The eagerly awaited third instalment of The Traitors, once more fronted by Claudia Winkleman, made its much-anticipated return to our TV screens last night.
The show came back with a bang on January 1, featuring 22 competitors split into Faithfuls and Traitors. In a high-stakes game for a whopping cash prize potentially reaching £120,000, the players must outsmart one another by identifying the traitors hidden within to succeed.
Any traitor remaining undetected until the end will snatch away the entire cash pool.
In anticipation of the latest series, Screen Time interviewed a previous contestant who navigated through the treachery and tense eliminations of the debut season aired in 2022. The first episode saw a dramatic start when Claudia swiftly ousted two competitors, laying down the groundwork for a season rife with surprises.
A new group of 22 contestants have entered The Traitors castle
(Image: BBC)
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Despite the turbulent beginning in season one, ex-contestant Theo Mayne, aged 28, looks back at his experience with the host quite fondly. The Leeds-native actor and cheerleading coach opened up about how his rapport with Claudia, aged 52, has evolved after their stint in the Scottish Highlands together, reports the Mirror.
He said: “I don’t think I could have picked an better host for the show. She is a lovely woman. The day I got banished, when the cameras stopped rolling, she came up behind me and gave me a big, big hug and just said ‘It’s okay’ because I was still sobbing.”
Theo was a fan-favourite in The Traitors season one
(Image: PR Handout)
The ninth episode ushered Theo out of the castle, as his peers unanimously voted for his elimination. His departure was underscored by a deceitful move from Amanda Lovett, who opted to eject Theo notwithstanding previously assuring him of her loyalty.
Two years on, the actor opened up about maintaining friendships with fellow contestants from the game, including Traitor Amanda, admitting that going through such an ordeal “bonds you for life.”
He also shared that he keeps in close contact with the esteemed host, saying: “We still chat on Instagram today. We’re still popping her messages and she’ll ask how we are. She’s just been doing Strictly, so I would pop up to her Instagram story and say, ‘Absolutely smashing Strictly,’ and she’ll respond, ‘I’m loving it.”
The Traitors episode two is on tonight
(Image: BBC)
Regarding whether or not he exchanges memes with Claudia, he said: “I think she’s more of an emoji kind of gal. We’ve shared a few love hearts and winking faces. She’s a very busy woman, so it means a lot that she takes the time out of her day to respond.”
The conversation ended on a touching note as Theo revealed a considerate act by the TV icon, adding: “I have a cheerleading club, and I asked her if she could send a message for all my athletes. She kindly agreed and sent a video wishing my athletes good luck during competition season. I can’t speak highly enough of her.”
The Traitors is on BBC1 tonight at 8PM