Traitors finalist Andrew Jenkins reveals how he would play the game differently to win and says he feels sorry for 'reluctant' villain James Acaster

Published: 23:50 GMT, 28 October 2026 | Updated: 00:23 GMT, 29 October 2026

Traitors finalist Andrew Jenkins has revealed how he would play the game differently as he looked back at his time on the show. 

Jenkins, 47, reached the season two final after he was recruited to become a Traitor mid-way through the competition.

Unlike Richard E Grant's strong desire to be a Traitor from day one, Jenkins said he found it tricky to be recruited having been a 'team player' all of his life.

Jenkins said he struggled to navigate the game as a villain and said he sympathises with 'reluctant' Traitor James Acaster, who was also recruited.

He told the Daily Mail on behalf of Buzz Bingo: 'When I was asked to be a traitor, it was a difficult decision. It was hard, because I've always been a team player all my life. 

'Even though it's a game, it took me a while to decide to become a traitor, but it wasn't very nice.'

Traitors finalist Andrew Jenkins, who appeared in season two, has revealed how he would play the game differently as he looked back at his time on the show

Jenkins said he struggled to navigated the game as a villain and said he sympathises with 'reluctant' Traitor James Acaster

Speaking about what he would do differently if he had a second chance at the game, Jenkins said: 'In my game particularly, I probably would have spoken to Mollie [Pearce] sooner. 

'I could have influenced Mollie, but I was just too nice. I didn't have a game plan. I just went in there with no game plan, just being nice. 

'I thought, "Don't say too much, because you'll draw too much attention to yourself but don't say nothing at all, because you look suspicious". So it's trying to get a happy medium, really. That's what I did. 

'I got friendly with everybody in there and just sailed through to the final, really. I had no real heat on me, apart from when Ross [Carson] went mad at the round table. That's when everybody started suspecting me.'

Jenkins admitted he is hoping for Maya Jama to win this year's Celebrity Traitors but fears King Kenny and Acaster could 'turn quickly' on her. 

He said: 'King Kenny could decide to go for Maya Jama… But nobody suspects Maya at all. She's got no heat on her at all, and none of them have, King Kenny hasn't either. 

'So I think the traitors will chuck one of them under the bus. King Kenny might chuck James under the bus to get them through to the final and then could King Kenny sway the other people if he wanted to go against Maya? 

'I think Maya's got a better chance of swaying them against King Kenny than anybody else. So it's difficult but I think Maya Jama's in pole position at the moment.'

Jenkins admitted he is hoping for Maya Jama to win this year's Celebrity Traitors but fears King Kenny and Acaster could 'turn quickly' on her

Acaster compared the experience to 'living in East Germany under Soviet control' and an unnamed star said producers were 'like human traffickers'.

He said: 'I think people who lived under the Stasi might have a thing or two to say about that comparison, but it is intense. 

In a dig at production, he added: 'People who watch the show always say, 'It's just a game'. That's good advice — not just to the players but to the production [staff].'

A factor of this was because they were allowed ten minutes on a producer's phone with a chaperone present.

James said: 'A member of the production team is there with you, so you can't have an authentic conversation because you can't tell them anything that's happening.

'At one point my partner said, "Have you caught the sun?" I was saying, "Oh yeah, we were outside for one of the missions". I was told I couldn't even tell her that.'

A spokesperson for Studio Lambert, said: 'We want everyone to have a good experience, and the door is always open to discussing feedback with all players directly.

'The Traitors is an immersive game and for the short period of filming it's important that external contact is limited to protect the integrity of the game so there can be no risk of outside influence. This is made clear to all participants ahead of them deciding to take part in the show.'