Celebrity Traitors: Alan Cumming wants to be future contestant, saying 'it would be fun to see the other side'
Alan Cumming is presenter of the US version of The Traitors
Alan Cumming has admitted he would like to be a contestant in a future series of Celebrity Traitors, saying it would be “fun to see the other side”.
Scottish actor Mr Cumming, who has hosted the US version of the show for four seasons, told The Scotsman he had found watching this UK series - the first to feature celebrities instead of members of the public - “fascinating”.
However, he said he believed his experience as host would not give him an advantage.
“It would be hilarious,” he said. “It would be quite fun to see the other side. But I'm sure I would just be as likely to succumb to the indoctrination as much as anyone.”
The celebrity series, which started earlier this month, has included well-known contestants, including Scottish actor Mark Bonnar, fellow actor Stephen Fry, TV personality Alan Carr and Olympic diving champion Tom Daly.
Mr Cumming compared his own role as presenter to that of Claudia Winkleman, who has hosted the four UK-based series. Both the UK and US versions of the show are filmed at Ardross Castle, in the Highlands, 30 miles north of Inverness.
Mr Cumming said: “It's hilarious watching it. It's so weird, because I see Claudia in all the same places I am, but saying different things. It constantly amuses me that the American version of the show is much camper and more theatrical than the British version. That must be a first, and I know it's me, my fault.
“She says ‘oh, you've received the most votes. Come on up here with me’. And I say ‘you received the most votes and are banished from the game. Please come forward to the circle of truth’.
“She's being a person. I'm playing a cartoon. It’s really nice to see it all and I’ve enjoyed the series.”
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He said the celebrity edition had some differences to the standard format due to the contestants already being aware of each other’s personalities. But Mr Cumming said the basic psychological game playing was the same.
“It's actually fascinating to watch people basically be indoctrinated into this psychological experiment,” he said. “In this series, they are celebrities and so they have their schtick. But also they understand each other and know each other, so there are some shortcuts.
“But actually, you just watch them slowly being worn down by the brilliance of this game and the psychological torture. For an audience, it's so great because we know who did it. And we're just watching people lie and they're flailing, so it's endlessly fascinating to me.”
Mr Cumming said producers had to stop him from giving away his thoughts on air.
He said: “Usually by episode six, the contestants start making really stupid decisions and I say ‘oh my God’. But that's what I've got to stop. I get a little person in my ear saying ‘you're rolling your eyes, you're rolling your eyes. Stop it’.
“Maybe it would be fun to be on the other side.”
Mr Cumming admitted he knows who the winner is of the UK celebrity series, which is shown twice a week on BBC One, after arriving at the castle to film the next US-based series immediately after the UK version wrapped.
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