A former contestant from the hit BBC show The Traitors has given his exclusive verdict on the latest dramatic twist shaking up the castle in the show's fourth series.
Paul Gorton's cunning plan for the Secret Traitor
Paul Gorton, the 38-year-old tech expert turned presenter who became known for his deceptive charm in series two, has explained exactly how he would have approached the challenge of the Secret Traitor. He shared his insights just hours before the identity of the mysterious Red Cloak was due to be revealed to viewers.
In an interview with the Birmingham Mail on behalf of Which Bingo, Gorton argued that the current traitors, Stephen and Rachel, have got their strategy completely wrong. He believes they should see the Secret Traitor as a potential ally, not a threat.
Why paranoia is the real enemy in the turret
"My brain said 'there's now four of us instead of three of us,'" Gorton explained, reflecting on how he would have reacted to the twist. He noted that his fellow series two traitor, Hugo, had fostered an atmosphere of insecurity, famously saying "I don't need middle management."
Gorton's instinct would have been the opposite. "My brain would have gone, 'as soon as one of us is banished, I bet that Secret Traitor comes in here and they'll be part of our team.'" He theorised that the Secret Traitor would already know this and would be cautious about annoying the existing traitors, knowing a two-against-one scenario could emerge later.
He suggested that Rachel and Stephen have picked up on a similar paranoid energy, leading them to view the unknown player as a danger. "I think the guys have gone really paranoid and insecure and [wondered] who is this secret traitor?" he said.
A missed opportunity for the traitorous duo
Gorton criticised the current traitors' closed-off approach. "[Rachel and Stephen] have just said when the Secret Traitor comes in here 'we don't need them, we don't need that person, we've got this pact and we'll never vote for each other.'"
He concluded that this mindset is a critical error. "I think the paranoia inside of the turret is almost just as bad now [as] with the faithfuls. I think they went the wrong way about it."
Ending on a characteristically mischievous note, the former traitor confessed he "would have loved" to have been given the Secret Traitor role himself, though he joked there might be a "little less limelight" in playing such a covert part.
