Millions of viewers are captivated by the psychological mind games that unfold in Scotland’s Ardross Castle where The Traitors is filmed. The show maintains a paranoid and secrecy-filled atmosphere which is maintained by countless behind the scenes production professionals.
We’ve already spoken to one of the gold-masked, cloaked figures that appear throughout the show and you can check that out here.
Here are five hidden Traitors roles you may not know, that make the show possible.
Mood Technician
These crew members are dedicated to manufacturing the show’s atmosphere through environmental and psychological manipulation. They would make the round table room as cold as possible by having the Air Con on ‘full blast’ to make the room and the contestants inside ‘panic driven’.
The contestants are also made to listen to ‘The Hanging Tree’ from The Hunger Games soundtrack. They have to listen to it in its entirety, before the start of the round table every night.
Missions Producer
Behind every mission the players do, there’s detailed brainstorming and contribution that goes into their development. The missions producer makes logistical considerations, where they work alongside camera, SFX, and art development crew members to produce missions that are fun and engaging for both the players and the viewing audience.
Psychological Evaluator
Every Traitors contestant undergoes multiple tests before the show, which is like a ‘job interview-ish’ phase, according to the show’s executive producer. One contestant recalled taking a psych evaluation test with about 600 questions on it. Another contestant said they had to do a swimming test to see if they were capable of completing one of the show’s missions. These tests are done on all the participants and determine who is chosen to become a Traitor.
Fake Wall Installers
Ardross Castle may look authentic on screen, but behind the vast impression the fortress makes is a carefully constructed set to support the crew. They set up fake walls, creating hidden spaces where crew members can operate without appearing on camera. The round table room, in particular, requires extensive modification to accommodate the production team while maintaining its paranoid atmosphere for the contestants and the viewing audience.
The confession room you see the contestants’ interviews in isn’t actually one room. According to players, there are four or five identical sets built in the rooms of the castle, helping the crew to film multiple interviews at once.
Contestant Supervisor/Welfare Team Member
Traitors contestants are monitored at all times. Any unsupervised moment could lead to game-changing conversations. Contestant supervisors are crew members whose entire job revolves around ensuring the cast members are never alone, even during smoke breaks and whilst they wait in ‘green rooms’ for hours before filming.
The Traitors’ host Claudia Winkleman revealed that everybody is ‘man-marked’, making sure they have somebody looking after them and that when they leave the castle after filming, they don’t see any other player until the next morning’s breakfast.
Each contestant is given a ‘welfare team member’ to check on them throughout the game. Traitors USA Season 2 alum Ekin-Su recalled ‘crying a lot’ to her welfare team member after she was murdered in the game, and mentioned how ‘cheerful and professional’ they were.
There are also security guards in place to ensure players cannot leave their rooms when they’re not allowed.
For more insight into the behind the scenes production roles you might have never heard about, click here.
For more stories about Celebrity Traitors, and who we think will make the best Traitor, click here.
