It's important that the casts of shows reflect the diverse audience watching them. That's why representation on TV is so important. Alan Cumming, the host of The Traitors, recently spoke about his desire for more LGBTQ+ representation in The Traitors third season, as the first two didn't have enough in his (and certain others') eyes.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cumming discussed what he’d like the third season’s cast to look like, saying:
On a purely statistical basis, I think [the previous casts have been] very diverse racially and gender-wise, but there just wasn't enough LGBTQ people represented. It's exposure therapy, it's visibility. And you have to do it in every small way you can. We need to see that trans people are everywhere. They felt more comfortable to be visible in the last couple of decades. But historically, there's always a backlash against change, and we are in the midst of a huge one right now. My response to that is to push back and say, 'No, we're not going to hide. Here are those people.' And if I have a chance to help do that by just saying to the producers of The Traitors, 'We need to make sure there's more queer and trans people on the show,' I will.
Season 2 of the series did feature some trans representation with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Peppermint, but sadly, she was the second to leave the castle after The Real World’s Trishelle Cannatella became suspicious of her. On top of that, she was a faithful, so her banishment didn't benefit the faithful's cause.
Cumming continued, questioning why this isn't already a TV norm at this point:
We've just got to be more representative. And even if there are more…. I think, 'Why can't we have more people on these shows than actually are, percentage-wise, in society?' Why would that be so bad? It's happened for centuries the other way around with white straight men. I mean, why are we being so shackled by our quotas? There should be trans and queer people everywhere, and people of color everywhere, until people just shut up and stop being so stupid and hateful about it.
It appears that Cumming's sentiments about more representation were echoed by producers as the Season 3 cast list includes more LGBTQ+ cast members than the previous years. On this list are plently of reality TV stars we're excited about, such as Bob the Drag Queen from RuPaul's Drag Race, Chrishell Stause from Selling Sunset, Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser, Carolyn Wiger from Survivor, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a relative of the British royal family, and Gabby Winey from The Bachelorette.
Personally, I love the diversity of the new Traitors cast. It will be fun to see how all of these different personalities come together and work as a team to either banish the traitors or, in the case of the traitors themselves, murder all of the faithfuls. In previous seasons, alliances would form among the contestants who had similar backgrounds. For example, last season, the Bravo stars worked together, and the people from competition-based reality shows teamed up to get the rest out.
I hope the lines can blur more this season because it is fun to watch different people from varying shows bond and work together. I think that would make for a more interesting dynamic, and you can definitely tell that real friendships are formed during this show. However, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter too much who you group up with because you could be working with a traitor. That's what makes the show so exciting to watch.
Also, if you haven't checked out the other international versions of The Traitors, they're definitely worth the watch. The Traitors UK, The Traitors Australia, and The Traitors New Zealand can also be streamed on Peacock. The shows have different hosts, but I've found they're just as entertaining, and I become invested in the drama the same way.
The first two seasons of the series can be streamed with a Peacock subscription. Season 3 of the series will most likely hit Peacock in 2025. In the meantime, check out our 2024 TV schedule to find something else great to watch!
