Danny Explains Why the Cast of 'Claim to Fame' Season 3 Is So Bad at Guessing

For weeks Danny was sitting pretty on Claim to Fame , the ABC reality TV show in which the relatives of celebrities try keep the identities of their famous loved ones a secret. Danny, whose real name is Nael Zayas , came into the house pretending to related to a pro wrestler. He'd changed his name, grew out a mullet and was leaning heavily on wrestler stereotypes to snow his competitors (and viewers).

However last week Danny's luck changed when his competitors worked together to solve a clue that informed them Danny was actually related to one of Jennifer Lopez's exes. It didn't take long for them to connect the dots and realize that rather than Hulk Hogan or The Rock, Danny was actually the nephew of Latin musician Marc Anthony. While other contestants tried to knock Danny out last week, a lucky break allowed him to stay in the house another week.

In Episode 6, however, after performing poorly in the challenge, Danny found himself in the position of guesser. Armed with a clue that pointed to Mackenzie being related to a 6'6" country music star, Danny guessed she was related to Blake Shelton. When this proved to be incorrect, his relationship to Marc Anthony was exposed, and he was sent home in fifth place.

Post-elimination, Danny sat down with Parade to discuss his time on the show, how he was cast on Claim to Fame and the real reason why his fellow players opted to make him the guesser instead of Shane.

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Here's what Danny had to say:

Matthew Huff: To start, can you walk me through the decision making process of choosing to guess that Mackenzie was related to Blake Shelton?

Danny: It was a game plan between me and my co-conspirator [Shane]. I think we had a good shot. I don't really know that much about country, but I felt like I had a good pick with Blake Shelton. I thought he was 6 '6". I didn't know he was 6 '5".

Did you and Shane have any idea that she lied about being related to Blake Shelton?

I had no clue, but you know, it is a game. I thought it might've been spot on, being that she was playing nervous, the way she was acting. Maybe, she's just born to be an actress.

What made you decide not to guess Adam even though you had his clue?

I didn't go in that direction because I really couldn't figure it out. I still had no clue on what any of his clue meant. I didn't have the timeframe to try and break that down. We thought we had a breakthrough in McKenzie's clue.

Why do you think they voted for you to be the guesser over Shane?

I felt like Shane was going up there too much and wanted to try and protect the little alliance that I had with Shane. I wanted to take the shot for him. I knew eventually everybody was gonna vote for me anyway because everybody was shooting for me. They had my clue, so I took the best shot I could.

There's been so many people who have guessed incorrectly this season in comparison to the last two seasons. Why do you think that is?

I really think it's just being up late hours and being tired and trying to have breakthroughs out of nothing. I mean everybody is just so tired. The exhaustion really comes into play when it comes to guessing people too, because we're really just shooting in the dark.

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Do you feel like the clues this season were more difficult than in previous seasons?

I mean, yes, I think a lot of them were difficult. I think mine is kind of easy if you were able to catch the J. Lo with the hanging Jay, and maybe able to feel the maracas. That's also the reason why I tried to keep my nationality on the wraps. But definitely, I think the clues were definitely super hard. I can't believe half the names we came up with looking at the wall.

You came in using a fake name. What was your strategy coming into the house? And how did that change as the season went on?

I tried to come in with a whole persona. I tried to come in like a little wrestler with the mullet. I tried to change my voice a little bit. I tried to change my mannerisms. But, like I said, with the exhaustion and trying to do too much, I was like, "You know what? Let me just play my game at this point."

How much are you guys sleeping on the show? You're talking about being exhausted.

I mean, I'm barely sleepy because I was always just at the wall, staring at the wall. Other people probably slept more, but I definitely wasn't.

How did you end up on the show? Was it an Instagram DM? That's what everybody else has been saying.

I didn't have the pleasure of getting my DM. My wife was really into the show. She watched both seasons. I started watching, Season 2. At the end of Season 2, they put a little flyer out like, "Hey, we're looking for people." I was like, "Well, you know what, let's try it." My wife really egged me on. I was like, "Let's go for it, and whatever happens, happens." And look at us now, man.

Did you talk to your uncle at any point in the casting process about it?

I talked to him here and there because he's always busy, but he always told me to be myself, and people would be attracted to that. Not to do too much. Just be the person you're meant to be, and people will be attracted to that. I always kept that to heart.

Has he watched the show at all or reached out at all since the season's been airing?

He's across seas, so I don't know what the situation is over there, but I'm sure a couple birdies have whispered some things.

Next, Everything You Need to Know About Claim to Fame Season 3