The second series of The Traitors is back with a bang, accompanied by tears, drama and some top-grade treachery taking place in the confines of Ardross Castle.
The hit reality TV series involves 22 strangers being transported to the Scottish Highlands and competing to win a jackpot of £120,000.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, three of the players are secretly selected to become Traitors, while the rest are named Faithfuls.
The tense show, which trades in deceit and betrayal, is proving to be a stellar hit with viewers second time around.
Who is Paul on The Traitors?
When asked by Winkleman at the beginning of the series what three words described him, Paul replied: “Competitive, cruel – and Traitor!”
Paul, 36, from Manchester, has proved to be a divisive figure among fans of the show.
As one of the Traitors, Paul has been voted the most popular player by his fellow contestants, but his confidence and apparent ease has prompted suspicion among others.
Away from the show, the business manager lives with his partner, Kate, their dog, Buddy, and their son, Charlie.
Kate, who has been with Paul for nearly 11 years, is a model and content creator. The couple welcomed Buddy in 2022.
Family and work aside, Paul enjoys competing in cycling events, playing and watching football and travel.
Paul has revealed that if he were to win the cash prize on the show, he would put the money towards a house for his family.
“It’ll have to be a house,” he explained: “For myself, my partner, our little boy and our dog – I need to get us all a house!
“We’re renting at the moment and mortgage rates are just chaos, so if I can win the show or be part of a group of people that win the show then that is life changing for us.”
Paul added: “The family, the house, nothing glamorous really, there’s no cars, parties or holidays, it’s: we need a roof over our heads and then that will set us up for the rest of our lives. Or a Ferrari…”.
Asked what quality he thought he might bring to the game, he replied “humour”.
He said: “I love comedy, if I could be a comedian that would be my dream job. I’ve done stand-up and did it down south at the Comedy Store in London and it’s just mind-blowing.
“If I can get comedy in there then I think it’s a really powerful tool to bond people and maybe diffuse situations when they get so tense. Maybe I can be a little bit of a comfort blanket and a distraction in that way. I guess last year there was no one in there that was exactly like me which is a good thing. Hopefully, I can have my own little niche.”
Was Paul on Deal or No Deal?
Yes. Eagle-eyed viewers recognised Paul from his 2010 appearance on the cult show, where he won a paltry 10p.
At the time, he was just 22 years old and living at home with his parents.
Fans of the show have called his appearance his “villain origin story” on X, formerly Twitter.
One user wrote: “Paul from #TheTraitors was on Deal or No Deal and won 10p. No wonder he’s evil.”
When is the next episode of The Traitors on?
The next episode of The Traitors will air at 9pm on Friday 12 January on BBC One.
Remaining episodes are set to air on successive Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights at 9pm on BBC1, with each episode available to view on iPlayer after broadcast.
Unlike the first week, when episodes were released early on iPlayer to pique viewer interest, this will not happen with future episodes, meaning that fans will have to be patient and await the official release each evening.
