As the host of Peacock’s new reality TV series, The Traitors, Alan Cumming had a front-row seat to the drama that unfolded in season 1. And in a recent interview, he revealed who he thought was the worst player, even flatly calling the contestant a “dope.”
‘The Traitors’ feels like a massive party game
The Traitors, which premiered on Peacock on Jan. 12, 2023, is an American adaptation of the Dutch and British reality series of the same name. With Cumming as host, the show features a cast of 10 civilians and 10 celebrities. They include Reza Farahan (Shahs of Sunset), Cirie Fields (Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and Survivor: Game Changers), and Arie Luyendyk Jr. (The Bachelorette Season 8 and The Bachelor Season 22).
Similar to party games like Werewolf and Mafia, the reality game show begins with Cumming secretly choosing three so-called traitors who have the power to eliminate or “murder” one player each night. The other contestants, “the faithful,” need to identify the traitors to stay in the game.
They can also eliminate players they think are traitors during nightly banishment ceremonies. Ultimately, the player left standing is the winner, receiving a grand prize of up to $250,000.
Fields, who was given a traitor role at the beginning of the game, emerged as the winner in The Traitors Season 1 finale. Quentin Jiles, a social media personality, was the runner-up.
Host Alan Cumming reveals why Quentin Jiles was the worst player in ‘The Traitors’ Season 1
In a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Cumming talked about some of the season’s drama. Asked about the final two contestants, Cumming noted he knew Fields would win but called Jiles the “worst” player.
“He was such a dope,” the Traitors host revealed. “He got it wrong every time. He sounded really authoritative, and everyone listened to him. But actually, when I thought about it, he voted for the wrong person every time.”
Quentin Jiles refused to talk to Cirie Fields until she apologized
Cumming may think Jiles was the worst player in The Traitors Season 1. But it’s important to note he made it to the final two.
In an interview with Metro, Jiles talked about losing to Fields. And he revealed he felt so betrayed he didn’t speak to her for weeks until she called to apologize.
“I did not talk to Cirie after the show because I was upset. I think we talked maybe two weeks later. She apologized, and then that was kind of it,” Jiles explained.
“It took me a minute to get to my forgiveness. I had to go through my own process. Yes, it’s a game, but we are still humans and real people who really wanted the money right.”
However, after watching the entire season on TV, Jiles saw how well Fields played the game. And he praised her for her strategy.
“I reached out to her when the show aired, and I watched it all. And I was actually quite impressed — how she pushed the other Traitors around when they were meeting,” he recalled. “I was like, ‘You know what? Respect.’ It kind of made it like, ‘OK, so I wasn’t the only one that was bamboozled.’”
