The Traitors UK: Meet this year's contestants as Claudia Winkleman promises huge 'twist' is on its way
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The hit BBC competition show makes its grand return for series three on New Years’ Day, with fans eager to catch a glimpse of the new group hoping to trick and deceive their way to a prize pot of up to £120,000.
Claudia Winkleman returns to host the murder mystery show. The presenter has already teased that viewers can expect a “twist” that will leave fans “on the edge of their seat”.
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While the secrets of the show have been kept under wraps, this year’s new group of contestants have been announced. Who will follow in the footsteps of last year’s master traitor Harry Clark, or will the faithfuls succeed like the series one winners Aaron Evans, Hannah Byczkowski and Meryl Williams?
Meet the contestants for The Traitors UK series three
Alex


- Age: 29
- Occupation: Care Manager
- Location: Whitby
Alex has described himself as “a funny, silly sort of character that people take at face value”, but added that people “have maybe overlooked me or underestimated me”. The care manager also reveal that he’s been swotting up on the last two series, taking notes from iconic traitors such as Paul from series two, and that series’ eventual winner Harry.
Alexander


- Age: 38
- Occupation: Former British Diplomat
- Location: London
As a former diplomat, Alexander is hoping that his skills in influencing and negotiating will come into his gameplay throughout the show. He has also said that if he wins the money, he would be donating part to a charity called The Royal Mencap Society, which gives respite for families of special needs children, as well as putting money towards buying a flat.
Anna


- Age: 28
- Occupation: Swimming Teacher
- Location: County Wicklow, Ireland
This Irish swimming teacher is hoping to become a faithful in this year’s show, saying: “The reason that I applied for the show is I want to play, and I don't want the anxiety of carrying the secret to stop me playing the game, having fun and making connections.” She added that trust is key to the faithful game, but always keeping key information close to your chest and waiting for the moment to pounce - although hopes that if picked as a faithful, her game doesn’t end in the same way as series two’s resident detective Jaz, who was unable to convince his fellow faithfuls of his theories at the eleventh hour!
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- Age: 27
- Occupation: Financial investigator
- Location London
27-year-old Armani is aiming to put her analytical mind and investigative skills to the test in hunting down the traitors... or hiding herself within the group. She has revealed that she has been plotting her game plan “for the last couple of months”, which will include “planting seeds everywhere I go” and striking a “fine balance between oversharing and not sharing enough”.
Charlotte


- Age: 32 (at time of filming)
- Occupation Business Director
- Location: London
Charlotte will have her work cut out for her if chosen as a traitor, revealing that she has a “terrible poker face”, but admits that being chosen as a traitor “would be thrilling”. However, she is hoping her skills at spotting a liar will help her to uncover the mystery at the roundtable as part of the faithfuls. The business director has also revealed that is she were to walk away with any money, it would go towards fertility treatment, as well as a family holiday and redecorating their new home in Hampshire.
Dan


- Age: 33
- Occupation: Bank Risk Manager
- Location: Liverpool
Dan is hoping to take a different approach to the game, admitting that she doesn’t tend to follow group thinking. Having been diagnosed with autism, the Scouse bank risk manager has said that this could play into his hands when trying to avoid being influenced easily and conforming to group opinions. Dan may also be looking to play a ‘do-what-it-takes’-style game, admitting: “If I'm a Faithful and another Faithful has got a shield, I think that is reason enough to punish them at the round table. Not because I think that that indicates Traitor behaviour, but just mathematically speaking that will give me a better chance of surviving the murder.”
Elen


- Age: 24
- Occupation: Translator
- Location: Cardiff
Describing herself as a “very bubbly and energetic girl” but also “very competitive” and “very strategic”, Elen is hoping that she will be able to use her innocent demeanour to her advantage throughout the game. She added that as a flirty person, she is not opposed to using her skills to charm some male players into benefiting her game, however, the 24-year-old admits that she can often ignore red flag when making a real connection with people - could it hinder her game in any way?
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Hide AdIf Elen walks away with the the cash prize, she is hoping to book in with an endometriosis specialist after being diagnosed with the condition. She said: “It's so devastating I wish to honestly raise awareness and to have the money to fund my treatment privately. “
Fozia


- Age: 50
- Occupation Community Development Manager
- Location: Birmingham
Describing taking part in the show as a “bucket list” item, Fozia will attempt to use her strategic skills in scooping the cash prize at the end of the series. Sharing that she can “smell a rat”, Fozia is confident that she can spot a liar at the roundtable, adding that the key traits of being a successful faithful is being approachable, a team player and building allies.
Francesca


- Age: 44
- Occupation: Interior Designer
- Location: East Sussex
Francesca has said that she applied for the show to challenger herself, while also hoping to surprise her four sons with her strategic gameplay. Revealing that her strategy will include reading people as much as possible, she added: “I think sometimes people think I'm a ditzy blonde, and that I just make things look pretty. But what I do involves a lot of engineering and architecture. Sometimes people assume I’m one thing but actually there are different layers, and I like to surprise people.
Freddie


- Age: 20
- Occupation: Politics Student
- Location: Peterborough
This year’s youngest contestant has described himself as having a “very competitive, driven mindset”, having reach success as the UK’s number one sprint hurdler from the age of 14 to 17. While a hamstring injury ended his running career, Freddie is hoping that his sporty and competitive nature will help in missions, and analytical skill he has picked up while studying politics will play into hands at the roundtable
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Hide AdFreddie has also admitted that he is a bit of a flirt, and isn’t opposed to using this to his advantage. He added that if he won the prize at the end, he would help his mum, a single parent who has raised the 20-year-old alone since he was five years old.
Jack


- Age: 24 (at time of filming)
- Occupation: Market trader and landscaper
- Location: Yorkshire
Jack describes himself as “loud” but “quietly confident”, and may even have a secret he is hiding from his fellow contestants. Having “secretly trained” as an actor, the 24-year-old is hoping that he can use this experience to his advantage, saying: “ I think I can kind of play it a little bit dumb, maybe act like the ditzy gardener and landscaper who secretly has his own agenda, and hopefully a couple of acting skills to back that up.”
Jake


- Age: 28
- Occupation: Project Manager
- Location: Barrow-in-Furness
“Highly opinionated” Jake is hoping his in-your-face confrontational approach will work in his favour throughout the series, admitting that even if he is in the wrong, he will always “still double down”. He is hoping to do well in the missions, having played for the cerebral palsy England football team. If chosen as a traitor, Jake as vowed to “leave no stone unturned”, adding: “Everyone’s your friend until they’re not”.
Joe


- Age: 37
- Occupation: English Teacher
- Location: Southampton (via Yorkshire)
Joe’s will be leaning on his experience as a teacher to help plan his game, saying that he will be planning for every moment, question, or everything that could go wrong along the way. He added that one of his game plans includes befriend who he thinks is a traitor in order to keep them close and secure his place in the game, but admitted that he may find it difficult to not calling it out when he sees something suspicious.
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Hide AdKasim


- Age: 33
- Occupation: Doctor
- Location: Cambridge
Kasim has said that his game plan for the show will depend on whether he is selected as a traitor or a faithful - if a faithful, he will be “normal me”; if a traitor, then a “tactical under game” will be at play too. He has also said that he will take bits and pieces from contestant in the previous series such as Harry, Ross, Wilf and Amanda to put together the perfect game plan. The doctor has said that he can be “quite trusting”, but believe he is “quite good” at sniffing out a liar, adding: “Part of my job is picking stuff up, and that's often subtle cues.”
Keith


- Age: 65
- Occupation: Window Cleaner
- Location: Bournemouth
65-year-old Keith said his fascination with The Traitors began when watching the series with his wife, saying it reminded him of old episodes of detective classic Columbo, a show in which he always used to guess the murderer correctly! The window cleaner has said that if he wins, the money will go towards paying off his mortgage, but his success all rests on his plan to “stay behind, don’t go out too bold and just be very wary”. Keith is also hoping his black belt in Taekwondo will help to add money to the prize pot during the all important missions.
Leanne


- Age: 28
- Occupation: Veteran
- Location: Holywell North Wales
This blonde bombshell is hoping to cause some confusion in the game, by disguising her history in the armed forces. Leanne has said that she is planning on telling her fellow contestants that she is a nail technician at her sister-in-law’s salon. She is hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner Harry, who was also a solider, saying: “I feel like it would put me at a bit of a disadvantage to divulge my previous job because people are automatically going to assume anyone in the military is smart and strategic.”
Leon


- Age: 40
- Occupation: Retail store manager
- Location: East Midlands
Charismatic Gemini Leon has described himself as a “smiling assassin”. Hoping to use breaking stereotypes to his benefit, the 40-year-old has said that he is going into the castle with an “ever-evolving” game plan. Asked if he has a good poker face, Leon said: “I think I do, I’ve managed to keep going on the show a secret – I've even had to tell people I've gone off to Barbados! I think the fact that I've had this big secret inside of me and I’ve been able to keep it to myself, shows I do.”
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Hide AdLinda


- Age: 70
- Occupation: Retired opera singer
- Location Hertfordshire
She may be the oldest contestant this year, but retired opera singer Linda is hoping to put her life experience to work to reach the final, as well as playing into the “mother figure” troupe. Calling herself “pretty intuitive” when sniffing out a liar, Linda had also said that she can be ruthless, especially when money is on the line!
Lisa


- Age: 62
- Occupation: Anglican priest
- Location: Cornwall
She may look angelic, but Lisa admits that she won’t be opposed to throwing her fellow contestants under the bus if chosen as a traitor. On the flip side, if she is chosen as a faithful, she will try to take in as much information as possible, as well as quietly taking notes, watching and listening in on any suspicious behaviour.
Id she walks away with the cash prize, Lisa will use the money to convert an old vestry in her church into a new community space. While the money isn’t the be all and end all of her experience, she said: “It would be lovely to win the money because I know that I could do some really positive things with it. But if I don't win the money, I'm not going to be heartbroken.”
Olivia (Livi)


- Age: 26
- Occupation: Beautician and model
- Location: Horsham
After being encouraged to apply to the show by her mum, model and beautician Olivia has said that she wants to be made a faithful, saying: “I used to think I'd be amazing as a Traitor, but I've thought about it and I'm actually an honest person. I think if I lie, nothing good will happen for me, so I always avoid lying.”
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Hide AdLivi will be aiming to avoid getting involved with any drama, or becoming the ringleader of the group. She added: “If I suspect a Traitor, I'd be sneaky and make friends with them and get on their good side, they’ll think that I'm naive and want to take me to the end, then when I get right to the end, I can let loose! I think when players suspect things or people and start telling everybody, they're murdered in the next few days.”
Maia


- Age: 25
- Occupation: Full-time mum
- Location: Essex
Describing herself as a “happy, positive, bubbly person”, Maia is hoping that her easygoing attitude and approachable demeanour will keep her fellow contestants on side throughout the game. However, she has said that while she plans to “act dumb”, she can’t go too far, saying: “If you’re too dumb they're wondering what's the purpose of you being here!”
The 25-year-old mother plans to use the winnings to put a deposit down on a house, but whether it be via a Traitor or Faithful route, will do whatever necessary to reach her goal.
Minah


- Age: 29
- Occupation: Call centre manager
- Location: Liverpool
29-year-old Minah is hoping to emulate series two winner and traitor Harry throughout her time in the game. She said: “In this game I will cheer everyone on in the Missions to get them done and to get the money. Secretly you're thinking, I need this lot to work hard to earn my money that I'm going to take at the end!”
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Hide AdShe describes herself as “naturally very competitive” adding that she would “do anything” to win. Minah is also adamant that she won’t be pulled into the mob mentality seen in previous season around the roundtable, saying: “I get so angry in the first couple of episodes of all Traitors series, as it happens all the time, and everyone votes for the same person. It's like, why don’t you think for yourself, it's a little bit lazy, and I think that's playing it safe.”
Nathan


- Age: 39
- Occupation: Property consultant
- Location: London
Nathan is hoping to bring “chaos” to the game, saying that he has “no qualms in lying to someone’s face or getting where I need to get to because I know it’s a game”. The London property consultant will be laying out a strategic game, whether he is a faithful or traitor. Key to this will be knowing when to speak, with the self-confessed board game cheat saying: “I’ve always believed that those who speak first lose.”
Tyler


- Age: 29
- Occupation: Barber
- Location: Leicester
Barber Tyler is hoping that his experience of salon chat with his customers will work in his favour, knowing how to gain people’s trust quickly. He has said that he hopes t be faithful, but will “adapt” his game if he receives the tap on the shoulder from Claudia at the roundtable. If he wins, Tyler has aspiration of using his cash prize to buy and set up his own barbershop.
Yin


- Age: 34
- Occupation; Doctor of Communication
- Location: Berkshire
Who better than a communication scientist to take on the Traitors mystery? Yin is confident that her experience in the field will help her to identify the liars within the group, saying: “This is my specialty, and I am so obsessed with it that I have a PhD from Oxford in the subject. Analysing how information and emotion are transmitted between individuals and social groups gets me going like nothing else.”
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Hide AdNot only will she be sussing out her fellow contestants, but Yin has thought of every part of her game, including which rooms in the Traitors castle are good for having specific conversations, and which aren’t. She said: “I’m going to store this information in my head but also write it down once I’m on my own in the evenings. I have a notebook with my pregame thoughts already.”
The Traitors returns to screens on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on January 1.
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