In praise of Gabby Windey, ‘Traitors' winner and Latina queen

Los Angeles Times

07-03-2025

Gabby Windey was the epitome of poise at last week's round table on hit TV series 'The Traitors.' In the campy, murder mystery-inspired game show, reality TV stars and more questionable public figures — Zac Efron's brother is a contestant, as well as a random British aristocrat — must sniff out who among them is a 'traitor' among 'faithfuls.'
Contestants set their sights on Windey, former 'Bachelorette' star and podcaster, in hopes of booting her from the competition. Their plan seemed foolproof... had they not made the mistake of underestimating a hot Latina with a vocal cadence comparable to that of Jennifer Coolidge.
Windey knocked down every accusation with a cool, studied rebuttal. Her performance was so solid that her foes had to change course last minute. In that moment, Windey ammonium thioglycolate-ed her path to victory, and in the end, she and three fellow 'faithfuls' won the game in this week's finale.
Every step of the way I rooted for the ringleader of the all-women 'Bambis' alliance — named for their big, doe-like eyes — because she proved everyone wrong, looked cute doing it and brought her trademark droll, mall-girl vibe to the function. So much of what the half-Mexican star navigated on the show is what Latinas experience all the time at their jobs, in their families and everywhere else; and it felt good to watch her win.
While no one ever fully laughed off Windey this season, there was a clear sense that she and her fellow Bambis were not taken seriously. The 'gamers' — what they call contestants from other reality game shows like 'Big Brother' and 'Survivor' — in particular, the men, pushed their way through challenges and displayed hubris that inevitably buried them. Even the final two traitors standing — 'Big Brother' contestants Danielle Reyes and Britney Haynes — thought they had one over Windey. So much so that Reyes assured she would 'annihilate' Windey.
Clearly, they didn't do their research. Windey is a former Denver Broncos cheerleader, which came in handy when she landed in second place on Season 31 of 'Dancing With the Stars.' She was also a nurse on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Windey has honed two skill sets that require both smarts and guts. Have you ever tried memorizing choreo, or intubating a human being?
While the 'Traitors' cast showed reverence and fear for players like 'Survivor's' infamous 'Boston' Rob Mariano, or the professionally scathing Dorinda Medley from 'Real Housewives of New York,' they forgot that Windey became an icon in the 'Bachelor' universe after rejecting Clayton Echard's offer to walk her out post-dumping — then co-leading on 'The Bachelorette' — then dumping her fiancée and coming out as a lesbian later on 'The View.' A Housewife can throw expert-level shade, but so can Windey, who follows it up by dragging the patriarchy, misogyny and sexism in her popular podcast, 'Long Winded.' She can gab and call 'em out!
Even when Latinas are intelligent and capable, we are undervalued — and, as a result, one of the most underpaid groups in the States, with the wage gap between us and non-Hispanic white men being the widest in history. Sixty-three percent of Latinas between the ages of 18 to 29 say sexism in the workplace is a problem for them, per a study from Pew Research Institute. According to the same study, 44% of Latina participants reported that, in the last year, they were treated as if they were stupid. That was the most commonly reported experience.
We are often made to feel dumb, frivolous and small, even if we have all the bona fides proving otherwise. That Windey, like so many other Latinas, has also struggled with feeling out of place in her cultural identity, can only add to a feeling of inferiority.
In an interview on Latina TikTok star Tefi Pessoa's podcast, Windey opened up about how her fraught relationship with her mom, who is the Mexican parent and whom she has been estranged from for eight years, has made her feel disconnected from her culture. She regrets that she avoided mentioning her identity in the past.
'I wish I talked about it more on 'The Bachelor,' ' she told Pessoa. 'Because I didn't say anything. Because now when I see someone Mexican, it's like 'oh my God.' You become enamored and you're like proud of them.'
In a recent interview with 'The Cut,' however, Windey assured how proud she is about being Mexican, and how being embraced by Latina fans has made a major impact on her sense of belonging. 'People in the Latina community will DM me: 'We claim you. We're proud of you,' ' she said. 'That means a lot.'
It was sometimes frustrating seeing Windey being underestimated during her time on 'The Traitors,' but made her win all the more satisfying. And she celebrated her win by marrying her longtime partner, comedian Robby Hoffman. Windey conquered the castle with confidence and good vibes, and in the process, she conquered our hearts.