In just a few short years, The Traitors has become insanely popular, and is arguably one of the best reality shows on the air right now. The campy competition series (which is streaming with a Peacock subscription) is hosted by the delightful Alan Cumming, who earned an Emmy nomination for his campy work. And the actor/host recently explained why he's pushed for more LGBTQ+ representation on the beloved competition series.
Alan Cumming's accent and dramatic line readings helped make The Traitors so popular, and elevate the sneaky game of murder and deception. The cast list for The Traitors Season 3 has recently been confirmed, including more reality TV icons. During a recent conversation with IndieWire, the Goldeneye actor spoke about the importance of having queer contestants, offering:
We have to make up for lost ground and lost time in the way and the volume that queer people are seen on TV. We are not going to change the terrible wave of hatred in this country against trans people especially, but also queer people and not the people who are in my minorities of any kind. We’re not gonna change that unless we can show them on mainstream television, so that those people who are hateful will not be scared of them anymore.
Points were made. While The Traitors isn't trying to change the world, Alan Cumming understands the importance and power of onscreen representation. And with the competition series being so wildly popular, having LGBTQ+ contestants offers the chance for more folks to see and understand the community, especially in areas where there might be less openly queer people living their lives.
While there have been movies and shows with great LGTBQ+ representation, the entertainment industry as a whole still has a way to go. As a queer man himself, Cumming is using his platform and position on The Traitors to help make positive change in this regard.
In his comments, Cumming specifically referenced how the vulnerable transgender community is as a whole. I personally think we saw this during Season 2 of The Traitors, where trans contestant (and RuPaul's Drag Race alum) Peppermint was the first person voted out, seemingly for no real reason. Peppermint has spoken about how this felt from inside the game, and made peace with Trishelle during the reunion special.
For the upcoming third season of The Traitors, another Drag Race favorite will be in Cumming's Castle: Season 8 winner Bob The Drag Queen. It should be interesting to see how Bob performs on the show, and whether or not they're able to get deeper into the game than Peppermint.
It's currently unclear when The Traitors Season 3 will premiere on Peacock, but the previous two installments both debuted in January. For now, check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
