Anna Duke, the only Irish contestant on the third series of The Traitors UK, told the BBC she applied to take part as she was “obsessed” with the hit show and says she has the “gift of the gab.”
Anna Duke, 28, is a swimming instructor from Co Wicklow who signed up for the show “on a whim,” with big dreams of going into the fashion industry if she wins the prize money.
Anna was chosen to be a Faithful by host Claudia Winkleman. Like all players, Anna is at constant risk of banishment but there is the added layer of being ‘murdered’ by the Traitors.
The Traitors is airing on Thursday nights, following a set of contestants as they battle it out to win a share of the £120,000 cash prize. As part of the programme, the cast put on their best poker faces and try to decipher who can be trusted.
This season includes Anna as the one and only Irish cast member. She said she wanted to take part because the series is ‘so-fast paced’ with ‘so many games within the game.”
Who is Anna from The Traitors UK?
Anna is a 28-year-old swimming teacher from Co Wicklow who proudly says she has the “gift of the gab.”
She told the BBC: “I’m a big talker. Sometimes if someone asks me a question, I will go on such a tangent that I have forgotten what the question was, but so will they! I think I have the gift of the gab. I might talk myself into a situation, then hopefully out of a situation and then everyone’s going to forget what the situation was in the first place!”
Anna admitted that she applied for The Traitors UK “on a whim’ while her boyfriend was watching football.
“I initially watched The Traitors by accident, my housemates turned it on while I was waiting for my dinner to cook. Then I binge-watched nearly the whole thing in three days, I was obsessed,” she told the BBC.
“It’s the only TV show I’ve thought I’d be good at that! I’ve got a brain that can compartmentalise things and I can be quite personable. I think a lot of it does depend on your ability to control your emotions in that environment and your ability to get people on your side, which are two things that I think I have a bit of a skill for.”
What will Anna do with the prize money if she wins?
Anna has said she would use her share of the £120,000 prize to go into the sustainable fashion industry, with dreams of starting an affordable brand for young women.
“I went to college twice, my first degree was media, but my second degree was pattern drafting to be a seamstress,” she said.
“I’m passionate about sustainable fashion and would love to set up a sustainable fashion line that’s slightly more affordable for young women. I really admire some UK brands but they’re harder to get in Ireland, so I’d love to do an Irish line.”