Chess coach Anthony is part of The Traitors season 2 lineup — will he manage to outplay the other contestants?
Anthony is a 45-year-old chess coach from Birmingham, and he's definitely using his expertise to help map out the game that lies ahead. "When I saw the show, I thought to myself — this has me written all over it! It's like a real life, live game of chess. That's what it is", he said.
"Instantly, I was intrigued by that and I just felt it was for me. I've never applied for a game show or anything before but this format is 100% me".
Read on to find out a bit more information about Anthony from The Traitors season 2, including his plan for the show and what sort of skills he thinks he brings to the table.
What does Anthony think he will bring to The Traitors season 2?
Anthony said: "My life experiences and being able to manage my emotions. That's something I've discovered I'm actually pretty good at, being able to keep my emotions in check. I think that's something that's going to be really key, because if you don't keep your emotions in check, you might say the wrong thing at the wrong time and rub people up the wrong way. I believe it's something that I will definitely be able to bring to the game."
What's Anthony's game plan?
Ahead of the show, Anthony said he's got a rough idea of his approach to the game, but he wants to remain open to other routes to success.
"I have a loose game plan, a very loose game plan", he said. "The key to the game plan is flexibility because things are going to be forever changing, every day is a brand-new day. You might have a plan that you’ve got to throw right out of the window. The ability to adapt accordingly is going to be key because we don’t know what we’re up against.
"There will be 21 other personalities in there that you have to work with. Something that [The Traitors season 1 star] Wilfred said that stuck with me was that he never actually initiated anything about another player, he just jumped on the bandwagon and did little things at the right time. That means as far as I'm concerned, as soon as my eyes are open — it's game time!
How will Anthony feel being a Traitor?
Similar to his The Traitors season 2 castmate, Harry, Anthony is certainly up for playing against the group as a Traitor, if he gets selected.
"If I get a tap on the shoulder, then a big smile will appear from ear to ear, definitely. I will then need to control my breathing and remember that I need to control things from now on!"
And from the sounds of things, he'll be a ruthless Traitor, if selected. Of the first series, he said: "I thought that this is a game where basically everybody's expendable. Like a game of chess, every piece on the board is expendable, the only thing that matters is the king, that's it. And ultimately, the idea is to checkmate and win the game. For me, it was like in a chess tournament where you've got to control your emotions and psychologically manage yourself. I was completely intrigued by it."
If he's a Faithful, what's Anthony's plan?
Anthony sees a big opportunity in being one of the Faithful, as they have they have a greater opportunity to affect the flow of the game.
"If I'm a Faithful, then the plan changes", he said. "Again, if I liken it to a game of chess, the Traitors make the first move and have the upper hand. As long as they survive the Round Table then they get to influence the game.
"As a Faithful, it’s going to be really tough in the beginning because you’ve got to navigate who the other Faithfuls are and also not become a danger to the Traitors, trying to identify them but not becoming a major threat. As the game goes on and the numbers get lower, I think you then have the advantage as a Faithful. If I am a Faithful, I'm going to try and feel people out really quickly and stay enough in the shadows so that I'm not identified as a threat."
As you might have picked up, Anthony's all about playing the game, to the point that he doesn't even have a plan for the prize money he could be in with a chance of winning. ". "If I treat it again like it's a chess tournament, I don't think about the prize money. I'll just do what I need to do every day and if I get the end result, then I can think what I'm going to do with it. You can’t get caught up in the prize money, there's a lot of gameplay to get through before we get to that bit. I'm here for the game and it's game time."
The Traitors premieres on Wednesday, January 3 at 9 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. New episodes will air on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until the series ends.
