Tom Daley on Celebrity Traitors: Interview

Tom Daley has been speaking about participating in Celebrity Traitors, which starts this Wednesday night at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

The award-winning reality series The Traitors returns, but this time, host Claudia Winkleman is inviting a group of celebrities to the beautiful castle in the Scottish Highlands to play this ultimate game of detection, backstabbing and trust, in the hope of winning up to £100,000 for their chosen charities.

Hidden amongst the group are The Traitors whose job is to secretly murder their fellow players, without getting caught.

It’s up to the others, the Faithful, to try to detect the Traitors and banish them from the game before they become their next victim.

Here’s what Tom Daley had to say about taking part in the show…

Tom Daley Celebrity Traitors Q&A

Why have you decided to take part in The Celebrity Traitors?

I’ve watched the show forever, all the different franchises; UK, US, New Zealand, Australia, you name it. I am a huge fan, as are my friends and family. So, when the opportunity came up I immediately thought this could be so much fun. We play the game, sometimes at games nights, like different versions of it so I cannot wait to be fully immersed. That and the fact it’s for charity is really special.

What are you going to bring to the game? Are you going in with a strategy?

I’m trying not to go in with too much of a strategy, because I think then you have too much pressure to hold yourself to that. I’m going to go with the flow and deal with each situation as it arises.

Do you want to be a Traitor or a Faithful?

I feel like being a Traitor gives you the full experience of the game, but I think I could do both roles quite well so I would be happy with either.

Maybe a ridiculous question for an Olympian, but are you a competitive person?

Very competitive. Oh, I want to win. That’s the whole point of the game. I’m there to have fun, but at the same time I want to do well. I’m spending this time away from my family so I’m fully putting myself into it and I want to do them proud.

Are you looking forward to the Missions?

I’m excited to take part in them myself. I think with this particular version of The Traitors, it’s all about raising as much money as possible for charity.

The Missions are so epic, and then the way that some Missions can be vital for the rest of the game, such as the opportunity to win shields, adds a fun extra element.

And at the end of day will you be knitting to unwind?

Yes, absolutely every day I’ll be knitting. I’ve got a whole suitcase full of wool!

Are you good at reading people? Can you spot a liar?

I’d like to think so, but I’m also incredibly trusting of people. I hate conflict and I’m not very good at standing up for myself in that way. I’m a chronic people pleaser, so I don’t know how that’s going to be when I go into a situation like this.

Have you got a good poker face?

Whenever I’ve played the game with my friends, whenever I’ve been a Faithful they’ve always thought I was a Traitor. And when I was a Traitor, they always thought I was Faithful! So, I just don’t know. When I get put under pressure, I get hot which might be a tell...we’ll have to see.

Do you think we might see a different side to you?

I think so. People always see the athlete Tom, and this is still a competition. That aside, I’m excited about meeting some new people.

The Celebrity Traitors launches on Wednesday 8th October 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer. There will be two episodes per week on Wednesdays and Thursdays.