The series three contestant has said she and her partner Sophie would use the prize money to fund fertility treatment
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGES BY BBC
Get your hoods up and fingers pointing – The Traitors is back! The competition game show, beloved for its campy nature and dramatic twists, returned to the screen on 1 January, bringing with it a cast of new players, including LGBTQIA contestant Leanne. When talking about how she would like to use the prize money, Leanne revealed she and her partner Sophie would fund IVF treatment.
The Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, sees a group of people complete challenges to build a up a prize pot. The pot can be won by Faithfuls – players there just to play the game – or by Traitors, a small percentage of the cast who meet every night to “kill” off one of their fellow competitors. The group must vote each night for who they want to kick out, with the Faithfuls aiming to root out the Traitors. If even one Traitor is left at the end of the game, they take all the money. Last year’s winner Harry Clark, the final Traitor, took home £95,150.
This kind of money is life-changing and the first episode saw several people discuss how they would use the money. Faithful Leanne said there were a number of reasons she signed up for the show, including that she and her partner Sophie would use the money (currently at £117,000) to fund IVF treatments, giving their twin boys another sibling. “I would love the opportunity to have another baby,” said Leanne. “Hopefully have a bit of a better experience.”
Leanne was pregnant with her sons when she and Sophie watched the first season of The Traitors. She opened up about how difficult the preganancy was, explaining that she went into labour at six months. “The boys were only 26 weeks when they were born. Because I was so poorly at the time, I feel I missed out on enjoying that newborn experience.”
The prize money would be incredibly helpful to Leanne and Sophie’s fertility journey. Ongoing systemic discrimination means few LBQ+ women have their IVF treatments funded by the NHS, despite reports showing this group are one of the fastest growing demographics to use fertility treatments and have the highest success rates of all patient groups.
Leanne seems confident she could win the money. According to the 28-year-old, her partner said she’d be the perfect contestant because she would be “so good at getting people wrapped around [her] finger”.
“I tend to tell a few white lies to my boss for a couple of days off work, and I somehow always seem to get away with it,” she added. While she is a Faithful, Leanne is already lying on the show. As far as her fellow contestants know, she is and has always been a nail technician, but actually, she’s an Army veteran and was in the forces for 12 years, but wants to keep this a secret.
The first two episodes of The Traitors are on BBC iPlayer. The show continues on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 9pm.
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