‘Boston’ Rob Mariano Says His Daughters ‘Hate’ That Their Friends Think He’s ‘Hot’ (Exclusive)

• Reality TV veteran “Boston” Rob Mariano told PEOPLE his daughters “hate” that their friends think he’s “hot” while attending the NBCU Emmy Kick-Off Luncheon in Los Angeles on Friday, April 11
• Rob’s stint in season 3 of The Traitors has gained him a new following among younger fans
• The star also shared how his experiences in shows including Survivor and The Amazing Race have influenced his role as a dad and inspired him to teach his kids “don’t quit”

Thanks to his stint on season 3 of The Traitors, “Boston” Rob Mariano has gained a new following among younger fans — but his daughters aren’t exactly thrilled about it.

At the NBCU Emmy Kick-Off Luncheon in Los Angeles on Friday, April 11, the reality TV veteran, who also has competed in shows including Survivor, The Amazing Race and Deal or No Deal Island, told PEOPLE his four girls don’t love the attention he has been getting lately.

“My kids are hating it because all of a sudden their friends are like, ‘Oh my God,’ ” he says. “They don’t like the attention. It’s a lot.”

“It’s kind of weird for a teenage girl to be like, ‘Dad, my friends think you’re hot.’ You know what I mean?” adds Rob, 49, who shares daughters Lucia, 15, Carina, 14, Isabetta, 12, and Adelina, 10, with his wife Amber Mariano.

As for Rob, though, he finds the newfound attention “so fun.”

Reflecting on what’s contributed to the moment he’s having, he notes, “I think just a combination of Traitors brought a lot of attention to a different generation and with the onset of streaming, people can go back and watch the old episodes. They don’t have to find a DVD or a VHS tape anymore, so it’s cool to just be introduced to a whole other generation.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

By old episodes, he means the many competition reality shows he’s starred in since first being introduced to TV fans in the fourth season of Survivor back in 2002. He met his wife on an All-Stars edition of Survivor in 2003, and the couple later got engaged during the finale episode in 2004.

These days, Rob is busy balancing his reality TV career with raising his four kids. He told PEOPLE at Friday’s event that his experiences on Survivor and other shows have influenced his role as a dad and the example he hopes to set for his girls.

“I think I always lead by example, so [I teach them] don’t quit. You can do anything if you set your mind to it and just keep fighting,” he says.

“I didn’t win Survivor the first time I played — it took me four times,” he continues. “Most of these shows I go on, I don’t win, but I always do everything I can to win and I think if they truly fight for what they want, they’ll get it.”

Rob says his youngest daughter Adelina definitely takes that determined spirit to heart. “She’s a little bit of a spitfire. I think the baby always is,” he tells PEOPLE. “She gets it from her mother. Her mother is also the youngest.”

The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!

As for whether Amber, 46, might make a return to reality TV — her last appearance was in 2020 when the couple competed together in Survivor‘s 40th season — Rob says he’s leaving it up to her.

“I mean, she can do whatever she wants to do, but truly when we went to go do 40, I was like, ‘You have to go. So much of what we have in our life is because of it.’ So it was like a celebration. So she agreed and I promised I wouldn’t make her do anything else anymore,” he reveals.

“It’s just so crazy. Everything I have in my life is because of these shows — meeting my wife, my family, everything,” Rob adds, noting the couple has a milestone wedding anniversary approaching. “We’ll celebrate 20 years next week.”