The Traitors Mark White "I Had Nothing To Lose"

Friday, 4 September 2026 at 09:08

The Traitors Star Mark White reflects on this time on the hit show, adjusting to life after the castle and shares his advise for this year's cast.

The Laois man was one of 24 contestants that took part in the first Irish series of The Traitors, he applied for the show because “I had nothing to lose”.

A huge fan of the format before entering the castle, Mark describes it as one of the best shows Ireland has taken on and was delighted to be selected from thousands of applicants. Despite originally hoping to become a Traitor, Mark ultimately entered the game as a Faithful.

“I convinced myself I’d be a Traitor. I planned on it, so when I wasn’t, I thought, ‘What do I do now?’ So I just went with the flow.” Mark says the mind games continue even when the cameras stop rolling, with contestants constantly questioning who they can trust. While some days on set are long, he says he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Mark has a cochlear ear implant which left his fellow contestants worried about his lip-reading skills. However, Mark says his talent for spotting traitors was more based on body language “Eamon went red a lot so I just knew”

Life after The Traitors also took some getting used to, with Mark admitting he is surprised by just how popular the show became.

The attention following the series caught him off guard, particularly when viewers begin recognising him in public.

“I was at the Ploughing Match and a kid asked me for a photo. I could not believe it.”

While the initial months following the show are busy, Mark says things have since settled down, with life largely returning to normal. Mark remains in touch with his fellow cast members and says the friendships formed during the show have continued long after filming ended. For those taking part in this year’s series, his advice is simple: enjoy the experience and try not to get caught up in the reaction online.

“You can’t do anything about it, so block it out.”

Mark says contestants should make the most of their time on the show and avoid letting social media commentary take away from the experience. Discussed in full on Shine a Light.

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