Diane
Age: 63
Job title: Retired Teacher
Location: Lancashire

Why did you apply to be on The Traitors?

Mainly because my children said I could never do something like this! We started watching series one together and l just loved the idea of the challenge. I thought it would be great to have a go and see if I could do it.

What did you think of series one?

To be honest, I applied after only watching one and a half episodes! I didn’t want to keep watching in case it put me off. My son put me in for a Tough Mudder once, we were raising money for Alzheimer’s because we had lost my dad suddenly. I just kept googling it and ended up getting myself so worked up that I didn’t sleep the night before! Even so, when I did it, I ended up loving it and I was buzzing for a good week. I have ended up watching series one now because I was just completely hooked. I loved it and luckily, I want to try it even more now.

Was there anyone’s game plan you admired?

In terms of game plans that I admired, that’s tough. I couldn’t believe that Wilfred managed to stab all his mates in the back, I don’t know if I could do that! But I think the bottom-line is you can’t get too close to anyone as you’re going to have to turn on them. I used to work in a PRU (Pupil Referral Unit) and I taught some very difficult kids. I learnt there to maintain some level of distance because they could act out. So, I’d like to see if I could use this. You have to remember that it is just a game. Lots of people cried last year but I’m hoping I can go without.

Do you think you’ll be good at the missions and what strengths do you think you might bring to them?

Yes, hopefully. I’m physically active because I do a lot of running. Some of the missions from series one I thought I’d be quite good at, like the laser mission. I have a group that I do lots of outdoorsy stuff with and I challenge myself quite regularly. But if we have to do anything like the bridge mission, that will put the fear of God in me! I sort of have the mindset of “If someone else can do it then I’ll have a go.”

What do you think you’ll bring to the game?

Humour, I hope, and I’m very good at motivating. I’ve discovered over the years that I can either raise an atmosphere or bring it down. I’m hoping I’ll be motivating and energising for people. Those are my best qualities.

Do you have a game plan?

No, not really. Last series, the players used anything they could find against each other, like when Maddy mentioned she was an actress. I thought that was a rubbish reason to get rid of her because it was so obvious that she was a Faithful, but they stuck with it.

If you are a Traitor, how do you think you’ll feel?

Awful! To be honest, I think the Traitors have a better chance of getting further. If I did end up being one, I don’t think I’d be very good, I think I’d be very obvious. I’d just have to get on with it. Also, as a Faithful when you have to banish someone that you’re friends with, you’d feel bad, but I think you’d almost feel less bad doing that as a Traitor.

Would you say you’ve got a good poker face?

Not hugely, I think I would blush. I thought that last series the most obvious tell was their eye contact, but having said that, I thought Wilfred’s eye contact was horrendous and he kept his head down which I thought would’ve given him away, especially when he betrayed Alyssa. So, I’d have to make sure that my eye contact is not suspicious.

If you are a Traitor, how far are you prepared to go to win the game?

I think if you take it on, you must be prepared to go the whole way, I’d like to think I could do it. Although there were people last series, like Andrea, that I would have struggled to get rid of. I totally admired her, she’d lost her partner, she was having a go and doing her best. I think I’d really struggle if it was someone I admired like that. You have to be very careful about who you get friendly with. I might find it hard, but I’d still like to say I’d be able to go the whole way. You’re put into this and you’ve nothing else in your life other than this game for potentially three weeks, it’ll be so easy to let it take over.

How good are you at spotting a liar?

I think I’m reasonably good. I won’t be telling anybody I’m good though! Just in case I’m completely wrong, that would be a bit embarrassing. Like series one, Hannah was so confident in Wilfred being a Faithful saying, “I could put my life on it” and she turned out to be wrong. So, I won’t be telling anyone if I’m good at spotting liars… just in case.

If you’re a Faithful, what do you think your game plan would be?

Just to be me. As a teacher at a PRU 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. I know from last series that Wilfred was saying he was going to bring people on side and try and cause ripples, but I won’t do anything like that.

If you win the prize money, what do you think you’ll spend it on?

I’ve not even thought about winning it to be honest. My house building work has doubled in budget so I’d have to say it would partially go on that. I would also love to take my children, and grandchildren, on a holiday. We haven’t seen much of each other this year so a nice holiday for us all would be great.

In this nail-biting psychological reality competition, Claudia Winkleman greets 22 strangers as they arrive at a beautiful castle in the Scottish Highlands to play the ultimate game of detection, backstabbing and trust, in the hope of winning up to £120,000.

But hidden amongst them are the Traitors whose job is to secretly murder a player every night, without getting caught.

It’s up to the others, the Faithfuls, to try to detect who the traitors are, and banish them from the game, before they become their next victim.

For the lucky ones who survive to the end, they have the chance of winning that life-changing cash. But if a Traitor remains undetected, they’ll steal all the money.

The Traitors returns on Wednesday 3 January from 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and episodes 2 and 3 will be available on iPlayer immediately after. The show will air on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.