A celebrity version of the reality competition series "The Traitors Ireland" is "inevitable," according to Darren Smith, founder and managing director of production company Kite Entertainment. While the immediate future involves a third season with civilian contestants, Smith indicated that a celebrity edition is a likely development.
"I think it's inevitable that some day we'll do a celebrity one, but for now it's still civilians," Smith told the Irish Mail on Sunday. He envisions a celebrity cast similar to the UK version, which featured prominent figures like Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross, attracting other big names by their participation.
The second season of "The Traitors Ireland" is set to premiere in September, with filming completed at Slane Castle. Smith confirmed that a third season is already in the works. He noted that the casting for the second season deliberately sought a different energy from the first, avoiding attempts to replicate specific contestants.
"It's not like we've gone for an older man to try and recreate another Paudie," Smith explained, referencing a popular contestant from the first season. "I think the audience smells that stuff when you do it. It's a very different energy to this cast. They're just different players."
Producers received an estimated 8,000 to 9,000 applications for the second season, a significant increase from the approximately 4,000 applications for the first. While many contestants were selected through applications, some were still recruited at events.
Presenter Siobhán McSweeney has expressed interest in seeing musicians Bono and Enya participate in a potential celebrity version. Smith's ideal celebrity cast would include "unlikely" contestants that the public would not expect to join the show, as well as well-known Irish personalities.
Suggestions for potential celebrity contestants have included comedian Tommy Tiernan, Oscar-winning actress Jessie Buckley, singer Hozier, and former soccer captain Roy Keane. On the side of prominent Irish figures, potential participants mentioned are GAA pundit Joe Brolly, broadcaster Claire Byrne, and TV architect Dermot Bannon, who has publicly stated his interest and belief he would be a "brilliant" Traitor.
Smith anticipates that the upcoming civilian seasons will continue to feature "brilliant costumes" for McSweeney, "a lot of great murders," and contestants who will capture the audience's hearts. The production process for the second season involved extensive editing due to the volume of footage captured by over 40 cameras operating daily.