The Traitors faked scenes from 'nighttime murder hour' to second breakfast

26 January 2024 , 19:15

1314     0

Claudia Winkleman fronts reality gameshow The Traitors (Image: BBC/Studio Lambert/Llara Plaza)

The Traitors is the ultimate reality game of treachery - so it's no surprise there are some deceptive scenes in the hit BBC series.

The award-winning show comes to a dramatic close this evening as Traitors Harry Clark and Andrew Jenkins battle against the Faithfuls to take home the whopping prize pot. But as they are forced to lie to their fellow players in a bid to get their hands on the winnings, the bosses behind the show have also been tricking viewers sitting at home.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding the show's set-up - from where the cast sleeps at night to how many drinks they're allocated after the exhausting Round Table. Here, we take a look at some parts of the show where not all is as it seems on-screen...

Not-so glamorous hotel

The reality TV series - which is based on the Netherlands' De Verraders - is located at a castle in Scotland, with the contestants taking part in challenges on the estate too. The show is filmed at Ardross Castle, located just north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The 19th-century castle is set within more than 100 acres of parkland.

Ardross Castle (BBC/Studio Lambert/LLARA PLAZA)

While nearly all of the filming takes place in and around the beautiful castle grounds, where the players sleep is far less glamorous. In the series, we see black Land Rovers pull up outside the castle at nighttime to escort them to their sleeping quarters, where they await their fate.

EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness

However it is never shown where they actually go. It turns out that contestants stay overnight in a hotel right next to the runway at Inverness Airport. Alan, who hosts the US version that is filmed in the same Scottish Highlands, revealed to the Daily Beast that players do not get to rest their heads within the walls of the castle.

"Spoiler alert: None of us stayed in the castle," he said. Alan continued: "None of us. [The contestants] all stayed in the airport hotel in the Inverness Airport. How glamorous - you come to Scotland, and you stay in the Inverness airport hotel."

Fans of the show were gobsmacked by the revelation and took to site X (formerly Twitter) to share their reactions. "Omg, I always imagined they all stayed in individual little cottages on the castle estate somewhere - this is way less romantic than I thought," one person said.

Last year's contestant Maddy Smedley also revealed the contestants don't live in the castle, but travel around 30 minutes to their hotel accommodation. She said they are given "a different driver each night" to drive them there and back.

Secret breakfast

The buffet breakfast is a pivotal moment for every episode, with players nervously walking into the room to see who has survived the night. While some players tuck into the buffet, others seem too nervous to eat - or maybe they're just not hungry because they actually ate earlier.

Last year's star John McManus told The Sun they "get breakfast served in our rooms in the hotel, before the on-screen breakfast!" So, it's all part of the show.

Players tuck into a buffet after their first breakfast at the hotel (Traitors)

John also lifted the lid on the way filming and eating works in the evening. While it might seem that the players get to relax the evening away, there is a strict rule when it comes to how much alcohol they can drink.

The Scottish spa therapist shared: "When we come from the Round Table, we go into the bar and have a drink - we're allowed a maximum of two - and all that's real. There's security, your food's brought to your room, and the welfare team are brilliant, knocking on your door regularly to check you're okay, but there's none of this mixing or hanging about."

Awkward bath scenes

We've seen Charlotte and Andrew take relaxing bubble baths, whilst Diane treated us to her regime of lunges - these are the peculiar filler scenes that are shown as the Traitors discuss who to kill off next. However it isn't of course live footage of the players awaiting their fate in their rooms.

Wilf has lifted the lid on the filler scenes used when Traitors discuss their next kill (BBC)

They're filmed separately and are used to give viewers something interesting to consider as the Traitors plot their next moves from the castle turret. Season one finalist Wilf Webster was never asked to do one, indicating that only those who leave the show earlier on get the chance to have some shots made.

Bird charity banned from Twitter for repeatedly posting woodcock photos

When asked by Mirror video journalist Sam Teesdale about whether he had the choice on what to do for the scenes, he said: "I didn't do one. I don't know when they do them, maybe when they've been murdered or banished? I don't know.

"But I didn't actually film a cut-shot. I don't remember being asked to or being pulled out to do it." Laughing, Wilf added: "They did definitely have them in season one, they had Amos in the shower." He then speculated: "I'm not sure if when you get banished, they ask you to do a video for whatever. But I don't actually remember filming one."

Murdering hour

Last series' contestant John also revealed how the Faithfuls are not actually 'killed off' during the middle of the night, as the show makes out in it's 'murdering hour' when it's dark outside. Instead, it's the following morning. He said: "Everybody goes to the castle at the same time in different jeeps and then you're all put into separate holding rooms. It's like a Big Brother diary room with the letter sat on the chair in front of you, and it just says, 'The Traitors have murdered you'."

So this scene actually takes place just before the buffet breakfast, according to the player. The Traitors looks like a pretty intense, back-to-back filming schedule, but contestants do get some downtime in between the madness.

Last year's winner Meryl Williams told the Metro cameras are recording all day from Monday to Saturday but Sundays are filming-free. "So when it came to Sunday, you literally slept the whole day," she said. "Like I literally woke up at 12pm. I'd chill for a little bit and watch movies and stuff in the room. And then I literally went back to sleep at like 3pm and then I woke up again for dinner and then I went back to sleep."

Nia Dalton