The Traitors star reveals biggest challenge as autistic player after calculated banishment
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The BBC’s hit gameshow The Traitors is the perfect mix of strategy and emotions, with twists and turns keeping every player on their toes. But when you’re autistic, it’s easy to have rigid thinking—and for banished Faithful Dan, that was ‘one of his biggest downfalls’.
![[Dan]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235586274-3a46.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘As soon as I got an idea in my head, I just ran with it,’ he tells Metro. ‘And that’s a massive strength in some ways in life because, from my experience, my autism means that I’m incredibly determined and focused on our top goal, and I don’t really let anything divert me.
![[The Traitors contestants at the round table]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235584931-384a-e1736547380908.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘But in a game like this, you have to be more flexible than that, and there were certain times when I had suspicions of people and I just wouldn’t let up and I wouldn’t see alternative viewpoints.’. It was, he says, a ‘very compartmentalised’ experience for him being in the iconic Scottish castle, as he decided it was ‘fair game’ to view everything from a game-focused and strategic perspective.
![[The Traitors,03-01-2025,3,L-R: Kasim; Charlotte; Dan;,Studio Lambert,Euan Cherry]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_234870591-d954.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘So I never really took anything personally,’ reveals Dan. ‘And my mistake was expecting that other people would feel the same way, but I think that there were definitely times in the game when my empathy did come through. ‘I was really vocal in my defence of Kas because I had his back—both from an alliance and a Faithful perspective—from early on, and I wanted to be there for him.
![[The Traitors,02-01-2025,2,L-R: Maia; Charlotte; Alex; Dan; Francesca;,Studio Lambert,Euan Cherry]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_234797379-babd.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
