Irish broadcaster RTÉ has tapped “Derry Girls” star Siobhán McSweeney to host the upcoming adaptation of “The Traitors,” premiering in 2025 on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
The psychological reality competition format, which has become popular in the UK, US and Netherlands, among others, will be produced by Kite Entertainment under license from All3Media International.
The series will be shot on location in Ireland following national casting earlier this year. The format sees 22 participants compete for a potential prize of €50,000 ($52,460), playing a game of trust and deception. A subset of players, referred to as Traitors, attempt to eliminate other participants without detection, while the remaining players, known as Faithfuls, work to identify and remove the Traitors.
McSweeney, known for her role as Sister Michael in ‘Derry Girls’, said: ‘Like everyone else I’m a big fan of ‘Traitors’ so when I was asked to present the Irish version I jumped at the chance. I look forward to meeting our faithful, loyal and delightful traitors. The Irish have the charm and ability to deceive while smiling, which I think will make this version quite special. And I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to see them up close.”
Steve Carson, video director at RTÉ, added: “She is an incredibly talented actor with great comedic and dramatic range. We know she will bring something very special to Ireland’s version of this fantastic game of trust and deception.”
Darren Smith, MD of Kite Entertainment, said: “We have been big fans since we first saw her mega performance as Sister Michael in ‘Derry Girls’ and know she will play a crucial role in the making of the Irish version. from ‘The Traitors’ brilliantly entertaining, endlessly dramatic and best of all, completely Irish.
Originally created as “De Verraders” by Marc Pos and IDTV creative director Jasper Hoogendoorn at RTL Creative Unit, the format has spawned more than 30 international versions since its debut in the Netherlands in 2021. The show’s global success includes an Emmy-winning American version on Peacock and a BAFTA-winning British adaptation on BBC One, which attracted eight million viewers for the second season finale. Both territories have secured multiple future seasons, with the US version being extended through season five and the UK commission being expanded to a fourth season plus a celebrity edition.