Ever since BBC's The Traitors dropped on our screens, we've been obsessed with the combative, divisive reality game show, where your options are: win support from the Faithfuls, murder, or get murdered. It's thrilling to watch the few Traitors deceive those around them, but for many of us, the idea of taking this role on is unimaginable. It takes a special kind of person to be drawn to the backstabbing and manipulation required, but new research has shown it could even highlight which way you're likely to vote.
New research has found if you'd rather play Traitors as a faithful you're more likely to vote Labour. In contrast, those who'd rather play a Traitor are more likely to vote Tory.
A poll of Traitors viewers by the research firm More in Common found 39% of viewers drawn to being faithful would vote Labour, and 24% Conservative. But 36% traitor viewers support the Conservatives, while 25% are Labour.
Ed Hodgson, associate director of polling and analysis at More in Common, said, 'People’s politics are an expression of their values, and while the Traitors TV show is just a game, it also puts people’s values to the test.
'Whether someone wants to be a 'traitor' or a 'faithful' is not only indicative of how they might vote in an election - but also hints at how they see themselves and want to be seen by others. With such a clear political divide between Britain’s would-be traitors and would-be faithful, perhaps there is more to the social and political psychology of the Traitors game than first meets the eye.'
Series three of the BBC reality series has already proven a roaring success, with 5.4 million viewers tuned in to the opening episode on New Year's Day, beating last year's 3.1 million.
This year has already seen several stand-out moments including three contestants dumped on the side of a railway line in the first episode (only to return later on in the series), and a new rule in the finale that stops players from having to disclose their status as a Traitor. But many elements remain the same, including the huge cash prize up for grabs (£120,000). It also requires a great deal of time, even those infamous round table scenes take much longer to film in real life than you might think watching the show.
The UK series is filmed at Scotland's Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands – a 19th century castle located 25 miles north of Inverness. The property is now owned by the McTaggart family, who bought the castle in 1983 and restored the gardens and estate. It was previously a hunting lodge for the 1st Duke of Sutherland.
Applications for next year's version of game show are now open. You can find out more information here.