Gabby Windey’s Stunning Turn: From Reality TV Darling to Million-Dollar ‘Traitors’ Winner

Gabby Windey’s Stunning Turn: From Reality TV Darling to Million-Dollar ‘Traitors’ Winner—How the Funny, Gorgeous Star Beat the Odds, Cashed In Big, and Is Now Taking Hollywood by Storm with Her Bold New Moves and Unfiltered Charm—Inside the Rise of America’s Favorite Breakout Sensation

“They say wealth whispers, but I’m not there yet,” says the reality star, who is featured in the 2025 World’s Most Beautiful issue. “My money is talking. It’s screaming.”

Before appearing in season 26 of The Bachelor and then leading The Bachelorette, Windey was an ICU nurse and a Denver Broncos cheerleader. Now she’s better known for the viral moments from her Long Winded podcast — like her “business hours” rant urging people not to call her after 3 p.m. — and her sharp wit in season 3 of The Traitors, which she won alongside Dylan Efron, Dolores Catania and Lord Ivar Mountbatten.

“Young Gabby would have no idea what to think, would not be able to believe this for a second,” Windey tells PEOPLE for the World’s Most Beautiful issue. “It feels like a dream come true.”

Vintage Roberto Cavalli bathing suit. Christian Dior by Galliano earrings.Alex G. Harper

Windey, who describes her style as “fun, flirty and sexy,” stays camera-ready with her “signature facial” consisting of a chemical peel, exfoliation and a red light mask.

And on shoot days, “I chug a cup of coffee and take a propranolol to keep the nerves down,” she jokes. “The rest is up to fate.”

On April 11, Windey legally wed comedian and Hacks star Robby Hoffman, 35, in a courthouse wedding four months after their private Las Vegas ceremony in January.

Hoffman has been proposing to Windey since “three months in,” she says. Now that it’s official, “I recommend [marriage] to everyone. I know some people don’t want to do the whole institution. I respect whatever you want to do. For me, marriage has been amazing.”

Vintage Emilio Pucci skirt. Melissa + Y/Project skirt. Gucci sunglasses.Alex G. Harper

“My wife helps me feel beautiful all day, every day. You got to get yourself one of those,” she says. “If you know her, you know she likes to talk a lot. She is never short on words, and never short to tell me how much that she loves me.”

“I just feel so seen by her, but on the inside,” Windey adds with a smile.

Playing the Hits

Fans have come to know and love Windey for her relatable zingers and her iconic one liners. But Windey admits that she’s “always surprised that something I say becomes viral.”

“I hate to hear myself talk,” she says. “Even if I’m going to post something on social media, and I want to have Robby look it over first because I need her opinion, I can’t listen to it myself. Hearing your own voice is grating. It’s like nails on the chalkboard.”

Vintage Roberto Cavalli bathing suit. Christian Dior by Galliano earrings.Alex G. Harper

When Windey heads into the studio to record her Long Winded episodes, she goes in without a formula and speaks on what comes most naturally to her.

“I’m like, ‘This is the s— that I’m going to talk today.’ I don’t even really expect it to land or not,” she says. “It’s my job to deliver an episode a week. You just never know what’s going to happen.”

Looking the Part 

Between her Traitors prize (after making a public display of the delay, “I got the money, don’t worry,” she says) and the brand deals that come along with her virality, Windey is enjoying the fruits of her labor in the form of designer clothing.

“They say wealth whispers, but I’m not there yet. I’m not wealthy. My money is talking. It’s screaming. I like it to have a logo,” she says. “Quiet luxury is a trap.”

Christian Dior by Galliano bathing suit & wrap. Coperini shoes. Alexis Bittar jewelry.Alex G. Harper

When the cameras turn off and her business hours are over, Windey can be found at home in a “big t-shirt and underwear.”

“Actually, I’m loving a matching PJ set right now,” she adds. “I used to be so against them, but I’m like, ‘Why would I ever?’ I don’t know. I think maybe it’s just transitioning into a new phase in life, a wife.”

Laidback Beauty 

“It’s been so busy, but all filled with really good things,” Windey says of her whirlwind year. “Honestly, things could slow down. If anybody’s listening, no, I don’t want to do that thing. I’d like to spend a couple months maybe in bed.”

Christian Dior by Galliano bathing suit & wrap. Coperini shoes. Alexis Bittar jewelry.Alex G. Harper

Jokes aside, “I’m really grateful for every opportunity, every person that I’ve met working, my relationship with my wife,” she adds. “It feels surreal. Pinch me!”

Looking Forward

“I think whatever I do next will be at the right time, the right thing. Always, people want to know what’s next, but I just got here,” she says. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God. Then I have to think about what’s next?’ But I am just trying to rest and revel in what’s going on right now.”

Most of her opportunities, Windey admits, don’t exactly “fall into my lap, but they come to a boiling point when they’re ready.”

“I said no to Traitors at first. It took me maybe ten months to say yes. Then it just made sense, and it felt right,” she says. “Even with the podcast, I didn’t want to do that either. I don’t want to do anything. Now, it’s turned into such a love of mine, and such an expression.”

Vintage Emilio Pucci skirt. Melissa + Y/Project skirt. Gucci sunglasses.Alex G. Harper

Knowing herself, Windey says her manager will likely have to “talk me into” her next project, “and then it’s going to make sense.”

“I feel like I’ve already really done so much. It’s hard to say what is next. But I’m a Capricorn, and I work hard,” she assures her fans. “You’re going to see me again.”

PEOPLE will reveal the cover of the World’s Most Beautiful issue on April 22, and the full issue will hit newsstands Friday.