Warning: This article contains spoilers for season two, episode six of The Traitors Ireland.

AS THE SECOND season of The Traitors Ireland gets into full swing, no doubt families and friends watching at home have pondered whether they’d apply next year.

Traitor or faithful, it’s a big commitment to be part of the major RTÉ and Kite production.

Former contestants Gráinne and Denis spoke to the media this week about tall tales told and behind-the-scenes surprises.

Cover stories

Contestants must commit to two weeks of no phones, no internet and no contact with family. This is to prevent them leaking any details of the show (including their involvement) or researching gameplay.

Even if a contestant is banished or killed early on, they have to live a reclusive life until the two weeks are up and filming has wrapped.

For Denis, who was murdered in episode six, this posed some challenges.

Denis (39), a writer and pychotherapist from Cork RTÉ RTÉ

He and his husband Diego, who is also a contestant this year, had told family and friends that they were doing a “digital detox” in Wexford for two weeks.

“[It] felt like a great idea until I left the castle and had to hide at home and not go on my phone or online,” he said.

Gráinne, a horse riding instructor from Sligo, told her friends and family she’d got a gig on a film set teaching an actor how to ride.

She told them she signed a non-disclosure agreement and couldn’t have her phone on set.

Gráinne (59), a horse riding instructor from Sligo RTÉ RTÉ

Secret couple

As if there wasn’t enough deceit, Denis had the added challenge of pretending to have never met fellow contestant Diego. In reality, they’d been married for 11 years.

“I was trying to urge Diego to apply first, because I thought he’d be excellent. And he said, ‘I’ll apply if you apply’.

“Throughout the whole process, they continually said to us that we were possibly being looked at as individual contestants, and possibly as a secret couple. So that wasn’t confirmed until the very, very end.

It was nerve-wracking all the way throughout, hoping that we’d get on this together.”

Diego (40), a physician associate from Cork RTÉ RTÉ

They each created their own backstories: Diego said he was married to a Brazilian in Dublin, and Denis said he had just got out of a 20-year relationship.

As seen on screen, the pair took the show in their stride, and other players hadn’t an inkling that there was any connection between them.

“It was actually fine. I think when me and Diego socialise, we always separate because we love chatting to people. So it was like we’re just at a party with loads of strangers,” said Denis.

They didn’t avoid each other completely, deciding even if they were strangers, realistically, they’d get along very well. Denis admitted, however, they maybe held hands a bit too much in the castle.

Production

On set, everything is controlled.

Gráinne says it was a much bigger production than she expected, and it brought some challenges.

“You get very used to the people being around you, but it is quite restrictive,” she said.

“You’re only talking on camera, and the rest of the time, you’re not. 

“That was a surprise when I was in there, the interaction. Because there’s so many people at the beginning, it’s very difficult to get around to talk to everybody because everybody’s in different areas.

“That was the hardest part for me.”

Denis was a self-described “superfan” of the show before entering the castle, and he loved seeing behind the scenes.

“It was just incredible just how much they have to schedule and focus on, and they also have to maintain the secrets,” he said.

“The crew were just incredible, because it’s long hours, of course, for us, but also for them, and also for Siobhán (McSweeney). So everybody’s operating on high energy, powering through and maintaining so much professionalism.”

Shock exit

Gráinne’s exit from the show came as a shock to her and viewers.

During a challenge on episode six that involved running, she ruptured her Achilles. She needed surgery immediately so there was no way she could finish the show.

“I couldn’t put my leg under me, and the castle’s full of a lot of steps,” Gráinne said.

She couldn’t put any weight on her foot for three months after surgery and, while she’s doing much better now, she says she still has regular physiotherapy.