Who is CT Tamburello? Everything we know about The Challenge star amid Phaedra Parks red carpet debut 

CT Tamburello has made multiple headlines recently, as the forty-six-year-old stepped out publicly with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks for the first time. The pair attended night one of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. As per a report shared by Just Jared, Parks had confirmed they were dating just the day before, during an appearance on Jeff Lewis Live.

Tamburello first came onto the public radar back in 2003 as a cast member on The Real World: Paris, where he quickly stood out for his personality. He later made the move to The Challenge franchise, going on to compete across more than two decades and becoming one of its most recognized names. His time on the show wasn't without personal tragedy, as Tamburello experienced the loss of his former partner Diem Brown. Outside of reality television, CT Tamburello has appeared in the 2022 film The Most Dangerous Game and has also pursued interests in real estate and acting.

CT Tamburello and Phaedra Parks had fans guessing for weeks before Parks confirmed the romance:

CT Tamburello and Phaedra Parks are no strangers to each other, as the pair previously competed together on season two of The Traitors, which aired in 2024, forming an unlikely friendship along the way.

Things started getting interesting on social media. As per a report shared by People, Tamburello went ahead with an Instagram post on August 9 that he was still searching for a plus one to the Emmys, asking if anyone could put in a good word for him with Parks. She then commented on his post directly, writing

"Baby I'm already yours."

Days later, Tamburello posted another video with the caption

"She said yes."

The post included clips of Parks, and sent fans into a frenzy. The back and forth between the two had followers buzzing about a potential romance for several weeks. The confirmation came shortly after, when Parks appeared on Jeff Lewis' SiriusXM show Jeff Lewis Live. Lewis asked Parks directly,

"Are you dating? I heard you were going to the Emmys with a date. Is this a platonic thing?"

Parks kept her answer short, replying,

"It's not."

Lewis also asked whether the two had been out together before, to which Parks simply said, "Yeah." She kept the timeline of their romance vague, though she did mention it started the last time she was in Los Angeles.

Around the same time Parks was on Lewis' show, CT Tamburello posted a picture of a van to his Instagram Stories, writing that he was about to pick up "bae." He then shared videos of Parks sitting in Lewis' studio, and later in the van with him afterward.

What we know about CT Tamburello and Phaedra Parks' lives before they went public as a couple:

Interestingly, despite the chemistry that fans noticed between CT Tamburello and Phaedra Parks on The Traitors, Tamburello was fairly candid about the nature of their connection at the time. As per a report shared by EW in 2024, he said that "nothing real happened" between them on the show. He did, however, speak warmly about Parks, adding that

"It was fun. I loved her because she's a cornball. She was great. I would say there was a sense of sincerity, for sure. But it was also playing a game, you know?"

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On the personal front, Tamburello's romantic life has seen its share of changes. His estranged wife Catalina White filed for divorce this year. That being said, this wasn't Tamburello's first divorce. He was previously married to Lilianet "Lili" Solares. The former couple had tied the knot in 2018 and share a son, Christopher "C.J." Tamburello Solares, who they welcomed in 2016. Their split was legally completed in 2023.

Parks, meanwhile, has her own chapter behind her. She was married to Apollo Nida from 2009 to 2015, with the pair finalizing their divorce in 2017. The former couple share two sons, Ayden and Dylan.

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