Age: 57
Occupation: Retired Police Detective
Location: Brighton
Why did you apply to be on The Traitors?
As soon as I started watching the series, I thought this is really interesting. I love Claudia anyway and then I got very drawn into the game and, perhaps naively, I thought, this is something I can win! The reason I thought that is because there are two definitive sides to the game and that is being a Traitor or being a Faithful. I was a detective, and I've done lots of interviews with criminals and victims. You have to put the pieces together to find the truth and see through the lies.
To be a Traitor, you have to be good at lying, have a good poker face and be a master of deflection to prevent you being identified. I've learned a lot about being deceptive, devious and cunning. On the other side of the coin, I am a good person, and I became a police officer to help people. You have to be nice and calm, even when there's a big storm around you. I'd bring all these skills into the game, whichever role I am assigned.
Do you have a game plan?
I think in this game there are so many on the hoof, dynamic situations that require you to make very quick decisions and my game plan is to almost not have a game plan. I'll be myself, try not to stick out but equally not be too quiet and I really want to have fun. At the start it can just be mayhem. People are literally clutching at anything; did you see what he did? He didn't blink when everyone else did. The start is about survival and so my game plan is to just survive.
What do you think you'll bring to the game?
I'm not very good at describing myself but friends have said things like, if there's anyone I'd want on a to be on a desert island with it's you, which I think is really lovely. I'm good fun and I'm good at holding my nerve as well. I've been in some really tricky situations in my time and I have a strong sense of perspective. You've got to remember, it's a game.
What are you like when playing games with friends and family? Would you say you're competitive?
I'm really competitive. When I was at school, I was just a natural at all sports. I got a report in my very last year from my PE teachers, that said I had ‘learned to cope with losing'. As I've got older, and obviously I'm nearer 60 now, I'm still very competitive, but I've also realised there are more important things in life than winning everything.
Since retiring from the police, I've become a volunteer. I look after vulnerable people, and I take them out – there are people that maybe can't walk, have had a stroke, have got dementia and disabilities. Unfortunately, they don't see the outside world. And I bring the outside world to them, and I take them up and down the seafront, and I find that immensely satisfying. I love the fact that I can do something for my community. My pace of life may have changed but I definitely do still have that competitive spirit in me.
Do you think you'll be good at the Missions? What strengths do you think you might bring to them?
I've got the luxury of staying fit and healthy, so I look forward to taking part in the physical ones. With mental challenges I'm a little worried because I think my sharpness has gone a little bit. I was a Detective Chief Inspector before I retired, and I had to do lots of things very quickly, be decisive and precise but I'm very relaxed now.
How would you feel about being a Traitor?
That would be amazing. I would be nervous, definitely nervous. I've thought about how I would control the nerves, when the mask comes off. I think I'll be able to hold my nerve.
And being a Faithful?
Well, I initially thought that would be easy because I was a police officer. My job was to help people being a faithful, good person so it would feel natural to be a Faithful in the game. I thought it would be easy because of the type of character that I am, however, I think it's hard. There is an advantage to being a Traitor at the beginning because you know a few more sides to the puzzle.
If you win the prize money, what do you think you'll spend it on?
My brother passed away in 2011 from a disease called pulmonary hypertension. So, I would like to donate a percentage to that charity. I've got a big family, and we've been through a lot. Since my dad passed away a couple of years ago, my mum's on her own and I live so far away. My sisters are amazing, caring for her and always being there. So I'd love to take them all on holiday, somewhere really, really nice.
