Anticipation is building as The Traitors makes a return for its third UK series, with fans on the edge of their seats as they anticipate more brutal betrayal and eliminations.
Claudia Winkleman hosts the hit show, which pits 22 players against each other divided into the Faithfuls and Traitors. In their quest to secure a glittering jackpot of up to £120,000, participants must root out the deceivers among them before it’s too late. Should they fail, the surviving Traitors snatch the entire prize pot if they reach the finale undetected.
Renowned for stripping its players of technology, the mind-bending series set against the rugged Scottish Highlands backdrop takes isolation to another level. Yet, a season one contestant has disclosed that although modern tech is off-limits, one old-fashioned contraption is supplied, reports the Mirror.
Chatting with Reach’s Screen Time before the new season aired, ex-competitor Theo Mayne shared that surrendering all connectivity was the toughest part of embarking on the contest. “They take your phone away from you immediately,” he confessed.
Still, Theo noted that cast members still had a lifeline. “You are given a handy little Nokia, so you can contact production if you need anything – I remember playing Snake on it. But as soon as you go to the castle, they take it away from you. We were completely immersed; there was no outside world.”
“It was just Claudia Winkleman, Scottish Highlands and a castle. That’s all, that’s everything,” Theo joked.
At just 26, Theo won the hearts of fans before being shockingly voted off in episode nine due to a betrayal from Amanda Lovett, who had seemed to be an ally.
Despite his early exit, the Leeds actor and cheerleading coach has positive memories of the show and maintained connections with other contestants. Theo said: “I keep in touch with Meryl Williams, Hannah Byczkowski, Alyssa Chan, Amanda Lovett, Claire Barratt and I’m very close to Kieran Tompsett.”
He added, “I think when you go through an experience like that with people it bonds you for life. Because I’m only ever going to be able to talk to them about what we’ve experienced. Because nobody else will understand.”
The inaugural season was won by Faithfuls Hannah, Meryl and Aaron Evans.
The Traitors returns tonight at 9pm on BBC1 and iPlayer