‘I was on The Traitors but played the game wrong – this how the Faithfuls can actually win’

King of Ardross Castle Alan Carr has left the building. Cat Burns has hung up her Traitors’ cloak. Tom Daley is at home ranting about the flabbergasted Kate Garraway. That means just one thing: the roundtable room is empty, and Claudia Winkleman is waiting for a new batch of players. 

As The Traitors arrives back on the BBC for season four today (1 January), a whole new group of strangers will be hoping to trick, lie and scheme their way to glory. Or, if they’re Faithfuls, they’ll just be praying they don’t get murdered in their sleep. 

Some may say that being a Traitor is the toughest role on The Traitors, hence the name, perhaps. But Zack Davies, Faithful player of season two in 2024, might have something to say about that. He made it all the way to seventh place before being brutally killed off. Oof.

We spoke to the player, via Betway, about what the Faithfuls need to do in order to win the game this season, the surprising reality of filming the mega hit show, and how future hopefuls can improve their chances of getting cast on season five.

PinkNews: Following on from The Celebrity Traitors – in which the Faithfuls failed for so long – what is the one mistake you think Faithfuls make in detecting a Traitor?

Zack Davies: People always overestimate their ability to catch the Traitors. Everyone does it. I went in thinking it would be really easy to figure out who it was. Watching from the audience, you think it must be so obvious. But what you don’t realise is how little there actually is to go on. It’s so hard to work out in the moment.

What do you believe is the main trait a Faithful needs in order to succeed on the show?

I think being really agreeable and likeable are probably the two most important traits to have. You don’t want to be controversial or get yourself dragged into arguments in other people’s groups. That’s a bad way to play, which, admittedly, is how I played it.

Then you look at someone like Evie (Morrison) from my season. She was very likeable, patient, and tolerant. She approached things with logic and calmness. That’s what makes a good Faithful, in my opinion. Of course, some Faithfuls just get blind lucky, like Jaz (Singh).

How would you advise players to maintain their friendships in the game, while also managing to play it correctly?

I think we were lucky as we were in the second season. In the first season, I think some people struggled to separate the game from real life. We didn’t really have that problem. After the show, everyone was still fine with each other. We even went away to this cabin in Doncaster, so the game and real life were clearly separated.

If you can’t separate the emotions of the game from reality, you probably shouldn’t be on the show. But the production team usually spots that early, which is why they have to make those tough, cutting decisions. And honestly, that’s part of what makes such great TV.

What was the one thing about how the show is filmed that surprised you the most?

It looks really fun, but a lot of the time you’re just sitting around waiting for something to happen. There’s only so much you can actually talk about the game, and you’re under strict instructions not to discuss it when they’re not filming.

We were doing basically 18-hour shoots every day, but only about half of that was actually under filming conditions where you could talk strategy and play the game. The rest of the time, you’re sitting with the production team, and you can maybe chat about people’s dogs and their families. You can’t really talk about anything game-wise, because the team will step in. You’re not allowed a phone either. Nothing that can connect to the internet.

For someone who wants to apply for season five – what one thing do they need to consider before doing so?

You’ve got to think about the things that make you unique, so your unique selling points. Mine were that I’m Jewish, I work in politics, and I’m a massive nerd. I really leaned into that in my application video, where I pretended I was watching Friends and then talked about my love of Liverpool, life, and video games.

Who are your top three celebrities you’d want to see on The Celebrity Traitorsseason two and why?

I didn’t actually watch the celebrity version. I know what happens, but I don’t really believe in the whole celebration of things. I don’t think we need celebrity versions of every show, honestly. Viewers want to watch normal people, and that’s one of the key merits of the show. You don’t need to mess with that by bringing in people with a bit more status. 

The Traitors returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 8pm on 1 January. 

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