The Traitors behind-the-scenes secrets: filming till 3am; on-site therapist; alcohol limit
Everything is not as it seemsThe Traitors has quickly become one of the most-talked-about TV shows of recent years. But while viewers see plenty of drama on screen, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that never makes the final edit.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the latest civilian series kicked off on January 1, bringing a fresh group of Faithfuls and Traitors to the famous castle. With its twists, betrayals and endless mind games, it’s already looking like it’ll be a treat!
And while each 60-minute episode is packed with suspicion and shocks, former contestants and producers have since lifted the lid on some of the show’s biggest behind-the-scenes secrets. From strict rules to emotional breakdowns, here’s what really happens when the cameras aren’t rolling…
‘Stale’ breakfasts
With all the tension at breakfast, it’s easy to overlook the impressive spread laid out on the table.
But according to former contestant Zack Davies, appearances can be deceiving.
Speaking to Betway, he explained: “If you’re first in, you get a lovely spread of food that’s just been prepared and laid out. But if you’re last, it’s usually stale pieces of bread or whatever’s left, like cold smoked salmon. By the end, it’s never quite the same.”
He’s not the only one to mention it. Ivan Brett also claimed in an X post that the breakfast is “dry and not very nice” — and as a former Faithful, we’re inclined to take his word for it.
There’s another twist too. John McManus revealed that the breakfast shown on TV isn’t actually the contestants’ main meal of the morning. Speaking to The Sun, he said they’re served an initial breakfast privately in their rooms before heading down to the famous table.
A two-drink limit
Despite the lavish surroundings, contestants are kept on a tight leash when it comes to alcohol.
Wilf Webster told Heatworld there’s a strict two-drink limit — although even that isn’t guaranteed.
“They said two, but they [the drinks] always disappeared after one,” he said. “They don’t want us to mess up and get drunk and accidentally do something.”
Late-night filming
Filming days on The Traitors are long, and nights can stretch on into the early hours.
“I can’t really talk about it, but you basically leave the castle one by one,” Wilf explained. “I assume if they want to hold Traitors back for filming, they’ll leave it so no one else can see. Maybe film at 3am or something.”
Claudia Winkleman confirmed as much during an appearance on Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett’s Dish podcast.
Asked about filming times, she said: “Probably midnight because it gets dark incredibly late, so you’re filming really late.”
Contestants are on ‘lockdown’
During production, contestants are effectively cut off from the outside world.
Executive producer Mike Cotton told The Express: “They don’t have access to the internet or telephones. They can’t communicate with one another or the outside world in any way.”
Claudia also explained just how controlled the environment is. “The amazing thing about that castle is if you leave the castle, there are so many tributaries,” she said.
“So everybody is man-marked, they have somebody who is looking after them, and when they leave the castle, they don’t see each other until they arrive at breakfast.”
Producer Sarah Fay stressed why this is so important. “The whole integrity of the game relies on no one finding out who the Traitors are while we’re filming,” she said.
“When they come into the castle in the morning it’s like a military operation — and the same when they leave.”
Contestants don’t sleep in the castle
Despite what viewers might assume, contestants don’t actually stay in the castle overnight.
Mike confirmed that “when [the contestants are] not at the castle, they’re on lockdown in individual lodgings”.
Jonathan Ross later revealed that the cast stayed in a hotel during filming.
“You wouldn’t usually stay there for more than a few nights at a time, I guess, so all of us found it towards the end a bit claustrophobic,” he admitted.
“You don’t even have a phone in the room. When you want to order food, or you want to talk to someone about something, you can stick a laminate under the door.”
Emotions run high
With trust constantly under threat, emotions can quickly boil over.
Zack claimed that when he told fellow contestant Paul Gorton he was considering voting for him as a Traitor, things took an emotional turn.
“When we were walking into the round tables, he was staring at me the entire time, mouthing: ‘It’s not me, it’s not me,’” he said. “It’s such a high-pressure environment.”
To cope, many contestants kept secret notes. “Everyone had these crazy books covered in scribbles,” Zack said. “Mine was totally random, no method or reasoning, just complete rambles.”
There were tears, too. Zack recalled how “Harry [Clark] had to go outside once for a cry when he voted for Johnny [Holloway]”.
Wilf also admitted the experience got to him, telling Digital Spy that Claudia helped him through the hardest moments.
“She was really comforting during the times that I struggled,” he said. “There were parts where I didn’t want to do it anymore.”
“You see it in an episode, where she comes in and asks: ‘Why did you do that?’ and it was literally like someone stabbing me in the heart when she said that, and I just broke down, and she was so supportive at that point.”
Psychological safety
Given the intensity of the game, welfare support is always on hand.
“It’s an ongoing cycle every single day,” Mike explained. “We have a psychologist on hand doing regular check-ins and a team watching everything that’s filmed. Any concerns, they step in.”
Celebrity Traitors star Paloma Faith also told The Sun she regularly visited the welfare team. “It is not on camera – I went to see them all the time. Yeah it was a therapist,” she said.
“I definitely learned some things about myself that I thought I had moved on from, from my childhood and everything.
“I guess it is a game of trust, isn’t it? So it is quite unsettling when you feel like everyone you know might not be as trustworthy as they seem.”
How much is everyone paid?
While civilian contestants compete for a prize pot of up to £120,000, they’re not technically paid a salary.
Former contestant Aran Evans explained in a YouTube Q&A: “They don’t technically pay you, they subsidise what you would have got for work with the show, it’s roughly like £100 a day. It’s not that much… But it’s definitely worth it.”
Celebrity contestants, however, are paid a flat £40,000, with the chance to win up to £100,000 for their chosen charity.
As for Claudia, she has previously been paid a seven-figure total for her work on both Strictly and The Traitors.
Read more: Celebrity Traitors season 2 confirmed as Claudia Winkleman’s future on the show revealed
