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The Traitors Season 2 Returning to Peacock with 21 All-Star Celebrities – Meet the Cast

Season 1 saw reality television icons go up against everyday people getting their first taste of onscreen fame. 

By Caitlin Busch & Tara Bennett
Alan Cumming Breaks Down Peacock's The Traitors and Compares Porn Stars to Reality Stars

Get ready for more deception, backstabbing, and murderThe Traitors is returning to Peacock for Season 2 with a mind-blowing, all-star cast of reality stars.

Once again hosted by Alan Cumming — and his ever-impressive wardrobe packed to the brim with stylish tartan and kilts — the Scotsman will be joined in Season 2 by his dog Lala, who is being introduced as his trusty sidekick. The only thing that could make Cumming and his freaking dog more exciting? A list of celebrities so long, we can't help but wonder how they're all going to fit in Cumming's castle!

RELATED: The Traitors Creators Reveal the Secret Behind Casting for U.S., U.K. Murder Mysteries

Set in a remote castle deep in the Scottish Highlands, five-time Emmy-nominated host Cumming will welcome these 21 larger-than-life personalities as they come together to compete in a series of challenges with the objective of earning a cash prize of up to $250,000.

The catch? Several contestants (dubbed "the Traitors") will devise a plan to steal the prize from the other contestants ("the Faithful") without revealing who's stabbing them in the back.

And unlike Season 1, which saw reality television icons go up against everyday people getting their first taste of onscreen fame, Season 2 is all celebrities all the time. Let's meet our contestants:

Who's competing on The Traitors Season 2?

Carsten "Bergie" Bergersen (Love Island USA)  

Carsten Bergersen poses for a photo during a Love Island challenge

A late contestant addition to Love Island USA Season 5, Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen didn't officially win the season but he made a love match with fellow contestant, Taylor Smith. He was a fan favorite on the show for his "nice guy" ways, so we'll see if that gets used against him on The Traitors.

Chris "C.T." Tamburello (The Challenge

Chris Tamburello poses for a photo on the red carpet

Chris Tamburello started his reality competition journey with The Real World: Paris in 2003. That series made him a reality competition staple, especially on The Challenge where he's won 14 seasons of the long-running series. He cultivated a bad boy persona on those shows but he's aged into a more mellow place in his life. We'll see what version of C.T. lands in the Scottish Highlands. 

Dan Gheesling (Big Brother

Close up of Dan Gheesling

Dan Gheesling rocketed to fame due to his appearances on Big Brother Season 10 and Big Brother Season 14. He won Season 10 by unanimous vote and came in second in Season 14, which means the guy knows how to work personalities clustered under one roof and still gain friends. He's one to watch when it comes to working the room. 

Deontay Wilder (Boxer) 

Deontay Wilder on The Traitors Episode 201

Wilder is a professional boxer who held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020. He won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 2008 Olympics, and earned the nickname: "The Bronze Bomber." He's got an amazing knockout-to-win percentage, but will that translate when it comes to a room of celebs who need a softer hand in this game of wits?

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu (Love Island UK)

Ekin-Su Culculoglu poses on a red carpet

The winner of Love Island UK Season 8Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu is a model and TV host. Most recently, she was a competitor on Dancing on Ice Season 15 and an expert on the BBC One game show, The Wheel

Janelle Pierzina (Big Brother

Close up of Janelle Pierzina

Practically reality competition TV royalty, Janelle Pierzina was a competitor on four seasons of Big Brother, one season of The Amazing Race and co-winner of USA Network's Snake in the Grass. She knows her way around big personalities and excels at coming out on top.

Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio (The Challenge

Close up of Johnny Bananas

Devenanzio is another The Real World contestant who transitioned to the competition series, The Challenge. He is infamous as a contestant on The Challenge for causing fights and stealing other people's winnings, so put him in the chaos camp of contestants. 

John Bercow (UK Parliament) 

Close up of John Bercow

If you watched any UK news until 2019, there's a good chance you caught former UK Parliament Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow bellowing, "Order!" at his peers who wouldn't get quiet on the floor. Now retired, he brings with him a reputation for bullying that might not do so well in The Traitor mansion. 

Kevin Kreider (Bling Empire

Close up of Kevin Kreider

A model and fitness professional, Kreider is the break-out star of the reality show, Bling Empire. The antithesis of his ultra-rich co-stars on that show, Kreider came from a middle class family and was a frequent commentator on the excess around him. That perfectly positions him to do the same on The Traitors and perhaps exploit the less savvy around him for his own gain. 

Larsa Pippen (The Real Housewives of Miami

Close up of Larsa Pippen

An original cast member on The Real Housewives of Miami, Pippen is the ex-wife of former NBA player Scottie Pippen. She has made the rounds of many of the celeb-centric reality shows, so she has plenty of prior friendships and competitor knowledge that could help her game. 

Marcus Jordan (Basketball Player) 

Close up of Marcus Jordan on a red carpet

The second oldest child of basketball legend Michael Jordan, Marcus was a college basketball player. We'll see if his game translates to the strategy needed to win The Traitors.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy (Dancing with the Stars

Close up of Maksim Chmerkovskiy

The beloved, long-time professional dancer on the American version of Dancing with the Stars, Chmerkovskiy has charm and plenty of moves that could translate well to the challenges presented to the players. But will he be too nice to play a dirty game? 

Mercedes “MJ” Javid (Shahs of Sunset

Close up of Mercedes Javid

A real estate agent featured in the cast of the Shahs of Sunset. She admitted in Season 2 of the series that she is a felon convicted of bank fraud so she has experience bending the rules. She's a people person and knows the elite world of many of her peers so she could have some sway if she makes the right friends. 

Parvati Shallow (Survivor

Close up of Parvati Shallow

A legend of Survivor, she won Survivor: Micronesia and has competed well in three other seasons. She's got a great mind for strategy, can be ruthless and will likely observe and dominate like The Traitors Season 1 winner, Cirie Fields.

Peppermint (RuPaul’s Drag Race

Close up of Peppermint

The runner up on Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Peppermint is a singer and performer. She's got a fabulous personality which will stir it up amongst the contestants but will she be able to run under the radar if needed?

Peter Weber (The Bachelor

Close up of Peter Weber

An alumni of Season 15 of The Bachelorette and Season 24 of The Bachelor, Weber walked away from the franchise gaining a relationship with fellow contestant Kelley Flanagan. He's a professional pilot and lives a more every day life than the rest of the cast. 

Phaedra Parks (The Real Housewives of Atlanta

Close up of Phaedra Parks

A reality TV veteran of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip and Married to Medicine. Parks is also a lawyer by profession which is well suited to the mental machinations she's going to face on The Traitors

Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor

Close up of Sandra Diaz-Twine posing on a red carpet

Another Survivor winner and legend of the game, Twine won Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. She's also competed in four other Survivor seasons which means she's never really left that mindset. Clearly a major plus in her favor since she's got Parvati Shallow to deal with this season, and plenty of contestants gunning for her since she's so good at what she does - winning. 

Shereé Whitfield (The Real Housewives of Atlanta

Shereé Whitfield attends BravoCon 2023

An on-and-off cast member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Whitfield will either have a built-in enemy or ally with fellow Atlanta cast member Phaedra Parks. Will they work together to bring down the others?

Tamra Judge (The Real Housewives of Orange County

Tamra Judge attends BravoCon 2023

A long-time member of the cast of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Judge is well-versed in reality TV personality machinations which could give her a leg up in assessing the competition. 

Trishelle Cannatella (Real World: Las Vegas

Trishelle Cannatella stands on the red carpet of an event

Another OG reality TV star, Cannatella became famous from her party girl persona on Real World: Las Vegas. She then moved onto many seasons of The Challenge and Road Rules. She did a stint as a professional wrestler known as "The Red Hot Redneck" and plays professional poker. Don't underestimate that mix of skills!

When does The Traitors Season 2 premiere?

Fans can expect to dive into another season of murder and mayhem in the Scottish highlands when The Traitors Season 2 premieres on Peacock on January 12. The first three episodes premiere that Friday with subsequent episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays at 6pm PT/9pm ET thereafter.

How many episodes are in The Traitors Season 2?

The Traitors Season 2 will consist of 11 nail-biting, 60-minute episodes and one reunion special.

And if the Season 2 reunion special is anything like Season 1, there will be plenty of tears and dramatic moments.

Who competed on The Traitors Season 1?

Season 1 featured an all-star cast of reality television icons including Arie Luyendyk Jr. (Bachelor/Bachelorette), Brandi Glanville (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Cirie Fields (Survivor), Cody Calafiore (Big Brother), Kate Chastain (Below Deck), Kyle Cooke (Summer House), Rachel Reilly (Big Brother), Reza Farahan (Shahs of Sunset), Ryan Lochte (Olympian), and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick (Survivor).

Additional contestants included Christian De La Torre (Veteran & Van Life Influencer), Michael Davidson (DMV Office Manager), Andie Thurmond (Director of Music Services), Quentin Jiles (Political Analyst), Shelbe Rodriguez (Public Affairs Manager), Geraldine Moreno (Actor), Robert “Bam” Nieves (Tech Sales Executive), Anjelica Conti (Hair Stylist), Azra Valani (Yoga Instructor), and Amanda Clark (Emergency Room Nurse). 

Who won The Traitors Season 1?

Cirie Fields, who cut her teeth charming and manipulating her fellow contestants on Survivor, won The Traitors Season 1 by using her greatest asset: patience.

You can catch up on The Traitors Season 1 before the Season 2 premiere exclusively on Peacock. The Traitors Season 2 premieres on January 12.

Originally published Sep 21, 2023.

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