As fans of The Traitors gear up for another explosive episode, a former contestant has spilled a huge secret about the hit BBC show.
Viewers have been relishing discovering every detail about the series, helmed by Claudia Winkleman and set in a castle in the Scottish Highlands. From Claudia's stunning cableknit jumpers and jodhpurs to what the contestants on this dastardly game show actually enjoying eating from their lavish looking breakfast buffet, we're lapping it up.
But there is also plenty that the producers are desperate to be hidden from viewers - so the mystique of the game remains. And although current participants can't speak out until the series finishes, one past contestant has spilled the beans.
Alex Gray appeared in the first series The Traitors back in November 2022. She was a Faithful during her time on the show, and refused to be recruited as a Traitor. Sadly her honorable stance led to her murder.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan, she revealed that all potential participants undego psychology assessments to see if they are mentally strong enough for the game. The star said that she even bought two book of the psychology of lying in preparation, but ultimately they were no help.
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BBC)Speaking about just how tough the show is, she revealed it's "very hard" to detect whether someone is lying to you or not. Alex was filming in the castle for two weeks before her murder. This involved very long hours filming and lack of sleep - due being unable to turn her brain off.
"The cameras are on you all day long," she explains. "There was no packing it away like with a board game - and even when you're no longer in the castle, you're still ruminating over stuff that happened; 'What if I had done this differently? Maybe this person is a Traitor?'
In this year's series, viewers have already seen Faithfuls Charlotte and Elen both becoming tearful when being accused of being Traitors and - and Elen was eventually being banished.
Maia, also visibly struggled after the banishment of her sister Armani who was correctly identified as a traitor. The banishment was even more painful for Maia as she played a part in raising her fellow Faithfuls suspicions of her older sibling.
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BBC)Alex reveals there are welfare people assigned to every two contestants as well as opportunities to speak to a psychologist, to "ground yourself again" and "bring you back to reality if you needed it". She also said that staff would give a summary of each episode before it aired, to "prepare you mentally".
Shockingly, even when contestants are banished or murdered, they are not told the identity of the Traitors - but find out like everyone else when the show airs. Alex confesses it was a "weird" to see how canny producers condense hours of content into the tight and surprising sixty minute edit aired to viewers.
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Cody Burridge/BBC/PA Wire)It seems presenter Claudia also had strict instructions during her time on the show. Alex says: "It was obvious she wanted to talk to us and get to know us, but sometimes she'd come and get chatty and it was clear someone said something in her ear and she'd be like, 'Sorry guys, gotta go!' I think they wanted her to maintain this scary headmistress role."
Alex has advice for this year's participants - it's better to be yourself than put on a act because sooner or later you'll crack under the pressure. She says "People might try and put on a facade, or try and act a certain role. But from my experience of being in there, I don't even think the top actors could maintain playing a different person."
We've already seen the heat of having the Traiter finger pointed at her get to Londoner Faithful Charlotte who has been pretending to be Welsh because she believes people find Welsh accents more trustworthy. Charlotte, whose mum is Welsh, said she believed it would help her win the prize money - which could total 120,000. She might need to think that strategy.
The Traitors continues tonight 9pm on BBC One.
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