Meet The Traitors season 3 contestants including ‘the next Diane’

Christmas TV has brought us a whole load of treats, from Wallace and Gromit to Gavin and Stacey’s final ever episode, but the time has come for the one show we’ve all been waiting for.

That’s right, The Traitors is back.

Claudia Winkleman’s murder mystery game show has returned for a third series, with a new batch of contestants.

Hidden among them are the Traitors, tasked with secretly ‘murdering’ the Faithful and manipulating their way to the prize pot.

If last year’s series is anything to go by, with Harry Clark proving to be the ultimate Traitor and winning £95,150, we’re expecting even more drama, tears, betrayals and Bafta-worthy moments.

When does The Traitors season 3 start?

Set your timers, The Traitors season 3 begins tonight on January 1.

The third season begins on New Year’s Day (Picture: Cody Burridge/BBC/Studio Lambert/PA Wire)

The first episode airs on New Year’s Day at 8pm, with another tomorrow, Thursday, at the same time.

On Friday, the third episode will air at 9pm, and will then continue the following Wednesday.

Let’s meet this year’s gameplayers, including one star who already looks to be the ultimate hun, and follow in the footsteps of season two icon Diane.

Alex

Alex is from Whitby (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Alex is a 29-year-old care manager from Whitby who applied to be on the gameshow for the ‘psychological warfare’.

Talking about what he’d bring to the game, he said: ‘I’m quite a funny, silly sort of character that people take at face value quite a lot. Some might assume silly equates to being stupid so, I’ve found that throughout my life, a lot of people have maybe overlooked me or underestimated me.

‘That sort of thing in the Traitors could possibly be weaponized almost. I observe a lot, I’m quite good at cataloguing things. I might appear to be just having fun, but I am taking everything in.’

Linda

Linda is a retired opera singer (Credits: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Linda is a 70-year-old retired opera singer from Hertfordshire who is set to follow in the footsteps of season two’s Diane.

‘I watched the two series, and I thought, do you know what? I think I could do that. And it was in a mad moment that I looked it up on the internet and saw there was a form to apply, and I thought, I’m just going to apply, let’s just see, never knowing that it would go this far,’ she said.

Linda added that she plans to use her age to her own advantage: ‘I’m older, obviously, so I’ve maybe got more experience. I think I’m quite good at convincing people of things that aren’t true!

‘And I think I’ve got quite a funny personality, so I’ll bring a bit of fun! Sometimes I can be a bit of an airhead too, so I might try and use that to my advantage!’

She explained her strategy further: ‘I do have a game plan, and that’s to be a little bit airheaded and to play on the being older, and also to be a mother figure. I’ve realised watching the previous series, you have to be prepared to be flexible and to change depending on the people who are around you.’

Alexander is also joining the team (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

38-year-old Alexander is a former British diplomat from London and has plenty of adventures already ticked off on his list, including 15 of London’s disused underground stations and visiting the world’s northernmost McDonald’s.

Admitting he’s ‘quite competitive’, he revealed his game plan is to ‘watch and wait’.

The former secondary school teacher said: ‘If there’s one thing my job teaches me it’s to listen and watch more than you talk, at least initially. And take a genuine interest in others and do your processing inside your head.’

Talking about his plans for the possible winnings, he revealed he plans to give some to The Royal Mencap Society after being a career for five years, and he’d like to buy a flat ‘because civil servant salaries are not as large as people think they are’.

Anna

Anna is from Wicklow (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Swimming teacher Anna is a 28-year-old from County Wicklow, Ireland, who ‘initially watched The Traitors by accident’ before binge-watching the whole thing in three days.

Talking about what she could bring to the game, she said: ‘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!’

Armani

Armani is a financial investigator (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Armani is a 27-year-old financial investigator from London who has had her game plan ready for a few months.

She revealed: ‘I will be planting seeds everywhere I go. You need to strike a fine balance between oversharing and then not sharing enough.

‘People get voted out at the Round Table or get killed off that are too quiet and equally for being too loud.’

She added: ‘I’m a very honest person which is why I’m a very good liar. I don’t see the point of lying but It’s very easy for me to lie, because I rarely do.

‘When I have lied I’ve gotten away with it because you wouldn’t even think to think that I’m lying. My poker face is a ten out of ten.’

Charlotte

Charlotte is a Business Director (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Business director Charlotte, 33, moved to London from Hampshire and is ready for the ‘money can’t buy’ experience of playing The Traitors.

She said: ‘I am the most competitive. I love playing games and having board game nights with friends. I get very into it and will always play to win. I don’t mind losing so long as everyone is trying their best.

‘That’s what I love the most about the idea of playing The Traitors. We will be playing an incredible game where everyone is following the rules and everyone is trying to win.’

Dan

Dan is from Liverpool (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Dan is a 33-year-old bank risk manager from Liverpool who has ‘always loved the opportunity to see how people manipulate and deceive in different types of games’.

‘I think I’ll bring a different way of thinking to the game because I don’t tend to follow group thinking a lot of the time, I’m quite steadfast in my own opinions. So, I’ll be able to form my own decisions without being influenced too much by other people,’ he said.

‘My autism means that I’m not too bothered about conforming too much, or about making people feel good.

‘I’ll be quite honest with what I say and sometimes that can make me an outcast. But I also think it will bring me some fans as well, and some supporters in the team.

‘So, there’s that and then there’s also a heightened level of strategy that I think I will bring to the game as well, do things in the game that maybe haven’t been done before, or approach problems in a different kind of way.’

Elen

Elen is from Cardiff (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Elen is a 24-year-old translator from Cardiff who thinks she’s going to be ‘really good at the game’.

As well as being ‘active’ and good at ‘riddles’, Elen said she is ‘very competitive, very strategic,’ and ‘can be manipulative’.

She went on: ‘I’d like to think I will do whatever it takes. I’m so competitive and I want this so much. I really want that money.

‘However, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m very emotional. I love people deeply. I don’t know what kind of friendships or bonds I’m going to make in there. If I really love the people, it’s going to be hard.

‘Then again, they might be awful. So, it depends. To be honest, I’m intrigued either way.’

Fozia

Fozia is a Community Development Manager (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Fozia is a 50-year-old Community Development Manager from Birmingham who said that being on the show was on her ‘bucket list’.

She admitted she’s hoping to be a ‘Faithful’ and also is good at sniffing out a rat.

‘I’ll go in and make friends, and make sure that I can be trusted, I’d be myself, talk about stuff outside of work, show some level of compassion, you know, I want them to see the real me.

‘But at the same time, I want to be strategic about it because you can’t trust anyone. I am going to be careful about what I share and don’t share. And normally I can smell a rat.’

Francesca

Francesca (Credits: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Francesca is a 44-year-old Interior Designer from East Sussex who joined the show to show her sons that ‘anything is possible.’

‘I’m very straight-talking as well. I’m not a natural liar. I normally say how it is, and if I have an opinion on something, I will say it.’

Francesca revealed that she has been trained as an actress and is actually lying to her sons about where she is while on the show.

‘I’m lying to my kids about what I’m doing, because they don’t know the reason I’m going away. I’ve made up this very elaborate lie and it just gets worse and worse,’ she said.

Freddie

Freddie is a Politics Student (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Freddie is the youngest contestant at just 20 years old. He is a Politics Student from Peterborough and said he has a ‘competitive, driven mindset.’

‘I think being a Traitor would be quite fun; I’m quite strategic, I’m quite calculated, I like thinking of moves and countermoves and thinking a few steps ahead of the game,’ he said.

When it comes to his strategy he said he plans to be ‘charming and charismatic’.

‘I think being young does help in the sense that I’m going to try to make the ladies want to look after me. I’m 20 but I’m still quite young at heart, quite a mummy’s boy. I think leaning on those tendencies to portray that could help.’

He also said he’s want to spend the money on his mother. ‘My mum has been a single parent since I was about five years old, she has three jobs and has always worked and hustled to make sure we’ve got a roof over our head and dinner on the table. She always puts me first, so I think it’s time for me to give back, pay off a bit of her debt, maybe take her on a holiday.’

Jack

Jack is 24 (now 25) (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Jack is a 24-year-old Market trader and landscaper from Yorkshire.

‘I have secretly trained as an actor. I moved to London when I was 18, moved away from Yorkshire and I didn’t really tell too many of my family and friends that that’s what I was going to do,’ he admitted.

‘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.’

He also admitted to wanting to play the game as a traitor, admitting he’d feel ‘sublime’ if made a traitor rather than a faithful.

Jake

Jake is from Barrow-in-Furness (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Jake is a 28-year-old Project Manager from Barrow-in-Furness.

‘I’m very highly opinionated,’ he admitted. ‘I would debate with a brick wall. I love to get my point across. Even if I’m halfway through an argument and I realise I’m in the wrong, I always still double down and think, I’ve gone this far now, I’ve got to prove myself, even though the writing is on the wall!’

He also thinks he should be well prepared for the missions. ‘I’ve played for the cerebral palsy England football team so I’m quite a physically fit person, so I feel like I’ll be quite good at the Missions.’

When it comes to game playing he plans to use his acting chops. ‘I’ve always thought I’ve been able to turn my emotions on and off quite well. I don’t know if it’s because I used to do drama when I was younger and I was quite good at it, but I feel like I’m quite good at getting in and out of character.’

Joe

Joe is (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Joe is a 37 year old English teacher from Southampton, originally hailing from Yorkshire.

‘Because I’m a teacher, my life is based around planning. I have to plan for every moment, every possible question, everything that could go wrong. So, I think I’m already going to be in that mode, and I think it will be helpful. I think I’ll be more tactical with things.

‘I think I’ll read between the lines, I won’t listen to just what’s being said, I’ll think about what’s not being said.’

Joe said he plans to keep a low profile and listen intently to what people are saying. ‘People like talking about themselves so divert the topic so that they’re chatting about themselves and not you – I think that’s good. Ask a lot of questions but not intrusive questions. ‘

Kasim

Kasim is a Doctor (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Kasim is a 33-year-old doctor from Cambridge who also applied for the second series of the show.

‘I’ve got rough ideas of little things that I’d like to try if I can. It all depends on whether I’m a Faithful or a Traitor, and what the other people are like. I think that’s the key thing.

‘Finding the right people around you and see who can and can’t be pulled in whatever direction, depending on what my aims are.’

Kasim also claims to be good as spotting a liar: ‘I can be quite trusting but I’m often aware of when someone is trying to play the game against me, so I like to think I’m quite good.

‘Part of my job is picking stuff up, and that’s often subtle cues. ‘

Keith

Keith is from Bournemouth (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Keith is a 65-year-old window cleaner from Bournemouth.

‘I’m a little bit of a comedian and so when I’m talking people always smile. I’ve got that persona, I don’t know what it is, it’s just something I’ve always had. I’ve always been the clown of the family. I get on with people from every walk of life, all ages, all religions, it just comes naturally to me!’

He added: ‘The game plan is to stay behind, don’t go out too bold and just be very wary. You also need to get to know everybody, that’s the most important part but don’t trust anyone!’

The 65-yearold has a black belt in Taekwondo which he believes will help him in the game.

‘Because of my Taekwondo I am good at keeping two plates spinning at one time, focusing my mind.’

Leanne

Leanne is a veteran (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Leanne is a 28-year-old veteran from Holywell North Wales.

‘I remember watching series one when I was pregnant with my partner, Sophie, and she said to me, oh, you’d be so good at this, because I tend to get away with a lot,’ she admitted.

Leanne plans to be her enthusiastic self, but will lie about her career while in the castle.

‘I just think, if I can be my enthusiastic self, it can just try and make that situation a little bit brighter for everyone else as well. Hopefully. I’m actually lying about my job in there as well, so I’m not telling anyone I was a soldier.  

‘I’m going to say I’m a nail technician, and I work in the salon that’s down the road from my house.

She then added: ‘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

Leon is from the East Midlands (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Leon is a 40-year-old Retail Store Manager from the East Midlands.

‘I think I’m quite charismatic. I’m a Gemini, so I can be like a smiling assassin! I think that I’m very bubbly, and I get along with everybody,’ he said.

Leon admitted that he is super competitive and would like to be selected as a traitor when playing the game.

‘I do feel like I’m ready for whatever the journey is. Don’t get me wrong, my ultimate feeling is that I want to be a Traitor, but I think the perfect experience in this game would probably be to be a Faithful and then be recruited and turned into a Traitor – because then you’re getting both sides.’

Lisa

Lisa is an Anglican priest (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Lisa, 62, is an Anglican priest from Cornwall who loves a murder mystery and a good puzzle.

‘I’ve had to reflect on quite a lot, about going on a programme like The Traitors where deception and lying is part of the game and how does that sit with being a priest? It doesn’t exactly speak of the values that we uphold as a priest. But this is a game,’ she said.

Although she’d prefer to be a faithful, Lisa isn’t afraid to get competitive.

‘I’m quite measured. I’m quite happy to – I hate this expression – throw people under the bus. But if it’s a game, and you’re playing to win, if someone is in competition with you, then you have to do whatever it takes to neutralise the competition,’ she said.

Olivia (Livi)

Livi is from Horsham (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Livi is a 26-year-old Beautician and Model from Horsham.

She says she’s going on the show to prove to herself and her young son that she’s a fighter.

‘I’m a fighter, I’ve been through a lot in life, I had my eye removed at 14 and at the time I didn’t cope with it very well. When I had my eye removed, I had to adjust to a whole way of living. At the age of 14 all my friends were experiencing being a teenager and growing into adulthood, and I was starting chemotherapy. 

I”ve always just got on with it, I’ve never dwelled on it, and I’ve adjusted to my new life. I think that comes with everything now, I never give up, I always push and I want to succeed. I’ve got a baby boy now, and I’ve never been away from him. He’s 15 months old, so I wouldn’t be going into The Traitors if it wasn’t important to me, I’m doing it for him.’

Maia

Maia is from Essex (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Maia is a 25-year-old full-time mum from Essex who applied to the show because she’s a ‘natural liar’.

‘Growing up, I was a natural liar. And then I stopped lying, because my family said it was getting really bad. I would always blame my sisters. So, I went the opposite way and I got really, really blunt instead. And it was blunt on the borderline of being rude. So, I’ve had to learn how to assess what’s good to say, what’s not good to say. Now I’m kind of excited to be able to lie again, if I’m being honest!’

Maia also admitted that her game plan is to act dumb. ‘My game plan is to act dumb, but not too dumb. If you’re too dumb they’re wondering what’s the purpose of you being here! I can’t just sit on that Round Table and not have an opinion.

‘I have to twist everything to make it seem like I’m really, really upset. And I’ve done that a lot in my life.’

Minah

Minah is from Liverpool (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Minah, 29, is a Call Centre Manager from Liverpool.

She said she’s competitive which should help her in the series. ‘I’m naturally very competitive and because I always want to win, I’d do anything.

‘But I also like to be honest with people and I think I’d struggle betraying people I’d become close to. I think in the back of my mind though I’d think I’m doing this for my family and that trumps any of the friendships I might possibly make,’ she said.

She also revealed that if she wins, she plans to spend the money on a honeymoon with her husband.

Nathan

Nathan is a Property Consultant (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Nathan, 39, is a Property Consultant from London who said he’s keen to bring ‘chaos’ to the show.

‘I’ve got no qualms in lying to someone’s face or getting where I need to get to because I know it’s a game. You just have to play the game and I’m not going to take it personally if people want to accuse me.

‘I’ve got to be quite strategic, but I think I will be planting a lot of seeds and spreading a bit of gossip because I quite enjoy it. I just think it’s fun. I’d rather go out with a bang and be the guy that was planting seeds and just causing havoc.  

‘We’ve all come here to win money, and I know it’s going to be so much harder than it looks on TV, but I can’t wait.’

Tyler

Tyler is from Leicester (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Tyler is a 29-year-old barber from Leicester, who thinks his job will help him weed out the liars.

‘In my job, I come across different people every single day and I’ve become good at reading people. I know when someone is lying.’

Although he’d like to be a faithful, he’s ready to adapt if selected as a traitor.

‘It wouldn’t feel very nice getting rid of whoever’s in there if we’ve become friends and I’ve got to get rid of them. I’d have to keep thinking that they’d do the same. We all want to go in there and win it. And if you need to do something as a Traitor, that’s just what you’ve got to do.’

Yin

Yin is from Berkshire (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)

Yin is a 34-year-old Doctor of Communication from Berkshire.

She believes that he background as a communication scientist will help her thrive in the competition and she’d love to be selected as a traitor.

‘I believe that there is no such thing as a lie. It’s just a good story. It’s good fiction. And so to win this game, you just have to tell the best story. And if you’re a Traitor, you’ve got to even fool yourself with the fictional world that you’ve created.

‘It’s not a lie. It’s just fiction. I’ve been crafting stories since I was able to physically write on paper. I would relish the opportunity to practise this craft in the high-stakes context of a game that is all about trust and sabotage!’

The Traitors airs tonight at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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