'Nerve-wracking drama' around Traitors ex-detective

Spoiler warning: This article contains details of the new series of The Traitors.

A former Metropolitan Police senior detective has said she "deserved to be banished" from The Traitors castle, after continually voting out fellow Faithfuls in the hit TV show.

Amanda Collier, from Brighton, was eliminated from the show at the round table on Thursday, shortly after revealing her secret identity to castle best friend and Traitor Rachel Duffy.

She told BBC Radio Sussex: "I was gutted. You can't afford to make mistakes in this game."

Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, The Traitors sees the group split into Faithfuls and Traitors, with the former looking to find the latter before the traitors can "murder" them.

The former detective chief inspector said: "There was a sneaky suspicion from a couple of people and then it snowballed and you go."

Collier became the seventh player to leave the castle in the fourth UK series of the top-rated show.

There was deadlock in Thursday's round table between her and fellow Faithful Reece Ward after two rounds of voting.

Collier was then eliminated by chance when she failed to choose a box which contained a shield.

She said: "What a dramatic way to go.

"Reece and I were quite close in the castle so that made it even harder.

"It was totally nerve-wracking. You just try to keep it together, really."

Only moments before the round table she told Traitor Rachel Duffy her secret policing identity.

"As soon as I found out [she was a Traitor] my jaw hit the ground," she said.

"You form friendships and bonds. And, unless people give you reason not to trust them, personalities come together.

"She's a formidable character."

Despite saying she was "very adept at covert policing" Collier failed to identify a single Traitor.

The revelation that she was a former police officer sparked a dramatic and unprecedented confrontation between two Traitors, Duffy and Fiona Hughes.

"That was just unbelievable," said Collier.

"They are team traitors. But that's the game.

"If you get a thought in your head that someone isn't playing the team game, it suddenly becomes self-preservation."

The 57-year-old has lived in Brighton for about 20 years.

She said: "Being a gay woman in Brighton and being a police officer you stick out a little bit.

"People put you on a pedestal, which is fantastic - to use that platform for good."

Collier posted on Instagram after her exit: "What a ride. I've loved every minute.

"I'm coming out (again) full of gratitude with memories and friendships that will last a lifetime."

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