What are the downsides of going on The Traitors?

[ADoseOfReality]

I've loved watching The Traitors, UK, US and AU versions, and I'm considering applying for series 3 (deadline today) because I think it could be great fun. However my family seem to think it would be a terrible idea with lasting negative repercussions. Obviously there's next-to-zero chance I would actually be selected, but what do you all think about the pros and cons of going on the show? I might need a reality check!

I’d say the major con is having the whole country comment on your personality/intelligence/looks/etc based on a few hours of heavily edited TV footage.

Also there’s the having to keep it a secret from everyone for about 6 months until it airs.

Press intrusion
If you have no skeletons lurking you'll be fine
Zero control over final edit
RuPaul claims no such thing as a "bad edit" but I disagree: all reality TV shows set up a narrative arc

I wonder if it affects their ability to trust others. Particularly if you really didn't see it coming like Meryl in S1.

Also though remembering that, yes there will be huge press intrusion and people commenting on your every move on the show, but you will be completely forgotten after a few months.
I loved lasts years series and was completely addicted, but I couldn’t tell you one person who was on it.

You might as well apply now, and then you can consider later on how serious you are about it. Depending on how it plays out you could be widely seen to be dim, manipulative, sociopathic, gullible, bullying, conspiracist or any number of negative outcomes depending on how you play the game and how it's edited. And I'd bear in mind that the series aren't just watched as they're aired, but watched on demand around the world.

Though I imagine most contestants are scouted, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Definitely apply! Then you can change your mind or you might not make it through anyway. Even if you become infamous at the time there’ll be a new reality show along soon enough and people move on.

No downsides. You get to meet Claudia and have a bloody good breakfast every morning.

Apparently the breakfasts are horrible!

They edit you to suit their narrative

No one can control every face or word they say for weeks on end so
Inevitably they end up with enough to make you look like a twat

Question to all of you: would you consider taking part?

Wait, are you actually a scout yourself?

I don't think I could. I'd crumble under the pressure of being a traitor, like Alyssa in the first series, or I would just be too boring amd get banished early on for not being vocal enough.

Press intrusion and being stalked on the Internet, people judging you when they've only seen edited footage would put me off the most.

You'd get locked in a coffin underground in the dark, or forced to abseil down a sheer cliff ... or something else equally terrifying. If it wasn't for that sort of thing, I'd apply myself.

No I wouldn't. I'm too boring and quiet.

Ha ha, same here! I have zero desire to go on telly!

I thought the closing date was March 17th , and I’d blinking love to do it , but like most people I wouldn’t be able to commit to the maximum four weeks off work . It always makes me wonder how the contestants can , bearing in mind how far in advance you need to apply.

They wouldn’t have me on.

It was quite obvious in the interview show that even the ‘quiet’ participants are actually very big personalities in real life. TV has the effect of reducing your personality which is why presenters are generally annoying in real life as they are so OTT.

I would never apply as I'm not fit enough to do the physical tasks - particularly ones that involve running up hills!

Haha, no, I am just someone who was planning to apply because it looks fun — it's basically a real-life version of Werewolf, and I love games like that. And I'm now having serious doubts because my family think it is a huge risk to be in the public eye like that, when you don't know who is watching, or how things are going to be twisted. One of my parents said "no employer will take you seriously ever again". Is that an overreaction? (Obviously all this is caveated with the fact that I'm incredibly unlikely to be chosen. But if I'm going to make the time to answer all the application questions, I should at least be willing to take part.)

Completely, depends what your job is, or what you want it to be… in some careers it might be a negative

I think you have to accept that social media may take against you for the smallest of reasons and declare you to be stupid – gullible – sneaky – unattractive. Or they might think you’re wonderful. Either way having potentially thousands of people commenting on you is unnerving - could you shrug it off?. Having said that, any hate/love be for a couple of weeks at most and then everyone will completely forget about you.

if you’re really keen to do the application form and worry later – the odds of you getting it are tiny

having just finished watching the oz one, who would ever trust the nasty traitor in that again.
i imagine it can ruin people.

I would LOVE to go on it and play the game, but just not the being on TV part! 😅

To be fair there are so many people at the start that lots of players fade into the background and are quickly forgotten once they leave. I can only remember a few faces from series 1 and already forgotten some of series 2.

Did the people on the show (who didn't win) end up making money out of it, interviews etc? I've often wondered about the woman in series 1 who needed money for a better artificial arm, I really hope she made some.

You have to be available for 6 weeks during the summer. I know this because DD applied for the recent series but had to withdraw due to a family wedding overseas during the filming schedule.

Do you think teachers can apply or would it count as bringing their school into disrepute?!