Tara Lipinski counts her lucky stars she had her bestie Johnny Weir by her side on Season 4 of The Traitors - even if no one else knew how close they actually were. "For me, I never needed to be the person who leads the charge and [captures] a traitor. Johnny and I had our own strategy, which was similar to our own personal strategies. We were just hoping no one was going to clock that we're best friends. It was pretty intense to keep that going because we had to make it believable. It was interesting, but I am proud of how we handled it. When we first came into the castle, we had this strategy, and he gave me a hug, and I was like, 'That's too friendly!'" the athlete, 43, exclusively tells OK! while talking about her love of Thayers' Hydrating Milky Cleanser and Milky Toner, as the brand expands its beloved Milky collection with the launch of the 80HR Milky Moisturizer.



Source: @johnnygweir/InstagramThe duo appear on 'The Traitors' together.



"I was like, 'It's nice to see you,' and walked away. We worked hard at keeping our friendship under wraps. If there were moments we could steal time together when nobody was there, we would do it, but it was hard! In episode 6, we gave each other a hug, and Rob [Rausch] walked by, and you just can't take any chances!" she continues, noting that when you're on the show, things are so "fast paced" and no one will ever understand how "difficult" it is. Since Lipinski and Weir, who first bonded during a 2010 TV project and later reconnected, have a tight bond, the former is so "lucky" she had someone by her side through the drama. "No one else had that. We would steal so many glances," she admits. "We voted together on everything. If something was said, we'd clock it immediately with each other. When we would pass each other in the hallway, we'd pass notes and hold hands for a second. There were moments like that where I had my best friend, no matter what. I wonder what the producers thought, like, 'Will they ever turn on each other?' We are so confident in our friendship and what it means to us. I was like, 'I have someone who has my back, and he'll do anything for me.'"

This is the first time Lipinski has done reality TV, whereas Weir has dabbled in that world before. "I really wanted to go into the game and promise myself that I was going to stay true to who I am," the figure skater says. "Johnny and I are not reality stars, we do not have any type of persona that we put on anything like that. We are athletes and analysts, and I think it was important for me to play the game even though it's crazy what they are asking you to do in some of these situations! But I'm a competitor and I love a game. So far, I am really proud of my strategy and sort of staying under the radar. I think there's a really fine balance to that because if you are too under the radar, people are suspicious. There's this fine balance of being part of the conversations and being part of it in a way that you can balance it out without throwing out names."



Source: Euan Cherry/PeacockThe athlete is 'proud' of how she played the game.



Aside from Weir, Lipinski also made some great friendships with some of the other cast members, including Candiace Dillard Bassett. "The cast was really, really fun this year! I'm a pretty social person, so when I got into the castle, I was like, 'This is summer camp!' I immediately bonded with Candiace. Between our personalities and being new moms, we connected right away. I'm a pretty vulnerable person, and we just had that immediate bond, and I love her so much. I think she's so cool and an incredibly strong woman. She was so supportive of me in many ways throughout the show and behind the scenes," she shares."She is my hype woman. She is the coolest, funniest human. I am so grateful we have this friendship now, and we keep in touch," she continues.



Source: Euan Cherry/PeacockTara Lipinski got close with Candiace Dillard Bassett.



Since Lipinski doesn't watch a lot of reality TV, she knew "of" Lisa Rinna but never watched her on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. "I got to create relationships and friendships with people just as the human in front of me. We played the game, but we spent so much time together, where I'm getting to know them on a different level and without knowing their past, without knowing what they do, without knowing their TV personality," she notes.

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