The Traitors Ireland Lands Siobhn McSweeney of Derry Girls Fame as Host for RT

Irish broadcaster RTÉ has tapped “Derry Girls” star Siobhán McSweeney to host its upcoming adaptation of “The Traitors,” set to premiere on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player in 2025. The psychological reality competition format, which has found popularity in territories including the U.K., U.S. and the Netherlands, will be produced by Kite Entertainment under license from All3Media International. The series will film on location in Ireland following a national casting call conducted earlier this year. The format features 22 contestants competing for a potential prize of €50,000 ($52,460) while navigating a game of trust and deception. A subset of players, designated as Traitors, attempt to eliminate other contestants without detection while the remaining players, known as Faithfuls, work to identify and remove the Traitors. McSweeney, known for her role as Sister Michael in “Derry Girls,” said: “Like everyone, I am a huge ‘Traitors’ fan so when I was asked to host the Irish version I jumped at the chance. I’m looking forward to meeting our loyal Faithful and delicious Traitors. The Irish have a charm and ability to deceive while smiling which will make this version rather special, I think. And I’m the luckiest person in the world to watch them close up.” Popular on Variety Steve Carson, director of Video at RTÉ, added: “She is an incredibly talented actor with a great comic and dramatic range. We know that she is going to bring something really special to Ireland’s version of this fantastic game of trust and deceit.” Darren Smith, MD of Kite Entertainment, said: “We’ve been very big fans ever since we first laid eyes on her mega performance of Sister Michael in ‘Derry Girls’ and know she’ll be a crucial part in making the Irish version of ‘The Traitors’ brilliantly entertaining, endlessly dramatic, and best of all, utterly Irish.” Originally created as “De Verraders” by Marc Pos and IDTV creative director Jasper Hoogendoorn with RTL Creative Unit, the format has spawned over 30 international versions since its 2021 Netherlands debut. The show’s global success includes an Emmy-winning U.S. version on Peacock and a BAFTA-winning U.K. adaptation on BBC One, which drew eight million viewers for its second season finale. Both territories have secured multiple future seasons, with the U.S. version renewed through season five and the U.K. commission extending to a fourth season plus a celebrity edition.