{"id":346469,"date":"2026-01-01T14:10:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T14:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/346469\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T14:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T14:10:10","slug":"crime-writer-retired-detective-and-psychologist-among-new-traitors-contestants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/346469\/","title":{"rendered":"Crime writer, retired detective and psychologist among new Traitors contestants"},"content":{"rendered":"

A best-selling crime writer, a retired police detective and a psychologist are among the contestants on the new series of The Traitors.<\/p>\n

They will be joined by a barrister, a poker-playing gardener, a cyber security consultant, a civil servant, a builder and a personal trainer as a new batch of faithfuls try to weed out the murderous traitors in the eagerly anticipated fourth series of the BBC juggernaut.<\/p>\n

Some 22 civilians will convene in a castle in the Scottish Highlands under the watchful eye of host Claudia Winkleman, just months after the success of the first celebrity spin-off, which was won by comedian Alan Carr.<\/p>\n

Crime writer and former barrister Harriet Tyce, 52, is among the line-up for the new series and said she thinks her career has prepared her for her stint on the show.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cI spend my life making up horrible ways for people to die and killing people on the page.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea that I might get to actually plot to kill people or to track down a murderer, but, you know, without actual blood being shed, it\u2019s the closest that I\u2019d get to that experience in real life. So quite honestly, what\u2019s not to like?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AuthorBBC\/Studio Lambert\/Cody Burridge\/Matt BurlemAuthor Harriet Tyce is on the show. BBC\/Studio Lambert\/Cody Burridge\/Matt Burlem<\/p>\n

The writer, whose novels include A Lesson In Cruelty, Blood Orange and It Ends At Midnight, added: \u201cI write books which are all about people not being who they seem, and The Traitors is like the quintessence of people not being who they seem.<\/p>\n

\u201cI might bring an ability to see patterns in people\u2019s behaviour.<\/p>\n

\u201cI might be good because of my criminal barrister training at picking up on inconsistencies in what people say. I mean, I\u2019m really good at putting clues together, but I say all of this and I could collapse into a puddle of angst and it might be a complete disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tyce added she is going to \u201cplay down\u201d her professional background to her fellow contestants, saying: \u201cI think what I\u2019m going to try and do is dial up the housewife, mother side of myself that\u2019s quite lovable.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can bake cakes. I cook. I look after my family. I\u2019ve got a lovely golden retriever and a lovely labradoodle.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of these things are completely true. But there is also another side to me, so I think the juxtaposition of being nice and then hiding the more cut-throat part of me is the big strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to be dishonest. I\u2019m just going to play it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also on the line-up is retired police detective Amanda, 57, from Brighton, who will also utilise her professional skills.<\/p>\n

\"AmandaBBC\/Studio Lambert\/Cody Burridge\/Matt BurlemAmanda is a retired police detective. BBC\/Studio Lambert\/Cody Burridge\/Matt Burlem<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cI\u2019ve done lots of interviews with criminals and victims. You have to put the pieces together to find the truth and see through the lies.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be a traitor, you have to be good at lying, have a good poker face and be a master of deflection to prevent you being identified.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learned a lot about being deceptive, devious and cunning.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the other side of the coin, I am a good person, and I became a police officer to help people.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be nice and calm, even when there\u2019s a big storm around you. I\u2019d bring all these skills into the game, whichever role I am assigned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Psychologist Ellie, 33, said she plans to keep her job a secret, adding: \u201cI think I might be the first psychologist on the show, so I\u2019m hoping I can bring that psychological perspective.<\/p>\n

\"EllieBBC\/Studio Lambert\/Cody Burridge\/Matt BurlemEllie is a psychologist. BBC\/Studio Lambert\/Cody Burridge\/Matt Burlem<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to be analysing what other contestants are doing and trying to think through what their motivations are for behaving in certain ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cI\u2019m hoping to be a traitor, but I think it\u2019s absolutely about trying to form bonds with people early on, because we know that voting around the round table isn\u2019t just about who\u2019s suspicious, it\u2019s also about the bonds that you\u2019ve made with people.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s kind of the plan, to try and befriend everyone and see how that goes. I am also going to be hiding my occupation as I don\u2019t want people to make assumptions about me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Traitors launches on January 1 at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.<\/p>\n

STV News is now on WhatsApp<\/p>\n

Get all the latest news from around the country<\/p>\n

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Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country<\/p>\n

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