'The Traitors' Host Alan Cumming Gives His Most Devious Advice For Season 1 Competitors

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Veteran actor Alan Cumming is adding reality television host to his resume in the new high-stakes psychological Peacock competition series “The Traitors.” Set in a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands, each episode features some of the biggest reality television stars battling each other in a series of challenges. In an interview with USA Insider correspondent Stephanie Gomulka, Cummings explained the game in his own words.

“There’s 20 people in a castle all being slowly manipulated into thinking everyone around them is treacherous, and every night someone gets ‘murdered,’ and every night they banish another person from their group. They have to do all these tasks and they slowly go a bit mad and they get freaked out," he said.

The contestants, a mixture of reality stars from shows such as “Snake in the Grass,” “Survivor,” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” will join a group of civilians to determine who are “The Faithful” and who are “The Traitors” to win a cash prize. In the newly released trailer for “The Traitors,” there’s a glimpse of the challenges the contestants will go through, including one wherein some of the cast members are buried alive in this murder mystery.

The Traitors Cast
The Traitors Cast

Peacock Promises Betrayal & Alan Cumming's Best Highland Wardrobe In 'The Traitors' Trailer

"You will need the strength of a liar and the stealth of a fox," Cumming tells the contestants before later adding, "In this game, the person sitting next to you may smile and smile … and be a villain."

But before the shady games of lies and deceit begin, Cummings shared some advice with USA Insider that maybe the Season 1 contestants should take heed to. “Trust no one and the thing is that I would sort of say to them, it’s called 'The Traitors' so people are going to lie to you. That’s the whole point, right? So don’t be shocked when people lie," he warned.

He also compared it to watching “The Bachelorette.”

“One of the girls [was] like, I can't believe he’s with another woman, and you think, 'Hey there [were] 25 of you on the first date; get real.' So, it’s really just try to stand outside of it and not be swept by the pack mentality,” Cummings advised.

We’ll see who will listen to Cummings advice before he has to shout, “Get Out of My Castle!”

All 10 episodes of "The Traitors" premiere on Peacock on Jan. 12.