The Traitors have a woman problem and they are all the weaker for it

Two cloaked men wait in the bell tower for a new recruit to join their dark campaign of deception. At last, the mysterious figure appears and slowly lifts the garment’s hood to reveal… another man. On season two of BBC’s The Traitors, the men are in charge – and there’s no sign of that changing before the final showdown. As presenter Claudia Winkleman pointed out when she wryly remarked on their choice of another male recruit, “it’s just like the olden days”.

The hit show, a brilliantly conceived take on the game Murder in the Dark, divides participants into Faithfuls and a small handful of Traitors, who are initially chosen by Winkleman, then self-selecting if one is voted out. If they remain undetected by the others, they win the entire prize pot, up to £120,000. The stakes are high, the morals are low – and so far, nine episodes into twelve, it’s all about the men being top Traitor dog. Four of the five Faithful contestants who have been “murdered” – sent home – by the Traitors have been women. Meanwhile, the group of Traitors, who decide each murder, is entirely made up of men.

Original female traitor Ash was “banished”, when her fellow traitors, army engineer Harry and Machiavellian Mancunian business manager Paul, turned on her, and since, they’ve recruited muddled Miles then betrayed him, anxious Andrew (”it just doesn’t feel right… oh well, I suppose I’ll do it...”) and reluctant Ross. Meanwhile, the strongest and most opinionated women are ruthlessly picked off as the Traitors recognise danger and join forces to neutralise the biggest threats. The only woman left who doesn’t fit the “sweet” female Faithful mould is Jasmine, but it’s easy to predict that for her, the prize pot will soon be a distant memory.

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Diane, a 63-year-old woman with a mind like a mantrap, was swiftly dispatched to her own coffin when she voiced her (correct) suspicions. Now, just Molly (fluffy pink jumpers), and Evie (friendly and trusting) huddle together like impalas waiting for the rifle crack. The traitors are three white, professional men, secretly plotting their imminent triumph – as Claudia remarked, no change there then.

As they keep reminding us, it’s not personal, it’s just business. Depressingly, statistics suggest that the Traitors’ Castle is a medieval microcosm of the top table in business everywhere. According to Gill Whitty-Collins, author of Why Men Win at Work, men consistently recruit in their own image, because familiarity makes them feel safe and smart women are often underestimated. A man is 10 times more likely than a female peer to make partner at a law firm and “of the FTSE 100 companies, just seven are run by women but 17 are run by men called John and 14 by men called Dave”, she said in 2020.

No wonder young Harry and midlife Andrew felt so comfortable beckoning yet another man into their midst – 28-year-old Ross is a central casting mugshot of “pleasant but forgettable bloke”, not quite bright enough to bring down his fellow board members, but easy enough to get along with on the golf course. A woman could still win, of course – but the odds are now stacked against them as the men band together to play a long and cruel game – while the girls are just trying to survive the night.

Perhaps in future seasons, Claudia and her producers might be interested in noting the 30 per cent rule – the idea that you need 30 per cent representation in any room to have real influence. Campaign group the 30% Club was founded by Dame Helena Morrissey in 2010, to increase gender diversity in the boardroom. Research shows that not only do voices then get properly heard, but that diverse teams outperform more homogenous groups. The target for boardrooms in the UK was reached in 2018, but it seems the Traitors in the bell tower didn’t get the memo reminding them that recruiting in your own image isn’t the most effective strategy.

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Shutting women out of any elite gathering, whether bell tower or boardroom, creates an echo chamber, where group-think prevails and mistakes are made because no man wants to risk the disapproval of the boys’ club. Strong women are met with fear, more vulnerable ones with disdain – but it’s not because they’re not up to the task. Simply that men with a plan feel far less comfortable sharing it with a woman. If they want to win, however – a pitch or a prize pot – it would be wise to remember that success is far more likely with a diverse team. And if the traitors don’t want to lose, it’s time they welcomed somebody who doesn’t look, or think, exactly like themselves.