IT’S a game of wits and deceit – but there are some people who clearly aren’t cut out to be a Traitor.
The second season of the hit BBC show has had the nation in a chokehold as we wonder whether the Traitors will be able to steal the funds or get caught out at the last minute.
This year, Harry Clark, 22, and Andrew Jenkins, 45, stand as the last Traitors in the show before the winners are revealed tonight.
Despite successfully pulling the wool over the eyes of their fellow contestants, body language expert, Judi James, speaks exclusively to Fabulous claiming the pair aren’t as good as lying as they might seem.
“This show is like poker when it comes to complex body language signals,” she says.
Four Traitors have been found out already, Ash Bibi, 45, Miles Asteri, 36, Paul Gorton, 36, and Ross Carson, 28 – here we look at the top tell-tale signs that should have got them caught fibbing.
Eye Spy
When speaking to the group in episode two, Ash had a tell-tale reaction to being asked if she was one by Jonny, 31. if she was a Traitor.
“You could be a traitor,” Jonny said to the whole group.
Standing to the side of the group leaning on a chair, Ash looked away from the group as the question was asked expanding her eyes and looking away.
“She’s got a very big disadvantage because she’s got very large eyes, and the eyes are the most expressive part of the body,” Judi explained.
“She’s trying to react as though ‘Oh wow who might that be?’ But it looks too obvious – she’s got a pretend relaxed pose on the side of the chair and the eye movement doesn’t look natural, it looks like she’s acting.”
As well as this, Judi reveals one study showed people often look to the left when lying which Ash was guilty of.
Shakespearean Acting
Paul pulled off quite a few acting moments worthy of being on a Soap before he was blindsided by Harry – and the body language expert says these poor lying habits were the reason he got the boot.
After the Faithful’s sussed out a Traitor must have been put in the dungeon to deter them, some suspected it could have been Paul.
In an attempt to get out of the firing line, Paul was quick to turn on the waterworks – claiming he was ready to go home to his wife and son as he suspected he’d be murdered or banished that night.
The body language expert says: “Fake tears? Always a bad move.”
Judi also explains that fake crying is one of the most difficult things to do – the chin should tremble, the voice should crack and of course, real tears need to come out – if it doesn’t happen, they may be trying to get themselves out of the firing line.
“He’s using self comfort rituals, (like stroking his face and upper arms) but these are also a cut-off gesture,” she says.
The overly theatrical acting of Paul’s should have given away his Traitor status, so the next time someone has an over-the-top reaction, be cautious.
The Conspirator
Harry shocked everyone when he dropped both Paul and Miles in it as Traitors with Zach.
While Miles and Paul battled it out around the round table – Harry whispered: “Do you think we’re watching two traitors go at each other?”
Although Harry didn’t tell a lie – he managed to deceive Zach into thinking he wasn’t a Traitor as well.
If Harry wanted to look more like a Faithful, Judi says he should have spoken to whole group about it rather than whisper to Zach alone which only made him look suspicious.
Anger Issues
Not only did Harry almost get himself caught with his trick – but Miles and Paul both made the situation worse for themselves by getting aggressive at each other.
Judi explains: “If you were a Faithful, and you didn’t want the rest of the Faithful’s to accidentally vote you out as a traitor… you wouldn’t get aggressive, defensive and that wouldn’t be right.
“You’d be trying to send them secret little signals – eye-widening.”
“The defensiveness can be a give away, their eyes get wider and wider… what they’re doing is trying to deflect.”
So next time, if you ask a question and they get defensive, it’s because they don’t want to admit what they’ve done.
Non-verbal Diarrhoea
The traitor, Paul, revealed he would act as surprised and grateful as possible that he wasn’t murdered in the night when going to the breakfast table – and it certainly convinced the Faithfuls.
“My whole thought process is perfecting walking into breakfast, I’ve got to manage the ‘thought I was going to die, didn’t die, really happy to see everyone, so I’m tempted to do a watery eye.”
Charlie, 34, fell for the ruse adding: “When Paul walked in, he looked genuinely happy that he was here,” while others agreed he wasn’t a traitor.
But to the trained eye, Paul’s acting was easy to spot.
Judi says: “He was so bad, it’s almost a double-bluff, no one could think he’d be that bad.”
“It’s what we call non-verbal Diarrhoea, he was over doing it.”
The best way to tell if someone is using this to cover up a lie, recall how they have acted in the past with similar situations – if they don’t match up you might be sniffing out deceit.
The Cut-off
Although Harry hasn’t been caught out by the group as a traitor yet, Judi says his poker tell is too easy to spot.
“He doesn’t have guilt showing and is great at strategy and the biggest advantage – he has an innocent face,” she says “He’s one of the worst liars I’ve ever watched.”
But the 22-year-old is very guilty one of the most classic tell-tale signs of a liar ‘cutting his face off.’
While people questioned if Ash was a Traitor with him, he constantly rubbed his ear as well as hid his face with his hand.
“The partial cut-off, used because you don’t trust your face to not give you away,” says the body language pro.
It’s silly, because you’re still visible and even by the act of trying to hide your face you look guilty.”
Pinocchi-nose
Not only does Harry give himself away as he hides his face, he also begins to scratch his nose as Zach, 27, reveals it’s time to start suspecting people in the friendship group – immediately making him look guilty.
Judi reveals that your nose does in fact grow when you lie as the blood rushes there causing it to itch from the sensation – making it a very easy way to call someone’s bluff.
If you’re planning to tell a fib anytime soon, Judi recommends watching Traitor Harry Clark, to see what you shouldn’t do.
The Copycat
When beloved Diane was buried after being poisoned by a traitor – the group looked on in sadness as her casket was closed.
Many covered their faces and looked down at the ground as the reality of losing another Faithful sunk in – but Miles, who poisoned her in the first place, looked out of place.
‘He’s immediately looking at other people’, says Judi, which tells her he is trying to copy the emotions and reactions everyone else is having as it’s not natural for him – a massive giveaway to him being the murderer.
Hands Up
“Andrew has got the makings of being the best liar, he feels the appropriate emotions so he is able to sustain them well,” explains Judi.
She also revealed that he was very good at keeping open body language -something most liars struggle to do.
The 45-year-old keeps his hands out in front of him, while Judi observed the other Traitors would keep their hands low – a common tactic used by fibbers.
The Inquirer
In the same scene, Andrew can be seen asking Mollie, 21, a faithful if she thinks his behaviour has changed.
Judi reveals this a sure-fire way to spot if someone is guilty or holding information back.
She adds: “He shouldn’t have said that, he should have turned round and said: “I think I’ve begun to act differently and I’m afraid it’s going to make people suspect me’. and then say ‘it’s because I’m getting homesick’ or something like that.”
According to Judi, asking them if they’ve noticed something that’s changed about you is you subconsciously telling them something has – without admitting what.
“You might as well stamp it on your forehead,” she adds.
You can watch the final of The Traitors Season 2 on BBC One at 9pm tonight.