If, like us, you’re sad that the excitement and indulgence of the festive period is coming to an end, then The Traitors series threecouldn’t come at a better time. After a month of back-to-back social engagements (and stuffing ourselves with cheese and Bailey's), now is the time to hunker down and binge the nation’s favourite show, which is back in all its glory – Claudia Winkleman’s incredible outfits included.
Last night’s show was back with a bang thanks to the introduction of a new twist which is sure to make things interesting. In the opener, Winkleman told contestants that those who make it to the final this year will no longer reveal whether they are a Faithful or Traitor as they are banished. Instead, the final players will have to rely on their instincts alone about whether or not any Traitors are left in the castle. This twist is sure to make their decision of when to end the game even more difficult.
But alongside all the twists and turns, there’s one question that has been on our minds: where do The Traitors cast sleep? Although the show takes place in Ardross castle, the breathtaking 19th century castle in the Scottish Baronial style, north of Inverness, that isn’t where the contestants go to get some (much needed) shut-eye. Earlier this year, Alan Cumming, who hosts the US version of Traitors, revealed that they actually sleep at the £70-a-night hotel Courtyard by Marriott, which is a 40-minute drive away and situated next to Inverness Airport.
Yep, you heard that right. Both the Traitors and Faithfuls leave the castle when the roundtable has ended and the clock chimes. In the morning, the contestants return to the castle, after eating breakfast in their separate lodgings. Of course, they are then welcome to eat the delicious-looking pastries and juices laid out for the dramatic breakfast debrief when back in the castle.
Speaking to The Daily Beast, Alan said: ‘They all stayed in the airport hotel in the Inverness airport. How glamorous you come to Scotland, and you stay in the Inverness airport hotel. I stayed in a little house in Inverness. But I had a room in the castle where I would get made up and dressed. It had a huge bed in it. So I did actually sleep quite often, but not overnight.’
Some fans have been taking to social media to share their thoughts on the news. ‘Just started watching the traitors and it’s annoying me that they don’t actually sleep in the castle?,’ one user wrote in December. Another wrote ‘Relieved to see they’re no longer pretending they sleep at the Traitors Castle. Viva La Inverness Airport Premier Inn! #TraitorsUK.’ A third wrote ‘OMG! I always imagined they all stayed in individual little cottages on the castle estate somewhere this is way less romantic than I thought.’
However, we know that the contestants are not allowed to communicate with each other or anyone outside of the programme. Some former guests have even reported seeing security guards patrolling the area to prevent contestants from being in cahoots during filming. One person wrote on X 'I was staying here back in May 2022, no idea if it was for Traitors season one, but they had guards on each corridor by all the lifts checking on people leaving their rooms. They said it was for the filming of a reality show, but refused to tell me which one. Lovely hotel to be fair!'
Ok, so a night at the premier inn might not be as magical as the castle of our imagination, but it's still our favourite show in telly – no matter where the contestants get their shut-eye.