What makes a good Traitor? Have your say on hit BBC TV show

The Traitors
-Credit:PA


Millions of people have been tuning in to the tense reality gameshow The Traitors, with the BBC show topping 5 million viewers for the opening episode of season 3. It's a simple party game made into a psychological thriller, making larger-than-life characters out of the contestants as they lie and misdirect their way to a cash prize.

Have your say! What makes a good Traitor? Are you good at spotting liars in real life, or would you be the first to be banished? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.

Anyone with a passing interest in reality TV will know the drill by now - contestants gather at a gothic Scottish castle, and a small handful of them are secretly given the role of Traitor. Under the watchful eyes of presenter Claudia Winkleman, they must set about "murdering" the other contestants - the Faithful - and whittling down their numbers without blowing their cover.

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The Faithful must use all of their social and observation skills to weed out the Traitors, and get the chance to banish them from the castle - which can go horribly wrong if they get the wrong person. Anybody who's played a party game of Mafia or Werewolf will know the basics, but The Traitors has a flair for the camp and dramatic, and there are many twists and new game mechanics along the way.

At the end of the series, if there are no Traitors remaining, the Faithful all get a share of the cash prize. But if there's even a single Traitor amongst them, they lose it all.

Previous contestants have shared tips and tricks on what makes a good Traitor. Speaking to the Mirror, season 2's Paul Gorton says: "I think it's the ability to see three days ahead. So with me, it was like 'cool, we need to murder this person because it's going to cause disruption. They're already going to banish this person. So leave this person.'"

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The show's producers have expressed an interest in getting "genuine" contestants to play the game, rather than existing celebrities or those who just want to grow their social media fame. Other international versions of the show go down a different route, with the US edition - still filmed at the same beautiful and haunting castle - mixing in some TV stars with their contestants.

Have your say! What makes a good Traitor? Are you good at spotting liars in real life, or would you be the first to be banished? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.