So close, yet once again, so far.

Danielle Reyes knows what it’s like to make it close to the reality competition TV mountaintop without reaching the actual summit. She played a stellar game in season 3 of Big Brother, but lost after jury members did not like what she said about them in her private Diary Room interviews so instead awarded the $500,000 to Lisa Donahue. (The result was so controversial, the show changed its rules so that jurors in future seasons were sequestered and were not allowed to watch anything but competitions before voting.)

However, Danielle’s exit in The Traitors season 3 finale after being the last original Traitor standing may have been even more painful. That’s because the deciding vote to banish the Big Brother legend came from none other than Britney Haynes, who was also behind Danielle’s ouster on Big Brother Reindeer Games after Britney forced her to take part in an almost impossible hamster wheel maze competition… even though another player in Taylor Hale had volunteered to do it to save Danielle.

Does Danielle believe Britney’s story that she only did it because she caught a signal from Dolores Catania? And where are they now in their relationship? We spoke to everyone’s favorite convulsing-on-the-floor Traitor to get the full story on that and once again getting so painfully close to the reality TV mountaintop.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You of all people know what it’s like to get so close to winning one of these shows and then have it all ripped away from you. Was this loss easier or harder to take than what happened on Big Brother 3?

DANIELLE REYES: I am torn. BB3, I think it was harder for me because when I took the time to watch it — because remember, you can’t watch it live, so it was all done — it was tough because I was like, “God dang, I played an excellent game. I don’t understand why they didn’t give me the vote.” It was hard because I only got one stupid vote. So that’s when I went, “Oh, they were bitter.” I made that decision when I watched Big Brother 3.

This one wasn’t so bad because I own a lot of my messiness on the game. To win Traitors, everything that happens is your decision versus any other reality show based on a jury coming back to vote. So everything that happened to me, I have to own it, and I have to own my messy gameplay for being sussed out. So this loss didn’t really bother me as much as the Big Brother 3 did.

Are you picking up what Britney’s putting down when she says that she voted you out because she caught a look from Dolores? Do you buy that?

I told Britney — because we had a conversation — and she’s like, “You saw the look!” I was like, “Dolores said she didn’t give you a look.” But I told her straight up, I said, “Britney, even if you voted, I don’t hold that against you. You voted for self-preservation and I totally get it.” So I don’t hold that against her. I just don’t. If she did, if she didn’t — if Dolores gave her a look, whatever she did in that point of the game was to protect her game. So I don’t hold that against her.

I’m just more of a person that if you do something in the game, just own it. But she says she gave her a look. Dolores said she didn’t. I really don’t care because either way, at the end of the day, I still ended up going home, period

You said on the show you were embarrassed that you believed in her after what happened on Reindeer Games. Do you still feel that way now that it’s aired? Do you feel embarrassment?

I feel embarrassment for Reindeer Games, yes. For Traitors, I do feel…. You know what it is, is that when you trust someone so much, and it’s almost, and I hate to say the word betrayal because I was a Traitor, but it was more of a, I think I hate myself for believing in her, and I should have known better. That’s all. Nothing against Britney or anything. But I’m human. I can’t help it. So I don’t know.

Where are you and Britney at now?

We’re great! Britney and I had our heart to heart. People don’t realize, Britney and I never really sat down and discussed Reindeer Games at all. You heard these whispers, but I finally was able to give her my point of view and we cried. We hugged it out. We kiki, we braid each other’s hair, we’re all good now. So Britney will always have a soft spot in my heart. I just love her so much.

But I did tell her, “I will never trust you again.” And I really meant that, and I’d be a fool too. And I told her, “Look, if we ever play again, I’m not going to come after you, but I’ll be looking at you. When are you going to stab me in the back? Because I’ll be waiting for it.” But I have nothing to prove to her. I’ve been loyal to her on both occasions. I just hate the way it ended. I feel like our story, it is just so heartbreaking. I really wanted her at the end.

Was it fun watching the season back on TV, or was it difficult knowing how everything ended up with Carolyn and then at the end with Britney?

So it was the first time, because in Big Brother, it’s all done, right? So I’m watching the fans’ reaction, and I even told one person “The fans are going to love to hate me or hate to love me.” I just knew it, right? Because I knew I wasn’t going to pull any punches. I don’t care. I just don’t care! I’m here to win.

So when I was watching it, I was laughing at myself so much. It was so cringey with the shaking and crying — oh my God! When I said I was laughing, I mean laughing. I was like, “Oh my God, look at me!” It was cringey. I mean, as much as you guys hated me, I thought it was hysterical watching myself play.

The other part is we don’t know how a lot of things played out. You’re kind of like, “I think this happened, but I’m not for sure.” So when you watch and it you’re like, “Ah, I wasn’t crazy. I was right on this.” So I loved watching it play back, even though I knew what was going to happen, because I wanted to see Britney’s confessionals, I was like, “Did she really have my back? Did she really believe in me?” Because you don’t know. But we had each other’s back until that point. And again, she made that decision for her game, and I respect her for that.

Game-wise, Britney said you made a mistake letting Dylan get so far because he’s too smart. Do you agree with that?

No, because at that time, Dylan was off on picking Traitors. He was slurping on Boston Rob. Slurping on him! So no, I didn’t think so. Plus, you guys don’t see it, but Dylan and I really had a strong connection and bond. I thought I had Dylan. I didn’t know Dylan was sussing me, right? So if I known that early, of course it would’ve been a different narrative, but I just didn’t know that.

So honestly, if anyone I should have killed was freaking Gabby, because Gabby is the queen of the Faithfuls. That girl was good. Lord Jesus, that girl was smart! but I should have known. Them Bachelor people Pilot Pete, Gabby — y’all better watch out for them. They smart! Remember they got all 20 people lying to their faces for love. So you know they’re going to be great at Traitors.

I’ve watched you compete a few times on shows now and you bring it every single time and are wildly entertaining every single time, but it always ends it pain. So would you do one of these shows again knowing all that?

I went home, and my mother did not find out. I kept it a secret of mine, and I told my mother, “I’m always a maid of honor, never a bride.” I always bring great TV. You never know what you’re going to get with me. At the point now, if I get called on another show, I’m like, “You know what? I’m going to play just as hard and hope I win.” It doesn’t look good, does it? I just think I’m just there for entertainment purposes at this point. I don’t know, but it’s tough.

I thought it was going to be like a Cirie thing. Cirie kept going on Survivor and kept losing, but she finally went on Traitors and won. I thought it might be the same for you.

Well, It’s my fourth show.

Yeah, she did Survivor four times and lost.

Okay, so I got one more.

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