The final of Series 3 of the reality show The Traitors saw an average audience of 7.4 million people tune into the ultimate game of truth deception. The savage twists, thrilling missions and exceptional players in the psychological game makes for tense viewing. Studio Insider sits down with Michael Harrison, who works on the show, to provide insight to working on the show that gets everyone talking.
“Working on The Traitors without a doubt is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had!”
Michael has worked on various television shows, such as The Traitors, Britain’s Got Talent, and Four in Bed, which he is currently working on.
“As far as reality TV goes, it’s (Traitors) got such a budget behind it, filming on location at a castle, it’s the closest you’re getting to Hogwarts, it’s absolutely fantastic!”
When working on the show, Michael was part of the casting team and so was trusted with keeping the secrets of the game closely guarded to his chest.
The secrets are a big part of the gameplay, and one slip of the tongue could spoil the whole show and ruin the whole series.
“I’m aware of who’s the traitors or who knows what about a secret mission for example, and they don’t. You’ve got to keep it so close-knit and you always have to be switched on after long days, both for me as crew and for them as players.”
Claims to fame:
When working on The Traitors, Michael has the claim to fame of driving the contestants on an evening from the castle, where the main game is played each day, to their accommodation which is over an hour’s drive.
“You’re the only person they speak to that’s outside the game. So that’s both a lifeline and a difficulty. You want to be friendly but you want to gauge the situation.
“Some of them after a long day are just exhausted and just compress and think about the day’s gameplay. Others are lovely, and like a taxi driver, they just chew your ear off and tell you their life story, whether solicited or unsolicited!”
As well as working behind the scenes on Traitors, Michael actually appeared on screen donning a black cloak and golden mask in The Celebrity Traitors USA edition.
“They were like ‘We need someone, Michael’s nice and tall, and he doesn’t have a face for telly!
“It’s my claim to fame, but I can’t prove it because I was masked! I was the one who lingered in the castle grounds. When the celebrities came past, I was the first spook that they saw. They were all screaming at me!”
Feeling the tension:
For any viewer of The Traitors, it can be a very tense watch. From dramatic twists to strategic gameplay and a determined desire from contestants to win, The Traitors makes for great viewing. That is no different for those in the inner circle of the production during filming.
“It can be just as tense a viewing experience as watching it at home as in person. You’re spending a chunk of time with these people at the end of the day.
“It’s great because when you see them on telly you’re like ‘I know them’ and ‘I hope they did well with that job’ or ‘I hope their kids alright’, you kind of really get to know these people, and there’s a wholesomeness of getting to know them.”
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