LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Traitors,” a reality/competition show hybrid, has announced a lineup of reality television all-stars, actors and even a British aristocrat for the cast of its upcoming season.
A slew of stars from the “Real Housewives,” “Survivor,” the “Bachelor” franchises and more popular television shows will join host Alan Cummings for the upcoming third season of the Peacock hit.
The ensemble of television personalities and familiar faces will move to a castle in the Scottish Highlands to play a high-stakes murder mystery game and complete challenges to build up a grand prize pot of up to $250,000. While there are 21 contestants on the upcoming third season, some of them will be undercover “traitors,” trying to sabotage the group and keep their treacherous identity hidden so they can claim the prize for themselves.
Chrishell Stause, a real estate agent and actor known for her appearances on “Selling Sunset,” leads the crew of newcomers from reality series. The casting of Tom Sandoval, famous for his villainous role on the 10th season of “Vanderpump Rules,” has also garnered attention given his antagonistic personality on the Bravo show.
Actor and model Sam Asghari, ex-husband of Britney Spears, is also joining the cast. Asghari and Spears’ divorce was finalized in early May, nearly two years after they were married.
Four stars of the Bravo “Real Housewives” franchises will come together on the show, including Dorinda Medley (“The Real Housewives of New York City”), Chanel Ayan (“The Real Housewives of Dubai”), Dolores Catania (“The Real Housewives of New Jersey”) and Robyn Dixon (“The Real Housewives of Potomac”). Gabby Windey and Wells Adams are slated to join the crew from “The Bachelor” spinoffs.
The show's mix of mind games and missions could give an edge to the “Big Brother” and “Survivor” alums. Britney Haynes and Danielle Reyes are “Big Brother” fan favorites and Carolyn Wiger, Jeremy Collins, Rob Mariano and Tony Vlachos hail from “Survivor.”
Other reality stars rounding out the cast include Bob The Drag Queen from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Bob Harper from “The Biggest Loser,” Ciara Miller from “Summer House” and Nikki Garcia, a WWE star and professional wrestler. Dylan Efron, brother of Zac Efron and an actor and producer, is also set to join.
The final cast member joining the popular series is perhaps the one who will be most out of place: Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a member of the extended British royal family. He is also the first relative of the royal family to publicly come out as gay, according to Tatler Magazine.
The first two seasons of “The Traitors” were hugely successful for Peacock, with the first season taking home the Emmy Award for outstanding casting for a reality program.
Tapping into the respective, and at times, disparate, fanbases of each of the reality series the contestants are known for, “The Traitors” attracts a vast audience. The drama of “Real Housewives” combined with the betrayals of “Big Brother,” the tests of physical endurance a la “Survivor” and the motley crew of divergent personalities makes for good TV. Top that all off with Cumming’s dramatic flair and show-stopping fashion as the host, and the show has engaging elements for viewers with a variety of interests.
In addition to the popular U.S. version of the show, Peacock streams international versions including Australia and the U.K.
Peacock has not yet announced a release date for the third season.
