After the show’s breakout success in 2022, The Traitors returns for a second season this year.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the reality series sees 22 contestants compete for a prize fund worth up to £120,000 at a castle in the Scottish Highlands.
As they arrive at the castle, a small number are selected to be “Traitors” who have to eliminate the “Faithful” contestants to claim the prize themselves. However, if the latter manage to work out and “murder” the deceitful contestants through daily roundtable meetings, they win the cash prize instead.
The show’s second season kicks off Wednesday January 3 on BBC One from 9pm. But who are the traitors and faithfuls in the firing line?
The Traitors season 2 cast: meet the contestants
Andrew from The Traitors. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Andrew
Age: 45
Andrew is an insurance broker from Talbot Green, who has previously worked in close protection security. If he’s selected as a Traitor, he’s willing to do “whatever it takes, within reason”.
“I don’t mind throwing people under the bus, it’s me or them at the end of the day. I’ll just think of my family, my son, I want to make them proud and I want a better life for them. I’m a nice person deep down and when my family are watching on the TV, they will know the real me.”
Anthony from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Anthony
Age: 45
Anthony is a chess coach from Birmingham, who was enamoured with the show’s first season due to the comparisons with his job.
“Like a game of chess, every piece on the board is expendable, the only thing that matters is the king, that’s it. And ultimately, the idea is to checkmate and win the game. For me, it was like in a chess tournament where you’ve got to control your emotions and psychologically manage yourself. I was completely intrigued by it.”
Ash from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Ash
Age: 45
Ash is an events coordinator from London, who describes herself as an “adaptable” and “resilient” individual who can maintain composure.
“I’ve worked in some very stressful situations. We quite often get called ‘The Swans’ because on the outside, we look calm but underneath the water is another story.”
Aubrey from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Aubrey
Age: 67
A retired shop owner from Loughborough, Aubrey is gunning to be a Traitor so he can wear one of the show’s signature cloaks.
“I did say that’s what I wanted because I love the cloaks. I think I’d be good as a Traitor, but if I’m not, I’m not going to be heartbroken. You could be recruited at another point. What will be, will be!”
Brian from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Brian
Age: 33
Brian is a photographer from Glasgow, who has a knack for the social deduction format as he plays party game Werewolves with his family every Christmas.
“Whenever I’m watching TV, I always think ‘I could do that’ even for shows like SAS: Who Dares Wins, although in retrospect I’d probably last two minutes and then start crying. I felt the same way when watching The Traitors and now I get the opportunity to see if I will be any good!”
Charlie from The Traitors. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Charlie
Age: 34
Charlie is a mental health area manager from Bristol, who is a big fan of “analysing people”.
“People misjudge me a lot of the time because I’m a bit nuts and constantly jumping around and being a lunatic. I don’t know whether people realise how insightful I actually am and how much I pick up on things.”
Charlotte from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Charlotte
Age: 32
A recruitment manager from Warwickshire, Charlotte is hoping she will be underestimated by her fellow contestants.
“My plan is to be underestimated and kill with kindness. I feel like you need to assess your group first, you need to get to know everyone and work them out. I wouldn’t play the same gameplan as everybody else.”
Diane from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Diane
Age: 63
Diane is a retired teacher from Lancashire who hopes to bring humour to the series – albeit as long as she isn’t a Traitor.
“If I did end up being one, I don’t think I’d be very good, I think I’d be very obvious. I’d just have to get on with it.”
Evie from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Evie
Age: 29
A veterinary nurse from Inverness, Evie has lived her entire life in the Scottish Highlands so she doesn’t have to travel far for the series.
“My ideal weekend is things like chucking myself up a mountain, or camping, or biking, getting dirty, or doing open swimming. So, I feel like I’d be really good at missions. I’ve not got much fear. The only thing is spiders absolutely terrify me. Spiders are not my thing. But for £120,000 I would get into a vat of spiders, there’s an override in my brain and I think I would just do it.”
Harry from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Harry
Age: 22
Harry is a British Army Engineer from Slough who, according to his mum, is the “clumsiest but smartest guy she’s ever met”.
As for what he’d spend the prize money on, Harry said: “I’m still only 22. I think that my happiness really comes from making everyone around me happy, so I would want to use some of the money to treat my family and my girlfriend. The other thing is I would like to replace my car.”
Jasmine from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Jasmine
Age: 26
A sales executive from London, Jasmine describes herself as a “professional truth embezzler” who believes her personality will help her in the competition.
“I’m very personable, and people tend to want to befriend me a lot which is how you get people on side. It’s a game of making allies, isn’t it? You don’t want people to vote you out.”
Jaz from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Jaz
Age: 30
Jaz is a national account manager from Manchester, who wants to take his mum on the Orient Express if he wins the cash prize.
“After everything we’ve been through as a family, I feel like my mum deserves it. My wife has also been such a pillar of strength and I feel like she definitely deserves to go. Also, my mother and father-in-law have just been everything to me and it would be something that we could all do together to celebrate, it would be phenomenal.”
Jonny from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Jonny
Age: 31
Jonny is from Bedfordshire and believes his history in the military will serve him well in the trials to come.
I’d say I’ve got a good poker face. I learnt a lot in the military. So, I’ve very much got that mindset. I learnt ‘Bullshit baffles brains’ – that’s my favourite saying. I have lived by that and it’s so true. I have done so many different jobs since I left the army and it’s always worked.”
Kyra from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Kyra
Age: 21
An apprentice economist from Kent, Kyra is a big fan of social deduction games like Among Us which led to her interest in the show.
“It was sort of like a game I used to play called Among Us. Because it was nothing I’d seen before it did kind of throw me, I was having a battle with myself about whether I’d want to be a Traitor or a Faithful – I think a Traitor.”
Meg from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Meg
Age: 22
Meg is an illustrator from Herefordshire, who has a knack for bursting into song during times of panic.
“If I’m terrified, I’ll just start singing Florence & The Machine and people will be like ‘Get her to shut up, she’s too loud.’ Because I just burst into song at any moment, my mum will sometimes have to tell me to shut up, or people catch me at traffic lights, which is embarrassing!”
Miles from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Miles
Age: 36
A veterinary nurse from Birmingham, Miles wants to find his “forever home” with his husband and family if he wins the cash prize.
“I’d like to pay off our debuts and get into our forever home and really settle our roots. Whilst everything is fine as it is, it would be lovely to go forward with that and live somewhere in the country.”
Mollie from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Mollie
Age: 21
Mollie is a disability model from Bristol, who also works as a healthcare assistant. She believes her age might be a benefit to her chances in the show.
“I’m quite innocent looking. I feel like my age, and the fact that I can come across quite innocent, will be really good for me and people will think I wouldn’t be able to be a Traitor.”
Paul from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Paul
Age: 36
A business manager from Manchester, Paul is hoping he’ll become a Traitor – if only to get closer to Claudia Winkleman.
“Well, if Claudia touches my shoulder, I’m never washing that top again. I hope that happens because the more I think about what the show is, it is about the real Traitors, right? To participate in the show fully is to be a Traitor I think.”
Ross from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Ross
Age: 28
Ross is a video director from Lancashire, who is slightly nervous about stepping in front of the camera.
“I’m so used to being behind a camera that it’s actually very nerve-racking for me to be in front of one. This is something new and I’m well up for the challenge. I’m quite good at the old Among Us game and I thought this looked like a lot of fun.”
Sonja from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Sonja
Age: 66
A volunteer business mentor from Lancashire, Sonja is hoping to knit her way through the competition.
“My game plan is to knit my way to the finals. I’m an avid knitter. What I hope to do genuinely is knit while I’m thinking. Also, you can knit recycled fishing nets and recycled plastic bottles, so it’s great for the environment. I actually want to teach some of the other tortured souls how to do a bit of knitting while we’re there too.”
Tracey from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Tracey
Age: 58
Tracey is a sonographer and clairvoyant from Inverness, who believes she will bring an eccentric quality to the show.
“I’ve always been told off for being too loud in life. So, I think I’ll be quite eccentric, some of my views and the things that I’ve done in life are quite eccentric. I’m very spiritual as well as working for the health service. So, I’m a bit of a weird combination.”
Zack from ‘The Traitors’. CREDIT: BBC
Name: Zack
Age: 27
A parliamentary affairs advisor from London, Zack is hoping to win the show through his ability to quickly strike up close friendships.
“I’d like to think I give quite a good first impression, I’m quite charismatic, and I do strike up quite intimate relationships quite quickly, so I’d like to lean into that a little bit.”
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