In the interview, Sonja Zietlow talks about “The Traitors”, her jungle camp preparations and her conclusion from the Allstars jungle camp.
The second season of “The Traitors – Trust No One!” starts on Thursday, October 10th. on RTL+. Two episodes of the eight-part season are available, followed by one episode every week. Episode one of the Halloween edition will also be shown on RTL on Thursday at 8:15 p.m.
In the reality game show, 16 celebrities have to track each other down in a castle. Who are the loyal ones, who are the traitors? The latter are secretly selected by Sonja Zietlow (56) and have to gradually eliminate other players in order to get their hands on the treasure. Meanwhile, the loyalists try to expose the traitors. The show is about up to 50,000 euros.
In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Sonja Zietlow explains what the show’s move from the French Château de Béguin to the Belgian Château de Mielmont means, what horror factors the show has in store this time and which candidate particularly surprised her. She also reveals what differences the moderation for “The Traitors” has compared to the jungle camp and what conclusion she draws after the Allstars jungle camp, which took place for the first time in the summer.
In the new season we go to a new castle. How different is it there?
Sonja Zietlow: It’s a really great scary castle. You notice what was there and how much history there is in these walls. There are catacombs, dungeons and behind every door there is another door. But it still has a pleasant atmosphere.
How is the Halloween edition different than the first season?
Zietlow: First of all, it will be broadcast on RTL+, only the first episode is on RTL. And we have one-hour shows eight times, which I personally think is great because it’s really crisp and happens really quickly. We get to know the people, we start the first game straight away and then the round table takes place very quickly. Because of Halloween, the setting is decorated accordingly. It gets a bit morbid and scary and a lot of ghosts from the afterlife, graves and crypts and death play a role in our games. The lights keep flickering, it’s cold and dark and the celebrities have to run through like they’re in a ghost train. It depends on how well you can handle it. One candidate sheds tears because she is so scared…
How do you personally feel about Halloween, do you celebrate the evening?
Zietlow: Not at all. Here in Bavaria it’s not such a huge tradition. Although I’m always surprised when children come and want sweets. Then I just think to myself: If there’s nothing sweet, then do you really want to give me something sour or what? (laughs)
The second season once again has a very diverse cast. Who were you most surprised to see taking part?
Zietlow: I was very happy about Bruce Darnell. He always has such a perfect demeanor and you rarely see him in private. In “The Traitors” there are no longer any camera teams in the rooms where the participants talk, just these remote cameras. They quickly forget the candidates, including Bruce. Some things he said weren’t even edited in (laughs). That’s the beauty of the format, it’s not about any gossip, it’s really about the game. Our celebrities know this too. Of course, I didn’t know some of them, for example influencers are not my area of expertise. They all prepared extremely well and familiarized themselves with the rules of the game.
Dana Schweiger will make one of her rarer appearances. What can you reveal about their performance?
Zietlow: I found it exciting because of course we didn’t know what to expect from her as the “ex-wife of” about whom we don’t know that much. I think she had a bit of jet lag at the beginning, she was calmer and a bit more anxious. But she thawed out, played the game and that was nice to see. By the way, I think this format would also work very well with people you don’t know. When I look at the English format, there are also 20 normal people that you don’t know. And yet you still know how to assess them after one episode. It’s like the jungle, you get to know most of them through the format.
What do players need to bring with them, especially the traitors?
Zietlow: A player must enjoy this game and psychology. He has to be able to empathize with his teammates. How do they feel now that they are suspected? How can I convince her? The more you try, the more you come under suspicion. You can actually do almost everything wrong once you’re in focus. When it comes to traitors, the question is: How can you fly under the radar? It tears her apart to betray the people who really loved her. You are hugged and comforted, even though you have just lied to their face. This is a psychological torture. But the most important thing as a traitor is to imagine that you are a loyalist and then act from their perspective. I have to say, we’ve always shown a good sense of who to choose as traitors, they’ve always played imaginatively. By the way, I don’t make the selection alone; we sit down together in front of the round table and also consult with a psychologist.
How would you act as a traitor yourself?
Zietlow: I would probably be voted out very quickly because everyone trusts me to play the traitor role (laughs). But I’m really not good at lying. I may leave things out or tell white lies or half-truths. But lying to someone’s face – the very idea makes me feel anxious. This human aspect would be very difficult for me.
How does your role as a moderator differ from the jungle camp?
Zietlow: When it comes to “The Traitors” I’m completely neutral, I can’t let anything show. What I enjoy about it is creating this tension, heating up the mood a bit and, with thieving joy, seeing the perplexity on people’s faces as to who the traitor is. Being the all-knowing person is a great joy and the round table is simply fantastic.
The show recently won the German Television Prize. What does a price like that mean to you?
Zietlow: Personally, the prize awarded by a jury means less to me, but I am of course happy about the production. Because in the end the prize goes to the entire production and their dedicated work behind the scenes. It draws additional attention to the show and the creators are encouraged and rewarded for creating a great format and a great season. I would be more happy about an audience award, I think that’s simply the best because I want the audience to be as passionate about the format and find it as great as I do.
The jungle camp is almost at the door again. When and how do you start preparing?
Zietlow: For me, the small preparations began by choosing our flights and accommodation. Then there is a meeting with the broadcaster for initial information about the candidates. Otherwise you can’t prepare for the format at all. You have to see what comes.
What conclusion do you draw from the first Allstars jungle camp?
Zietlow: Filming was a lot of fun because South Africa is simply a great country and offers very beautiful locations. As a television viewer, I found it entertaining, but personally, as a non-reality watcher, I also missed a few more “boring” people in the camp. As in the live jungle, we need these reality people who always set the mood, but we also always need counterparts, the somewhat quieter people who just watch when a Kim Virginia walks through the camp. A little something to breathe deeply (laughs). Mola was the most normal of the all-stars, who also said something decent every now and then. Danni Büchner was also surprisingly tame, stayed calm and really didn’t freak out.