It seems like an eternity since British audiences were glued to their TVs for season 2 of The Traitors, waiting to see what name poor Molly would write on her blackboard. Luckily, UK fans can fill the void slightly with season 2 of its US counterpart, which recently aired on BBC iPlayer.
Although the American version maintains the same extravagant editing style and glorious setting of Ardross Castle, Scotland, there is one major difference that influences the entire atmosphere of the game: the inclusion of famous contestants.
Season 1 of the reality TV show Peacock, hosted by the theatrical Alan Cumming (who slays in every outfit like his British counterpart Claudia Winkleman), split the contestants in two by placing some as “norms”, and the remains as primarily D-list. celebrities from reality shows such as Survivor, Below Deck and Big Brother.
Spoilers for The Traitors UK and US below
It was a strange choice to mix normal people with celebrities in the first place, because you automatically wanted to support those who need money compared to those who already had a certain level of fame and a comfortable lifestyle. You would also see some celebrities forming cliques, discussing their unique experiences, and often being suspicious of those outside of their golden circle.
The following season resolved this friction by simply making everyone a celebrity. Again, the group is largely made up of former reality TV contestants, but there are a few wild cards, like boxer Deontay Wilder and former Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow (yes, l man shouting “ORDEEEEER”).
But that still doesn’t solve the crux of the problem: Celebrities just aren’t hungry enough to play the game with their chests full.
They’re on the show to boost their personal brand or business, so they’re happy to make rash decisions that throw the game into chaos in a way you’d never see in the UK version. Take Kate from season 1 – she was so fed up with everyone that she started sacrificing the money in the pot, throwing barrels of money during a physically intense task. Only someone with money to spend would have this attitude.
Plus, many of them have already won money before playing. Season 2 contestant Janelle explains on Dan Gheesling’s podcast that producers had “deep pockets” which resulted in significant appearance fees for the actors rather than the allowance of around £100 a day that the contestants normal people receive while taking time off work.
There’s also a clash of egos in the group, with many contestants acting like they’re a global superstar like Taylor Swift, throwing their hair back and referencing their arcs on other shows as if every viewer was logging in just to watch them instead. than the game itself.
Don’t get me wrong, there are narcissists in the UK version too, but their confidence is mainly focused on their playing style rather than their appearance or past achievements. Take season 2’s villainous Paul for example: while he was certainly insufferable in claiming to be the “leader” of the traitors, his boasting was often backed up with believable schemes and lies by charming those around him (why they fell into the trap, I will never know).
It made his fall all the sweeter, and the players’ reactions when he revealed himself were so genuine and intense because they were about to change their lives. You would never see this in the American version.
The finalists also had compelling reasons to win – whether it was buying a home for their family, starting a charity for people with disabilities, or building a bright future for their children. It’s not something that’s focused on as much in the American version, because they’ll probably just spend money on superfluous things.
All of these things make me dubious about the British celebrity spin-off, which is scheduled to film next year.
We don’t yet know who the participants in this spin-off will be, but hopefully Studio Lambert will think about the types of people included in the American version and opt for a range of people from different industries, like sports figures, actors and journalists. When including mostly former reality TV stars, there’s little diversity in personality types in the house.
The strength of The Traitors UK comes from having people from all backgrounds – people of different ages, races, classes and people with disabilities. This is something that is often overlooked in more superficial shows like Love Island. I don’t want to see the British version lose that heart and soul.
The good news is that season 3 of The Traitors UK will arrive before that, so I expect it to match some of the most iconic moments from previous episodes… but the bar is set very high with lines like ” farewell gift” and “but Ross is “forever etched in our minds”.
