Criminal psychologist reveals five signs someone is lying as Celebrity Traitors nears finale

The round table may be where the Faithful turn on one another as they try to banish the Traitors in the iconic BBC series. However, spotting a Traitor in real life isn't always as simple as watching for a guilty glance or a cheeky smile.

As Celebrity Traitors edges closer to its nail-biting finale, a criminal psychologist has revealed five tell-tale signs that someone could be lying, from subtle changes in body language to the way they answer a seemingly innocent question. While many viewers picked up on Richard E. Grant's very apparent blunder early in the series, when comedian Joe Lycett directly asked Grant whether he had been selected as a Traitor.

Rather than denying it, Grant replied: “Traitor”.

Dr Tracy King, an experienced clinical psychologist, expert witness and clinical hypnotherapist, exclusively told Tyla that there are five subtle signs to look out for when someone might not be telling the whole truth and maybe you'll do better than Ross Kemp when trying to spot a liar.

They don't actually answer the question

During that exchange between Grant and Lycett, he didn't directly answer the question. The admission effectively broke one of the game’s most important unwritten rules, with Traitors expected to keep their identities hidden while attempting to convince the Faithfuls they are innocent. But it won't always be that easy.

Dr King explains that this could be an example of 'paltering', when someone uses a statement that may be true but doesn't actually answer the question they've been asked.

"They tell you who they are rather than telling you what they did," she explained.

For example, a player asked whether they've encouraged others to vote for a particular contestant might respond: "I've had your back right through this game."

While this reassuring answer could be true, it doesn't answer the question.

Dr King suggests bringing the conversation back to the original point rather than being distracted by a convincing speech.

Catching a liar without a Roundtable moment can be done (BBC)

They draw you into a narrative

Some of the most memorable moments in The Celebrity Traitors involve players presenting elaborate explanations to justify their suspicions. But a story that hits all the expected beats doesn’t automatically mean it’s true.

Dr King warns that people can draw you into a narrative, giving so much background information that you lose sight of what you originally wanted to know.

”A friend may need to pay you back some money and when you ask if they have, they tell you a huge backstory about how they were on a train and their battery died, and then when they charged it, the app didn’t work, and then other bills needed to be paid. They are drawing you into their narrative, and it’s like you are in the scene, feeling their frustration. However, you still don’t know if the payment happened."

How might this look on Traitors? “You might have them say three people told them something negative about another player; then the sensible next question is ‘Who told you and what did they tell you?’ rather than just accepting the negative perception as fact.”

How do you spot a liar in real life with no Roundtable? (BBC)

They can't explain why they believe something

An accusation from a place of confidence can be enough to turn an entire group against someone. But according to Dr King, it's important to look beyond how convincingly someone delivers their verdict.

“In Traitors, someone might say, ‘That conversation at lunch completely changed my mind about her.’ So you ask, ‘What exactly did she say that changed your mind?’ If they respond with something just as vague like, ‘I just knew something wasn't right,’ then they haven't actually explained the conversation point that led them to conclude what they did and allow someone else to have a view.”

She added: “The aim is to give them space to explain and see if they can basically ‘show their workings out’.”

In other words, if someone is determined to banish a fellow contestant, it's reasonable to ask what evidence has led them there, rather than simply accepting their conviction as proof.

Their story changes

Dr King stresses that this is different from someone simply recalling more details. The question is whether their original account changes significantly once they discover that another person already knows more about what happens.

One potential real-world scenario is when someone initially denies sharing a private message, but then admits to discussing it and eventually conceding they showed someone part of the original chat.

The signs that someone's lying may not be as obvious as you think (BBC)

They reveal info they shouldn't know

This is a big one. For anyone playing the Faithful, knowledge is power but knowing too much could land them in trouble.

Dr King explains: “On Traitors, a person may have been murdered overnight and another one says ‘Oh they changed their minds’. The Faithfuls have only been told that one person was murdered. Nobody has said that anyone else was considered first.

“The fact there was a change in victim introduces new information. A Traitor could accidentally draw on a conversation they had and forget that, as a supposed Faithful, they should not have that information.”

She added: “Each response we hear is a stepping stone to our next question.”