“The Traitors” may be a game about lying, scheming, and figuring out who to trust, but contestants don’t get unlimited freedom to play once the cameras stop.
In fact, some of the strictest rules happen behind the scenes.
Contestants are separated from the outside world, can’t freely talk about the game when cameras aren’t rolling, and don’t even sleep inside Ardross Castle despite what viewers see on television. Production also goes to considerable lengths to make sure the Faithfuls don’t accidentally discover which players are secretly meeting as Traitors.
Those rules have applied to everyone — even Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan, who were dating when they competed on season 2.
‘The Traitors’ Contestants Don’t Actually Sleep at Ardross Castle
While “The Traitors” makes it look like contestants retire for the night inside the Scottish castle, they actually leave the property.
Host Alan Cumming previously told The Daily Beast that the season 1 contestants stayed at a hotel near Inverness Airport while he stayed separately. People reported that the contestants’ hotel is approximately 45 minutes from Ardross Castle.
Leaving the castle doesn’t mean the game continues at the hotel.
Season 2 Traitor Dan Gheesling told Business Insider that contestants weren’t allowed to discuss the competition unless cameras were filming and their microphones were ready.
“If we say something that’s important, and it’s not on camera, they can’t use it on the show,” Dan explained.
Mercedes “MJ” Javid offered another glimpse at how seriously production takes that rule during an appearance on the “Just Sayin’” podcast.
“If Alan says ‘time’s up’ for a conversation to have to end at the Round Table, that’s real,” MJ said.
Even Larsa and Marcus couldn’t freely communicate away from the cameras. Larsa told People that contestants weren’t supposed to exchange items between hotel rooms, and production inspected anything they attempted to send.
That didn’t completely stop her from sneaking in a message.
When Marcus requested a nail file and bandana, Larsa wrote “I love you” on a piece of fruit sent to him.
Production is equally serious about hiding the Traitors’ nighttime movements.
Executive producer Mike Cotton told Variety that separating the Faithfuls and secretly getting the Traitors back to the castle for their meetings was a “massive military operation.” Kate Chastain also told Vanity Fair that security guards helped keep contestants apart.
Players Surrender Phones, Watches, Passports & Even Hotel Remotes
The isolation begins before the competition really gets underway.
MJ said on “Just Sayin’” that prospective contestants underwent “rigorous screening,” which included “multiple 600-question psych evals,” doctor visits, and blood and urine testing.
Mike explained that personality testing can also help identify characteristics that “might make someone a good liar or particularly deceptive,” giving producers insight into who could potentially handle being selected as a Traitor.
Once contestants arrive in Scotland, their connection to the outside world largely disappears.
According to MJ, production collected phones, chargers, watches, passports, wallets, and money.
“[It felt] like prison, like you were checking in to serve a sentence,” she joked. “They will also take the remote control in your rooms, because some of them are smart remotes. They don’t want to compromise the integrity of the game.”
Players aren’t even told who else has been cast before filming.
“Because it’s a game, you don’t want them to be able to research each other or talk to each other or form alliances before — Marcus and Larsa did, but that was the exception,” casting director Deena Katz told TIME.
‘The Traitors’ Also Limits Alcohol, Castle Access & Personal Brands
The restrictions don’t end once contestants surrender their belongings.
Players reportedly have access only to approved areas of Ardross Castle, keeping them away from production spaces or anything that could reveal information about the game.
Rules also govern what they wear.
“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum Sheree Whitfield told People that she couldn’t wear clothing from her SHE by Sheree brand while competing on season 2.
And those signature goblets don’t mean the drinks are flowing all night.
Season 2 contestant Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu told Entertainment Weekly that contestants were “restricted” to one alcoholic drink per night.
Together, the rules help production control what contestants know, when they can strategize and how much information can travel between players once filming stops for the day. For a competition built around secrets, even the time away from the Round Table is carefully managed.
“The Traitors: New Blood” airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Tell us! Do you think you could withstand all the rules and compete on “The Traitors”? Let us know in the comments below.
