Traitors star immediately went against game plan
Spoiler warning: This article contains details of the new series of The Traitors.
A Traitors star said he did not intend to be so outspoken after being banished from the castle.
Faithful Sam Little, an account manager from Yarm, Stockton-on-Tees, was sent home during Thursday's episode after being under suspicion from the start.
The 34-year-old told BBC Radio Tees he was "devastated" to leave the hit BBC One show but "the writing was on the wall for a little while".
"My strategy was to firstly be a Traitor and if not, it was to stay military medium, but that is not what I did, I went out the gates very hot," Little said.
Little believed claiming the only shield during the haunted cabin mission ultimately led to his downfall.
"I was devastated, but I felt like the writing was on the wall for a little while," he said.
"I fought my corner as best I could, but I could feel them closing in on me."
'It is brutal'
"I think me being outspoken at the start probably raised a little bit of suspicions amongst the Faithfuls and then the Traitors' ears probably pricked up," Little said.
"And then a series of unfortunate events throughout just piled on the pressure and eventually I crumbled."
Little added it had been frustrating to watch the show back, but it was hard to "think critically" in such a high pressure environment.
On seeing fellow Faithful Harriet get banished over Traitor Rachel the episode prior, he said: "I still kick myself about that now.
"It is brutal, I can't tell you how difficult it is in there with the stress, with that environment, with the accusations flying around.
"Hindsight is a wonderful thing."
But the 34-year-old said despite the frustrations, he has an "overwhelming feeling of gratitude" that was able to be part of the show.
"Hundreds of thousands of people applied and no matter how stressful it is in there or whatever's going on, you do have these moments where you have to sit back and go, wow I'm one of 22 people who got to do this," he said.
"So I'm just so thankful for it."
The Traitors continues on BBC One and iPlayer on 16 January at 20:00 GMT
