On October 16 at 7.30 on Network 10 and 10 Play on demand, The Traitors will kick off a very dangerous game.
Arriving at a mysterious manor, 24 players, known as the Faithful, will try to survive long enough to win silver bars, contributing to a prize pool worth up to $250,000.
Hiding in their midst are the Traitors, secret saboteurs whose only job is to lie, cheat and eliminate the Faithful one by one, all the while remaining undetected. With the Faithful on high alert, can the Traitors make it all the way to the end and take the entire prize pool?
Under the watchful eye of host and award-winning actor Rodger Corser, get ready to meet The Traitors very soon.
Alex, 25, SA
Social media coordinator and model, Alex hopes her modelling background will help her in the game, with her fellow contestants assuming she's just a pretty face and not a master strategist.
"I want people to believe I'm a gentle, sweet and bubbly soul," Alex said. "I don't want them to know that underneath my sweetness, I'm actually cutthroat."
Angus, 38, QLD
"I'm the perfect person to play The Traitors," Sales Manager Angus said, "because not everything that you see is what you get." Hoping that his laid-back surfer look will ease people into a false sense of security, Angus revealed that he has two personas.
"There’s Angus, the quiet considered, well-read, analytical orientated guy and then there is my alter ego, Gucci man who is a lot different. He’s extroverted, loves a crowd, high energy risk taker and both sides constantly jostle for my attention”.
Chloe, 30, NSW
Chloe has a secret weapon on her side, coming into the manor as a clairvoyant, she hopes using her psychic skills and ability to commune with spirits will give her an extra leg-up in unmasking the Traitors.
If selected as one of the Traitors, Chloe knows her poker face will keep her hidden, but she also knows a key aspect to being successful as a Faithful lies in keeping her cards close to her chest. "You can't trust anyone, which is the game."
Claire, 52, NSW
A mum of two, Claire is playing the game for her daughters and is out to prove that age is no boundary to pursuing your dreams. "You have to put it into your heart that you can do it, so that's what I'm going to do. We can all do it once you set yourself a goal."
Admitting that the idea of toying with people in the game is a fun one, Claire is aware that she and her fellow contestants are entering a very unique set of circumstances. "Nobody gets a chance to be like this," she said. "In real life, it would be horrendous but it's exciting in this game."
Craig, 57, QLD
Business coach Craig has travelled around the world and worked with many celebs and high-profile clients. He hopes his experience in the business industry, as well as his background in body language and non-verbal communication, will help him sort out who he can trust in the game.
"I'll be looking for signs of deception," Craig said, adding, "they might be able to hide it in their words but their bodies will tell me a different story... Often we will see something that's not quite right but we'll tend to ignore it or justify it. So I'll be paying close attention in this game."
Dirk, 34, VIC
As an executive concierge at hotels, Dirk is hoping his second career as a cabaret performer and actor is something he can keep from his fellow contestants, but also hopes to use his performing chops to his advantage.
"You have to hide your emotions and feelings and portray something that is not really happening," he explained, "so if I set something up that causes some drama, I can react to it accordingly."
Ethan, 27, VIC
No stranger to pushing himself to his limits, Ethan holds two Guinness World Records -- the first for most chest-to-ground burpees in three minutes, and the second for dragging a two-tonne vehicle 100 kilometres in 48 hours with no sleep.
Highly competitive and a straight-shooter, the fitness instructor knows he'll need to hold his tongue so as not to get himself in trouble. "My game plan coming into this is the first half, I'm going to be super likeable, super social and get everyone to like me. Second half, burn 'em all."
Fiona, 26, VIC
While Fiona wants to stay true to herself, she knows that the major prize on the line means she'll have to do what it takes to make it to the end, regardless of if she's Faithful or a Traitor. "There is $250,000 up for grabs and I think anyone would be stupid to not do whatever they have to do to get their hands on that money," she admitted.
A dancer, Fiona hopes that people will judge her based on her looks and underestimate what she can do in the game. "I'm many things and a lot stronger than I look. I'll probably be the most deceitful player this game has seen."
Jack, 25, QLD
Chess champion Jack has all the experience making the right strategic moves, and though he isn't fond of lying in his everyday life Jack admitted that entering Traitors, "It's the type of game where you leave your morals and ethics at the door".
"With my background, I think it would be near impossible for other contestants to have the same level of strategic understanding as me," Jack continued. "At the same time, I believe it's really important to be well-rounded socially and in the challenges. I have to be competitive because this all drives back to my strategic game."
Justine, 36, QLD
Justine knows how to keep herself busy. Between raising her two kids, the social worker also has a podcast, does charity work and public speaking appearances about family and domestic violence. The Gangulu woman hopes to play a strong social game, using her life experiences to her advantage.
"Everything that's happened has shaped me and made me who I am. I think it's taught me to be resilient and tough when I need to be," she said. "I want the money and I want to win for my kids. I want to create a life for us and getting them a good education, that's my driving force. When your kids are your motivation there's not much that can stop you."
Kashindi, 20, QLD
Kash has decided to enter the game leaving her life behind her, only letting her fellow players know what she wants them to know about her. The law student comes from a huge family and joked that every day is a game of sussing people out. "I always want to win and until I've won I don't feel like I've done enough," she explained. "It's either win or win. Not win or lose."
While Kash says that loyalty is everything to her in the real world, that's not going to stop her in the game. "I don't owe anyone anything. Nobody helped me get into this game."
Kate, 38, NSW
A photographer and actor, Kate knows that regardless of whether she's a Traitor or Faithful, she'll need to be a bit more devious than she's used to being. "I really need people to be loyal to me but I am not intending on being loyal to them," she explained.
"The reason a game like this is so hard is because you need to be switched on 24 hours a day and always thinking about conversations you're having," Kate continued. Though her background in photography has given her plenty of insight into people's behaviour, she hopes paranoia won't creep in and cloud her judgement.
Lewis, 33, QLD
Dubbing himself a 'smiling assassin', sparky Lewis hopes to hide in plain sight during the game. Whether he's a Traitor or Faithful, Lewis knows his big personality will attract eyes in his direction. "If I was an animal in this game, I would be a rat or a ferret," he said.
"I don't want to be a big cat that everyone is looking and hunting for, I want to be the one in the tree who can pop down and take the spoils of war." Lewis knows he may need to lie to get what he needs, and he's willing to do so with the biggest smile on his face.
Marielle, 24, SA
"I've always been motivated to see how much I can do with my life and I don't believe there's anything I can't do," Marielle said. Studying a double degree in law and international politics, Marielle also splits her time as a bartender, a human rights advocate, a volunteer and a triathlete.
Her ability to put her mind to whatever she needs to achieve will be instrumental in her success at unmasking the Traitors... or sabotaging the Faithful. "If I leave this game and I've given it everything I have and I have truly performed to my highest level, I'll be satisfied," she added.
Mark, 33, NSW
Mark admits that he's competitive and stubborn, which he believes will actually help him get to the end of the game regardless of whether he's a Traitor or Faithful. "I think the biggest obstacle in being a Traitor is not being honest and not genuinely connecting with other people," he admitted.
"If you're a Faithful, you can genuinely be with people. I'm quite an open book so I think I would struggle with that," Mark said. The legal professional also wasn't sure how much he'd want to reveal to his fellow players, weighing up keeping his cards close to his chest. "I'm struggling to see how that would benefit me. It's really hard to maintain a lie, it's exhausting."
Matt, 32, QLD
Real estate agent Matt wants to show the world a new side of his industry, sharing one of his favourite sayings, "In life, there are estate agents and there are real estate agents".
"Loyalty means everything to me coming from an Italian family," Matt continued. "We're very big on ethics, doing the right thing, loyalty and family is everything." While he thinks he'd make a great Traitor, Matt admitted that he's not in the game for the money, he just wants to be at the end having outsmarted his fellow players.
MK, 59, VIC
Players beware, former cop and current criminal lawyer MK has all the skills necessary to sniff out the guilty... and all the tricks of the trade to cover his tracks. "I have been dealing with liars all my life. Criminal law can be a game of deception but you can't be too soft," he said.
"You need the heart of a lion, not the heart of a sheep. I've got the heart of a lion and, in this game, I am there to find the sheep." Having served as a cop for about 10 years, MK said winning The Traitors "is going to be chicken feed to some of the things I've seen".
Midy, 29, NSW
"If I was chosen as a Faithful then I would feel at home," Midy said, "because I'm authentic and want to be the one who uncovers the wolves hiding amongst us and lead us to victory." The operations manager and part-time model is hoping his love of video games and escape rooms will give him the upper hand in a game of wits.
"I'm someone who is going to bring my values from my real life into the game and that's integrity, leading with authenticity and maximising happiness," he said, adding, "I'm also a competitor, but I don't want to compromise on my values."
Millie, 27, NSW
As a veterinary nurse, Millie is used to life-or-death situations and has to remain calm under pressure regardless of the problems she's presented with. While she may come across as bubbly and trusting Millie said, "It's very deceptive for people to fall into a hole of she's the nice one, friendly and their best friend. Then we crank it up and flip it. People won't see it coming."
Millie also thinks her background as a professional dancer and choreographer will come in handy if she needs to unmask Traitors. "I walk into a class and gauge within the first few minutes where people are at," she said. "You need to break down walls quickly. Then you accumulate that information and make it work."
Nigel, 50, TAS
Regardless of if he's a Traitor or Faithful, Nigel will be keeping a lot of his life a major secret in the game. Working now as a hostage negotiator, Nigel was previously a photojournalist who worked in warzones around the world. In 2008, Nigel was kidnapped by Islamist insurgents in Somalia and held with a fellow journalist for 460 days.
"I will not be telling anyone about my history," Nigel said, "that would be like suicide. If people worked out I was a hostage negotiator, they would probably find that quite intimidating and not a skill set people would want in the game."
Olivia, 43, VIC
Forensic investigator Olivia is obsessed with solving puzzles, both of the professional and personal variety. "If there was a board game in front of me and a piece was missing," she said, "I would literally turn the house upside down until I found the missing piece."
Coming into the game, Olivia isn't here to make friends, she's here to win and she's willing to do what it takes to make sure she's the Faithful... or Traitor standing at the end. "This is a game of deceit and a game where you trust no one. I am going in there knowing everyone is going to be lying to me and I'm a good liar so I will fish them out."
Paul, 61, QLD
Highly competitive Paul has grown up with the saying, "You don't win silver, you lose gold," adding, "That was always what my parents taught me." Having worked as a financial investigator for over 30 years, Paul has honed his skills in reading body language and non-verbal communication to seek out liars.
"I'm not allowed to lie at work, if I was to lie I would lose my job and my license," he said. "But that's why I'm in this game. All bets are off and now it's my turn." Hoping to play a social game, Paul knows the secret to success as a Traitor lies in subtle deception. "You get more bees with honey. As far as I'm concerned, you trust nobody."
Sandra, 26, NSW
A woman of many talents, Sandra is a personal trainer, a VIP supervisor at a nightclub and the creator of her own activewear label. "What keeps me going and motivates me to work hard is knowing my parents worked really hard to bring my whole family to Australia and give me the life I have," she said. "I don't want to waste that. I see myself as a winner in life because I choose to see everything through to the end and I won't stop until I get what I want."
Arriving at the manor with a strategy in two phases, Sandra plans to first sit back and observe before she strikes. Her second phase will involve working out what to do with all the information she's gathered, forming alliances and manipulating her way to the end. "Any friendships I form in the game are purely strategic," she added, "I'm going to win and if I need to cut those friendships loose at the end, then I will."
Teresa, 42, WA
"I'm loud, boisterous, bossy. You'll either love me or hate me, there's no in-between," Teresa said, adding, "but I think you'll love me". People are Teresa's superpower, and she hopes to use that to her advantage. The sport club president also manages drag queen shows, is a mum, a DJ and an MC who has worked in front of thousands of people.
Though she isn't going into the game with a strategy, Teresa's competitiveness will be what sees her make it to the end. "I don't think you understand how competitive I am," she said. "If I lose this game I am going to cry. I am going to burn down wherever we are and then I'll start a GoFundMe page."
Find out who isn't who they say they are when The Traitors premieres 7.30 Sunday, October 16 on 10 and 10 play on demand