The Traitors has quickly become one of Britain’s most beloved shows, with millions tuning in every night to see if the Faithfuls are able to root out the devious Traitors and learn who will win the coveted jackpot.
Last year, the nation watched behind their fingers at some of the most dramatic scenes, wincing as Diane Carson sipped on her fizzy rose, Paul Gorton was outed as a Traitor and Harry Clark stole the jackpot away from Mollie Pearce in the final moments.
Yet the tension conveyed on screen was nothing compared to the atmosphere inside the castle, as season two Faithful Charlotte Chilton can contest.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline about her experience, the 32-year-old Recruitment Manager, who was the eight contestant to be banished her season, explained that she was left surprised by many aspects of the show, but mainly how deeply it affected her.
‘There’s so many layers that go into filming a show with 22 people that’s got missions, that’s got tense moments, the level of secrecy that goes into it,’ she explained.
‘You can feel the pressure, how tense it gets towards the end when there’s less people and obviously the crew are invested in you by then too.’
The Traitors star Charlotte Chilton has opened up about her time on the show, revealing her shock at how intense the process was and how surprised she was by Claudia Winkleman
Charlotte was surprised by host Claudia, revealing she often got told off by producers for getting too involved with the contestants and was far nicer than she appears on the screen
Charlotte continued: ‘I wasn’t expecting that. I thought it was just going to say “OK, good luck, and that’s it.” I didn’t expect it to be as intense as it is.
‘And because of the intensity you form relationships with people in a lot faster time than you would say working with a person on a daily basis in an office.
‘You are forced to have confronting conversations and talk about quite deep things because a lot of people that go on The Traitors have got really interesting backstories, everyone wants to know what each other’s backstory is.
‘I was also surprised how nice everyone was!’
Charlotte was also surprised by host Claudia Winkleman, revealing the TV personality often got told off by producers for getting too involved with the contestants.
‘She has an earpiece in all the time, obviously, because she’s presenting,’ Charlotte explained.
‘So Claudia would regularly get told off and pulled away from us because she had to be so careful not to give something away.
‘She’s very stern on camera but when we were not filming, she’d try and make us laugh as much as possible!
‘She’s naturally a very funny woman and she’s very, very caring. She’s very motherly, which is not something I expected.
‘I didn’t get that impression from her on television, so when I met her, that was really shocking to me.’
The season two cast (L-R) Andrew, Jonny, Paul, Jasmine, Charlie, Anthony, Sonja, Aubrey, Diane, Brian, Mollie, Harry, Zack, Evie, Charlotte, Ash, Meg, Jaz, Kyra, Ross, Tracey and Miles
Charlotte continued: ‘She had a real interest in us and that we were all emotionally OK – she was ready with the hugs and things like that. She talked a lot about her family, so that was quite fun.
‘She’s a really nice, but she’s got such dark humor that – in those standing around moments when you’re waiting to do something – she makes it more fun and interesting.
‘She isn’t faking being nice and is really a diva, it’s completely the opposite. She’s even kinder and nicer and funnier that in real life.’
For now, Charlotte is looking forward to meeting up with the season three cast.
‘You become a bit of a family and you support each other through it. It’ll be really nice to welcome another 22 people into our family. We all get on really well with the series one cast.’
And for anyone wanting to apply for season four of the show, Charlotte’s advice was – while you may have to lie and put on an act in the castle – you should be your authentic self in the casting process.
‘They’re looking for people that are likable, that people can root for in a show, so going on there and pretending to be something you’re not isn’t going to work.
‘You just need to be yourself, be proud of who you are, just have a laugh and share your stories. I think the more relaxed you are, the more people buy into you, and that in turn will stand you a better stead against these thousands of people that are applying.
‘it’s such a life-changing experience. Studio Lambert are just the best company to work with and they really look after you afterwards. Now we’re just all really, really excited to welcome new people to The Traitors family.’
Meet the cast of The Traitors 2025
Elen
Age: 24
Occupation: Translator
Location: Cardiff
Lisa
Age: 62
Occupation: Anglican Priest
Location: Cornwall
Jack
Age: 24 (at time of filming, 25 now)
Occupation: Market trader and landscaper
Location: Yorkshire
Alex
Age: 29
Occupation: Care Manager
Location: Whitby
Alexander
Age: 38
Occupation: Former British Diplomat
Location: London
Anna
Age: 28
Occupation: Swimming Teacher
Location: County Wicklow, Ireland
Armani
Age: 27
Occupation: Financial Investigator
Location: London
Charlotte
Age: 32 (33 now)
Occupation: Business Director
Location: London, recently moved to Hampshire
Dan
Age: 33
Occupation: Bank Risk Manager
Location: Liverpool
Fozia
Age: 50
Occupation: Community Development Manager
Location: Birmingham
Francesca
Age: 44
Occupation: Interior Designer
Location: East Sussex
Freddie
Age: 20
Occupation: Politics Student
Location: Peterborough
Jake
Age: 28
Occupation: Project manager
Location: Barrow-in-Furness
Joe
Age: 37
Occupation: English Teacher
Location: Southampton (Originally Yorkshire)
Kasim
Age: 33
Occupation: Doctor
Location: Cambridge
Keith
Age: 65
Occupation: Window cleaner
Location: Bournemouth
Leanne
Age: 28
Occupation: Veteran
Location: Holywell, North Wales
Leon
Age: 40
Occupation: Retail store manager
Location: East Midlands
Linda
Age: 70
Occupation: Retired opera singer
Location: Hertfordshire
Olivia (Livi)
Age: 26
Occupation: Beautician and Model
Location: Horsham
Maia
Age: 25
Occupation: Full-time Mum
Location: Essex
Minah
Age: 29
Occupation: Call Centre Manager
Location: Liverpool
Nathan
Age: 39
Occupation: Property Consultant
Location: London
Tyler
Age: 29
Occupation: Barber
Location: Leicester
Yin
Age: 34
Occupation: Doctor of communication
Location: Berkshire
