The Traitors: The Contestants Who’ve Been on EastEnders, Blankety Blank & More

The Secret Couple: Alex and Tom

Alex Gray (check out her online portfolio here) describes herself as a presenter, actress and social media content creator with a first in Psychology from UCL, but she’s hiding her light under a bushel because her Instagram account reveals that she’s also launched a company that makes inspirational mirror decals that say things like “You got this” and “Dream Big”. She’s presented poker, football and travel online shows, and played a character in the Love Island mobile game. She also lists an intermediate ability to do a “Native American (Indian) accent” on her CV, which is probably… fine?

Tom Elderfield bills himself online as a highly respected magic consultant who’s won an award for Young Close-Up Magician of the year and someone who epitomises the new age of magic. Here’s his Instagram.

If these two weren’t clearly here to give their respective media careers a boost, you might accuse them of using The Traitors to spice up their relationship. They’re a couple but pretending to be strangers, much in the style of long-marrieds who come to the Tunbridge Wells Premier Inn Thyme Bar & Grill to roleplay as Belinda the luxury goods heiress and Brazilian racehorse trainer Rafe. Or… however people do that, I wouldn’t know.

The Formerly Gifted Child: Imran

Imran Nasim is indeed (thought to be) the youngest person in his discipline to obtain a PhD. That discipline, for those who want to know, is Astrophysics, not say, Aromatherapy so it’s the real deal. He got a first in Maths and Physics from the Open University aged 18, and went on to research supermassive black holes. In spring 2021 he was reportedly due to go to Harvard University to join a research project about an aggressive form of kidney cancer, which he either followed up by appearing on The Traitors, or changed his plan.  

The Old People: Andrea, Fay, John, Claire and Nicky

To be clear, this isn’t my name for them; this is how Imran dismissively described his team members in the first task, moaning that the other team was younger and more vibrant. Well Imran, you couldn’t have been more wrong because this lot have vibrancy up the wazoo.

What about John McManus, a spa therapist and actor who’s been in EastEnders, Taggart, Taboo and the BBC Les Misérables. As well as owning a Westie named Beryl, John lists classical singing, choreography, puppeteering, horse-riding, scuba-diving and more on his CV. The man’s a marvel, and he can sort out your sciatica.