04 January 2024 , 14:47
545
0
The Traitors has returned for its second series this week, with a new group of contestants competing for the chance to win a prize fund worth up to £120,000 in the game.
The BBC show - which is hosted by Claudia Winkleman - sees players take part in challenges on the Ardross Castle estate in Scotland. The new series launched on Wednesday evening, following the success of its debut back in 2022.
The contestants are split into Traitors and Faithfuls, with the secretly-assigned former group tasked with 'murdering' the others each night. The Faithful must work out who the Traitors are and banish them from the competition.
Diane Carson is among the contestants on the new series of the Traitors, which launched on the BBC earlier this week (Mark Mainz/Studio Lambert/BBC/PA Wire)Fans were introduced to the latest contestants on the opening episode of the second series, following the release of the line-up ahead of the launch. The group include a clairvoyant, a mental health manager and a model.
Among those taking part in the reality TV show is Diane Carson, 63. She's already proved popular among some fans on social media, with her having been described as "the main character" and "the one to watch" by some viewers.
Claudia Winkleman to host The Traitors series 2 as dramatic return confirmed
Family
Diane is understood to live with her husband in Lancashire. She's a parent and grandparent, having teased that she would spend some of the prize money on a family holiday. "We haven't seen much of each other this year so a nice holiday for us all would be great," she said about the idea.
It has been revealed that one of Diane's children is actor Kerr Logan, 35, who has been in shows like HBO's Game of Thrones and ITV's Victoria. He shared his connection to the contestant in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Her family includes actor Kerr Logan, who has been in shows like Game of Thrones (HBO)
She's also the mother-in-law of actor Sam Swainsbury (centre), who starred in sitcom Mum (BBC/Big Talk Productions/Adam Lawrence)Sharing a photo of the cast ahead of the new series' launch, Diane's son tweeted: "I'm not joking….. a family member of mine is in this photo and I've only just found out." Kerr later confirmed that Diane is his mother, writing alongside a photo of her: "My mother is on the traitors. My mother is on the traitors. My mother is on the traitors. She's bonkers. I'm scared."
Diane's daughter Lisa Swainsbury and her husband Sam Swainsbury, who is best known for his role on BBC sitcom Mum, have also addressed her involvement. Lisa teased: "I'm still shaking my head in disbelief whilst laughing hysterically at points. [...] She's crazy and I'm so proud of her."
The contestant wrote about surprising her family in a post on Instagram. She explained: "[My kids] said I could never manage a show like the Traitors because I would never be able to keep quiet and blend into the background."
She continued: "I was then flippantly sent an application link so I went for it. The whole aim was to surprise my family." Diane then added: "I naively thought they'd be watching TV and I'd pop up! Didn't consider the publicity beforehand. Equally, I didn't really consider that I'd be selected. It would have been enough to have shown my family my application!"
And there are often surprises in store on The Traitors, so it's possible that Diane could be joined by another relative in the game itself. The debut series notably saw contestants Alex Gray and Tom Elderfield secretly enter as a couple.
Career
Diane is a retired teacher and has spoken about her career whilst promoting the BBC show. Discussing the job, she commented in a press release: "I used to work in a PRU (Pupil Referral Unit) and I taught some very difficult kids."
Diane, who is competing on the second series of the Traitors, is a retired teacher (BBC)"I learnt there to maintain some level of distance because they could act out," she said. Teasing this could influence her approach on the show, Diane added: "I'd like to see if I could use this. You have to remember that it is just a game."
She also said that she has experience with "tactics" through work. She said about her time as a teacher: "I've had to use tactics to get control of a classroom. I'd use humour a lot, and you had to know when to pick your battles."
Claudia Winkleman shares weirdest complaints BBC gets over her fringe
Lifestyle
Diane teased on the opening episode of the show that she enjoys playing games with her family, which could be of benefit to her on The Traitors. She said: "My family are always playing games. We play board games of all descriptions."
The contestant has described herself as "physically active," adding that she does "a lot of running". And discussing her hobbies, she commented: "I have a group that I do lots of outdoorsy stuff with and I challenge myself quite regularly."
She's spoken about her life and career whilst promoting the reality TV show (BBC)She's spoken about having taken part in events in memory of loved ones. Discussing having once done the obstacle course Tough Mudder, she said: "We were raising money for Alzheimer's because we had lost my dad suddenly."
And in a post on an Instagram account for her, it's stated that she completed a 10k run in her late mother's memory for Remembrance Sunday last year. It was stated in the post that she had to pull out of the event the previous year due to the health of her mother, who passed away in 2022.