Reality TV star Gabby Windey rose to fame on The Bachelor, Dancing With The Stars and The Traitors, but now she wants to prove herself as an actress.
Gabby Windey is ready to “pay her dues” and swap reality TV for acting.
The 35-year-old star, who is known for her appearances on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Dancing With The Stars and The Traitors US, is making her scripted debut in new Netflix drama The Body and she has been working hard with an agent and acting coach to improve her chances.
She told WWD: “You have to pay your dues. Above all, I do like to pay my dues.”
She plays a Catholic school girl’s dance team coach in Quinn Shephard’s queer drama.
While she’s proud of the project, Gabby isn’t sure she’ll be able to tune in.
She explained: “It’s literally not about me, but I just don’t want to catch a glimpse of myself and have it ruin my life right then and there.
“So it’s really a self-protective mechanism. I don’t want anyone to be like, ‘Oh, Gabby’s acting like she’s too good already.’
“It’s like, oh no, no, no. I’ve seen myself on TV so many times. It’s incredibly hard. So I’ve learned.”
Gabby also revealed how despite always wanting to chase a career in acting, she felt like it was best to keep her ambitions close to her chest.
She said: “People are like, ‘did you always want to do this?’ And obviously you just don’t say it out loud.
“I feel like everyone wants to be on TV, but you understand the amount of delusion you should keep to yourself.
”So I kept it to myself for a really long time, especially because I understand the stigma of people who come from reality.”
Gabby insisted it can be harder for stars who got famous through reality TV, and so there is added pressure on her as she chases roles.
She said: “It just doesn’t really happen for them. I kind of needed the pudding before the proof almost.”
As well as The Body, she’s also been cast in Molly Gordon’s Peaked for 2026, boasting a cast featuring the likes of Laura Dern, Simone Ashley, Connor Storrie, Owen Thiele, Emma Mackey and Jeremy Allen White.
She said: “I think they had an idea for a lot of the other roles, but they really didn’t know how my character was going to come to fruition.
“So I don’t know where I was in the audition process, but it sounded like I was one of the last. I did earn my spot. I don’t know if everybody else on the cast can say the same.”
Reality star Gabby Windey wants to ‘pay her dues’ for acting dream
