Interview with Rodger Corser by Markus Hamence
The global phenomenon, The Traitors, has returned to Australian screens for the ultimate sport of trickery.
Inside the grand old hotel, a most dangerous game will be played. A game of deception, suspicion, and betrayal in which the stakes will get higher and higher.
Host, Rodger Corser is ready to put 20 players, also known as Faithfuls, through dramatic and challenging missions to win silver bars for their prize pot. The Faithful must seek out the Traitors among them, before they are eliminated by the saboteurs themselves.
This season promises to be an enthralling and nail-biting showdown that will have you glued to your screens from the very start.
It is survival of the sneakiest. We get the low-down direct from host, Rodger Corser. Read on…
Markus: Congratulations Rodger on Season Two of The Traitors. After the success of season one what can we expect from this season, are there any game changes?
Rodger: Thank you Markus. We have built on season one, taking the best bits with all the drama, all the betrayal, all the backstabbing still present but it is now intensified. We have turned up the heat! We have taken all the components that were really working, we have added to those and we have trimmed a few other pieces. The challenges for example now have incredible personal jeopardy to them. So not only is everyone working together (for the end prize goal) they can also win the shield of protection at every challenge. Everyone is working twice as hard and there is no room for coasting, which makes for the challenges being even more exciting. We have also included stars of the stage and screen in the casting this season, which adds an extra element and makes sure everyone has to be on their toes.
Markus: Were you surprised by the huge success of the last season?
Rodger: We really loved the show, that is one of the reasons I got on board. Not only is the gameplay really exciting and dramatic, but the tone of the show. The fabulous references to ‘who dunnit’ style murder mystery film and TV shows, obviously appeals to someone like me being an actor. So that is the reason why I took the role on and it is a lot of fun. As I said before, all the drama is there, there are plenty of surprises and things you won’t see coming. But in between we always have a great laugh at ourselves, and I have a friendly laugh at the contestants too when they don’t get things quite right – which is quite often. It makes for a really entertaining show.
Markus: What can you tell us about our two Adelaide contestants this season?
Rodger: I can tell you there are different strategies in the game, some people like to go under the radar early on by keeping their head down. That however, is not the strategy of the SA contestants Paeden and Sarah. They ruffle feathers quite early on, throwing some accusations out there and they are also the ones being accused of perhaps being a Traitor. Rightly or wrongly…. I can’t tell you of course. But they are definitely in the action from the first couple of episodes, so they are ones to watch.
Markus: What drew you to be a part of it all again the second time around?
Rodger: It is really the love of reality television. The Traitors format is a lot of fun. I get to play this silly character in a hosting role and there are not many other gigs like that on telly. It is a mix between hosting and acting. We have a really great time doing it, everyone is really invested. The contestants are invested in the game and everyone on the production team are invested, they really love the show, the drama and the laughs that it produces. So why wouldn’t you be a part of it again?!
Markus: OK Rodger, the BIG question… If you were a contestant would you prefer the role of a Traitor or Faithful?
Rodger: There is an advantage to being a Traitor – you do nullify one way of exiting the game because the Traitors can only be banished. They can be voted out if they are found out to be a Traitor but they can’t be ‘murdered’, so you do have an advantage to be able to stick around a little bit longer. It doesn’t guarantee you will win by any means, however. If I was using my head, I would most likely say I would be better served as a Traitor, but I would probably fail terribly at it. It is a tough job to lie all the time, it is a much easier game to be a Faithful and rely on the truth.
Q: There’s been a bit but what’s the worst sneaky behaviour your experienced on the show so far?
Rodger: Some of the contestants are very good at telling fibs, which is the name of the game as you can imagine. There is one player this season that you think their game is up, you think they have been found out for telling lies to people and time and time again this person (pardon the pun) brings themselves back from the dead on this show. It is amazing to watch, it is a masterclass of deceit.
Thanks Rodger, and looking forward to an amazing season and fingers crossed for season three!
The Traitors airs on Channel Ten 7.30pm Monday’s and on Ten Play.
