Ash
Age: 45
Job title: Events Coordinator
Location: London

Why did you apply to be on The Traitors?

I was looking for an adventure. I’ve spent my life moving around, moving cities, moving countries, doing different things but lately I’ve been in the same place kind of doing the same thing. I’m happy where I am, I’m happy with the way my life is but I do need a little bit of an adventure.

What did you think of the first series?

I absolutely loved it. I’m familiar with the game a little bit, based on a board game that I’ve played before, so it was even more exciting watching it. Last Christmas, I had friends visiting and we ended up watching it twice because we loved it that much.

Was there anyone’s game plan you admired?

Obviously, Amanda. I think she was doing so well. I really, really thought that she was going to get to that final, but she just got unlucky. I think she should have allowed a little bit more scrutiny on her earlier, I think that could have helped her but I thought she was brilliant. I also thought Hannah was brilliant, but she was so determined that Wilfred was not a Traitor!

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

I hope I’m going to be different. I’m quite an adaptable, resilient person because of everything that I’ve done, everywhere I’ve been, and all the people that I’ve met. I think I’ll be really good at keeping my composure. Even in my day job, I’ve worked in some very stressful situations. We quite often get called “The Swans” because on the outside, we look calm but underneath the water is another story.

Do you have a game plan?

This is going to sound weird, but I think the best way for me to win is to be a Traitor. I know being a Traitor means you’re lying but my strategy will be to tell the truth – because the best lies come from truth. I’m going to be honest about the kind of person that I am. I think if I can just stay with that baseline, I could probably get quite far… I hope.

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

I’m going to be quite happy. It’s not about wanting to be deceitful and wanting to lie to people. To me, it’s that I want to play this game and I want to win. The best chance I have to win this game is to be a Traitor. I think it’s important for me to build really strong alliances with my fellow Traitors, because there’s strength in numbers. If we can have a good game plan with each other, that will be the way forward.

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

I think so. Yes, definitely. When I need to have!

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

It’s a game, and if I need to wipe the floor with you to win, then that’s exactly what I’ll do. That sounds so horrible! I don’t mean to be horrible, but you know, it’s a game and I’m playing to win.

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

Generally speaking, I can be quite good at sussing people out because I do trust my instincts. I think my experience of working in public facing jobs for 20 plus years, moving around and meeting so many people, you do get to learn little things. I may not be able to necessarily articulate them, but I know I can pick out certain behaviours. I do know that I’m probably going to be quite vocal, which might put me in the spotlight. I think if I can figure out who the Traitors are, I would make them think that I’m on their side because they’re more likely to keep you around if they think you’re an ally. Rather than pick them out and throw them under the bus straightaway.

How good are you at spotting a liar?

I’m quite good at spotting people I don’t trust, it could be about someone’s energy. Human beings do things without realising they’re doing them. Micro expressions and little physical behaviours. It’s easier to see other people’s faces than it is to see your own, right? But I’m quite good at keeping that poker face. So, I know I’d be ok… I think. I do want to make friends with people, but not because of the game, because I genuinely love people. I hope that translates. As human beings we’re really good at subconsciously picking up things that people say and do. I think because of my genuine love of people, my genuine love of wanting to make friends and being close to people, will work in my favour.

If you are a Faithful, what qualities do you think you’re going to need to make it through to the final?

I’m going to need to be really good at missions. If you don’t earn that money people don’t want you around. I’m probably better at the mental agility than I am the physical but even then, with the physical as long as you’re seen to be trying your best, that’s it.

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

It’s interesting, I’m really scared because I don’t know what to expect. I’m really nervous about that. As a Traitor or as a Faithful, those nerves will show and hopefully they’ll come across as “Oh, hey guys, I’m a Faithful, I’m one of you.”

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

This is really boring, but I’m getting old, and I live in London. This is my home, I’m never going anywhere, I’m never moving out of Walthamstow. This would literally be my only chance to get on to that property ladder. I don’t have what a lot of people have, I don’t have family to fall back on, I don’t have anybody to give me anything. I don’t have anything to inherit. I don’t want to be renting when I’m 60 years old, renting with housemates… although that would still be kind of fun. I’d also like to help my mum sort out her house out.

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.