it comes to what makes their relationship special, Tamburello pointed to something surprisingly simple. “With her, she just brings peace,” he told Us Weekly. “It’s easy to just stay calm around her.”
Tamburello also joked that spending some time apart may not necessarily be a bad thing. “I know I’m crazy in my own right. It’s probably for the best if I’m not around her every day, to be honest,” he said.
That doesn’t mean he’s questioning the relationship. Quite the opposite. Tamburello called Parks “amazing” and compared their different personalities to Paula Abdul’s 1988 hit “Opposites Attract.”
“The way I would describe it is like Paula Abdul, ‘Opposites Attract,’” he explained. “You remember that old video? That’s us, you know?”
It’s a fitting description for a pairing that began as an unexpected reality TV friendship years before either publicly acknowledged something romantic between them.
The Duo Started as ‘Traitors’ Friends
Long before CT Tamburello and Phaedra Parks’ relationship became official, reality television viewers were already watching their chemistry. The two met in 2023 while filming Season 2 of Peacock’s “The Traitors,” which premiered the following year.
Their connection quickly became a memorable part of the season. Parks affectionately dubbed Tamburello her “Castle Daddy,” while the pair developed a friendship during the competition.
At the time, however, Tamburello maintained that nothing romantic had happened between them. In a 2024 interview, he said “nothing real happened” while filming, although he acknowledged there was “a sense of sincerity” between them and affectionately described Parks as “a cornball.”
Those comments take on a different meaning. What Tamburello described then as a sincere but non-romantic connection eventually developed into the relationship he is now publicly discussing more than two years later.
Parks confirmed to PEOPLE in September that her connection with Tamburello was no longer platonic after being asked about their relationship during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Jeff Lewis Live.”
When host Jeff Lewis asked whether their relationship was platonic, Parks responded, “It’s not.”
She also offered a small clue about when things changed between them, saying their relationship took a different turn the “last time” she was in Los Angeles.
Tamburello and Parks Have Taken Their Romance Public
One day after Parks’ relationship confirmation made headlines, Tamburello and Parks took another significant step by attending the Creative Arts Emmys together on September 5.
The appearance marked their red-carpet debut as a couple after their friendship on “The Traitors” had developed into something more.
According to Us Weekly, much of their relationship has been long-distance so far, with a source previously telling the outlet that they have traveled to spend time together.
Now, Tamburello is providing his own perspective on that arrangement.
Rather than presenting the distance as an obstacle, he joked that it might actually be “for the best” that he isn’t around Parks every day. That makes his latest interview another step in the evolution of a relationship viewers have watched in pieces for years.
In 2024, Tamburello was explaining why his chemistry with Parks hadn’t become romantic. In September 2026, Parks confirmed that something had changed. Now, Tamburello is explaining what he has discovered since it did.
For “The Challenge” veteran, one of the biggest answers appears to be remarkably simple: Parks brings him “peace.”
