Cynthia “High Cheeks” Bailey has worn many hats in her career: model, reality star, host, actress and now a game show winner. That’s right, The Real Housewives of Atlanta staple is one of the winners of Hulu’s reality competition series, Got to Get Out.
In the competition series, 20 contestants live together in one house with up to $1 million in prize money at stake. The goal: get out of the house—but it’s not as simple as it sounds. As time passes, the prize money increases. Players can either split the money equally at the end or attempt to leave the house early and take the total amount for themselves. If someone escapes, the rest start over from $0.
The cast includes a mix of reality TV veterans and strategic players. Throughout the game, they form alliances, navigate conflicts and make escape attempts—each trying to figure out the best time to leave and how to outsmart the others. The series focuses on decision-making, timing and the tension between cooperation and self-interest.
After her big win, Blavity’s Shadow and Act spoke with Bailey on how she managed to come out on top. She also dished on her return to RHOA and all the sweet and bitter moments of the season.
So, congratulations on the new show. Now, this is from what I remember, this is your second game show after Celebrity Big Brother, right?
So, I did Celebrity Big Brother, and I did Name That Tune, and I actually won. I forgot that I won that. And I got my eye on The Traitors. I’m waiting on that phone call.
All right, well, we’re gonna put The Traitors on the top of the prayer list. But in terms of this one—or all of them, because you’ve done three so far and want to do a fourth—what about game competition shows are you attracted to?
They’re fun. Unlike on Housewives, it’s like less drama and more fun and just strategy and competition. I do well with meeting new people just because I’m around people a lot. I’m always in new situations just from going through the whole just being on the Housewives platform. I always go in wanting to do well, but I never really expect to win or even really go that far.
But then after doing Celebrity Big Brother, which was my first big one, I was like final three, so I was like, “OK, if I could actually win some of the competitions, I could probably maybe win one of these things eventually.” So I was so excited that I actually was a winner on Got to Get Out, myself and my accomplice. It was exciting because I really went in thinking, “OK, it’s like 20 people…” and then I’m with Kim Zolciak, Omarosa, Spencer Pratt… I was like, “These people know how to do these types of shows.”
So my strategy was simple: build trust. That’s how I became the button queen. It was about waiting for a clue, finding somebody who can be my legs and run it for me. And that’s exactly what I did. It took a minute, but I did it, and we were the only two to get out. So I guess I’m kind of a gamer now as well. I can put that onto my resume, because I finally won one of them.
So you spoke about your strategy. Who would you say was your toughest competition going into it? Were you nervous about competing against Kim Zolciak, being as though you guys had your issues on Housewives? Who would you say was your toughest competition and who caused the most trouble?
OK, so Kim and I were never close on Housewives, so it was actually really fun to be locked up in a house with her because we definitely—although we weren’t really close—we’re still like Housewives sisters. So I was excited to see her, but I wasn’t really sure how it was going to go because again we were not in the best place ever, and I hadn’t seen her since Housewives. But we ended up being roommates, and it was the best thing ever. We reconnected. The love was there. It was like we didn’t miss a beat, and we walked out of that house considering one another a friend, for sure.
She was great, but what I did not know is that Kim’s a good gamer. She had a lot of really good ideas. She was very creative and very competitive. She had a very good shot of winning for sure. So I didn’t know she was gonna be a big threat in that way.
Omarosa—I knew as soon as she walked in the door. I was like, “Oh s**t, Omarosa’s here.” She thrives in these types of situations. And at best, she was someone, if I didn’t work with Stein, she was someone that I felt like I could trust to team up with as well. I just didn’t know how athletic she was. It was only after I watched the show back myself—because I was only in the house for like four days, because I actually got out—but watching the show back, I was like, “Oh my gosh, she was like a track star back in the day.”
I didn’t really know her athletic ability. I thought, “Well, OK, I know I’m not that fast,” and I kind of figured she’s kind of around my age range. I was like, “OK, we probably both are looking for some younger legs to run this out, and then we get the money outside the gate.” But otherwise, I love her.
One of the things that is a fun fact that I really enjoy with her is at night we would have Bible study. She had her Bible, we read the Bible together and got a little spiritual guide on, so that was really fun to do. Hell, we need God on Housewives. If anybody needs Bible study, it’s the whole cast of Season 16. We need to bring Omarosa there to help us out.
Congrats on the win. What did you do with your share of the money?
Well, I haven’t decided what I’m gonna do with it yet, but it’s just good to have it sitting in the bank. And that’s just good to know. Spending the money is easy, but I don’t know. I haven’t really decided yet. I love traveling. My schedule’s a little crazy right now. I’m due for a vacation. I hit 2025 pretty strong, so it’s time for me to lay on the beach somewhere soon. I’ll treat myself to something nice. It was definitely an unexpected treat to actually win and get out with some money.
Now you mentioned that you are hoping to get a call from The Traitors. Who’s your ideal cast for your potential season, and would you rather be a traitor or faithful?
Definitely my co-host of our podcast, Crystal Minkoff. I think she would be great in the house with me. Luann de Lesseps is my girl. She has a new show coming out on Bravo called Love Hotel, and I actually go over there and play with her a little bit. I think Teresa Giudice would be good in the house. I want Phaedra Parks to come back in the house, but she can’t win. She didn’t really win last time, she just played a hell of a game. She’s my Traitors hero in the house. I think Porsha Williams would be fun in the house. I think Jeff Lewis would be fun in the house. That’s my boy, too. He would be amazing.
I feel like I would be a good traitor only because nobody would think I was a traitor. I don’t really think I give traitor vibes. I think I would enjoy being faithful more because I wouldn’t have to lie and I could just try to catch traitors instead of being a traitor. But as a plot twist, it could be fun to be the bad guy. I feel like I could tap into my acting and really fool people. But I feel like it’s a lot of pressure. I’m really more of a faithful at heart. I love the way my girl Dolores Catania played the game. If I could play it like her, then I would be happy to be a faithful.
Now, you mentioned that you know you can go into your acting bag as a faithful. After a brief hiatus, you’re back on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. We spoke a few times since your exit, and you were adamant that you—not that you wouldn’t go back—but that you were focused on your acting. So was that not keeping you busy enough, which I know it was? So why return, especially after the events that unfolded that were unexpected this season? I’m sure you probably had a brief moment of regret.
Oh my, well, yeah, if I had known all that was gonna happen, I would have taken another season off. I returned because I love the platform, I missed the fans. I love being able to stay connected to the ladies as a friend because I can actually work around my acting schedule. So as someone who’s been a Housewife for over a decade, I get it. I know what it means. I have a plaque on the wall. But for me, the friend role is just a better way for me to show up at this point in my life. I really am enjoying all of the other things that I have going on, specifically my acting career being the focus.
But yes, Season 16 definitely was a surprise for sure. It was supposed to be Sweet 16, but it was a little bittersweet sometimes, and it was definitely a surprise. But I think overall, what I am excited about is the fact that people are talking about the show again in a different way.
I feel like the new blood was needed. People are gonna like who they like and not like who they don’t like. But at one point, we were all new.
There was a point where I was one of the new girls. So I love just watching the newbies come and find their legs on the show and just see where it goes. Again, I’m just excited that people are talking about Atlanta again. I’m excited to be a part of the cast and in a much smaller role. But I still think my fans are excited to see me. So it’s small but pivotal in a lot of ways.
Who were you surprised to build a bond with this season? I know you were excited to see where you and Porsha would go. Who is your favorite newbie?
I actually like all three of the ladies. I love Angela [Oakley, Kelli [Ferrell] and Brit [Eady]. I think they’re all very different. I think they all bring very different things to the show. I have my own relationship with all of them. I’m still getting to know them. It takes time for me to get to know folks, chile. But I do love the new energy—the younger energy mixing with the older cast member. It’s fun. I feel like the show in one word, is very unpredictable this season. I feel like sometimes, after a while, some of the Housewives shows become too predictable. We kind of heard the storylines before. It’s kind of like, “OK, we get it already.” For Atlanta Season 16, you’re not going to predict anything. It’s a very, very unpredictable season, and I think that’s what makes it fresh, and I think that’s what makes it new, and I think that’s why people are talking about it.
Now I wanted to get your expanded opinion on something that you’ve given on the show already. You’ve given your opinion on the Drew, Porsha and Dennis saga, and you’ve made it clear that baby daddies are off limits. So explain why that line shouldn’t be crossed or touched.
I think that when you have a child with someone, regardless of what your relationship is with that person, you’re connected to them. They’re still very much in your life. So you already have enough going on on a reality show. The last thing you need is to see your baby daddy show up filming with somebody else. I just think it kind of just crosses the line that doesn’t need to be crossed. Like if you don’t have an issue with that person, the probability of you having an issue with them down the line is probably gonna happen because now they’ve brought in some of your people. It’s just a little too close for comfort for me. I would never work with any of these ladies’ baby daddies, boos, cousins, etc. I would personally stray away from that because I don’t want to have that to become yet another issue that I could have with one of my castmates. So that’s my opinion on that. It’s like just find somebody else. It’s not worth the smoke.
After so many unpredictable moments of Season 16, obviously we’re waiting for the reunion, but what is your hope for the cast moving forward?
My hope for the cast moving forward is to resolve any of the issues that they may be having with another cast member. I think the reunion is a place of closure and is a place of resolution. It can be a place of healing if you want it to be, to get on the other side of whatever issue you may be having with someone. At the end of the day, it is a sisterhood.
It’s very dysfunctional, of course, and can be a little toxic, but it is a sisterhood. And I think as much as the fans love the drama and all the back and forth, I think what they really enjoy is us having fun together. I think they really enjoy those fun moments where they can just escape their lives and just do some of the silly things that we do on the show.
I’ve run into a lot of people that do Bailey-cues now because I’m always doing them on the show. And that’s what I love. I love when the culture embraces us in a way where they can have their own little Housewives crew and like, “OK, I’m the Cynthia on the show…” in a very like Sex and the City. It’s just entertaining and fun and positive. There’s always gonna be some drama, but at the end of the day, if we can just get back to that place of light, then it’s always good. And I always strive to do that at the reunions. It does not always work out for me, but that’s always my intention.
The post Cynthia Bailey On Winning Hulu’s ‘Got To Get Out,’ Highs And Lows Of ‘RHOA’ Season 16 appeared first on Blavity.