Ky. dad of 3 to appear on reality show set in Scottish castle. Here’s where to watch
If Kentucky viewers tune into “The Traitors” – a new reality TV show streaming on Peacock starting Jan. 12 – they’ll see one of their own, Michael Davidson of Clay County.
Davidson is a single dad who looks after his three children, ages 5, 6 and 9, in small town Oneida. He spends his time running the local driver’s license office and supporting his eldest daughter Emery’s cheerleading competitions.
But in “The Traitors,” a show set inside a 19th century castle in Scotland, anyone could be the one of the impostors scheming to sabotage other players and steal the $250,000 cash prize.
The show has had runs in other countries, including in the United Kingdom on BBC, but Davidson will compete as a contestant on a new U.S. version, streaming only on Peacock.
Davidson calls appearing on the show “the coolest experience of my entire life.”
“The whole thing was just mind-blowing to me,” Davidson said.
Davidson, a fan of reality TV, has applied to be on the show “Survivor” for several years, though he hasn’t made that dream happen yet. Competing for a quarter million dollars on “The Traitors” comes pretty close though, he said.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’m not going to turn it down,” Davidson.
The Oneida resident describes “The Traitors” as a unique blend of shows like “The Mole” and “Big Brother.” Set in the beautiful yet isolated Ardross Castle, a little more than an hour’s drive northeast of the Scottish capital Edinburgh, players must compete in challenges that test their mental fortitude.
They also have to suss out who they can trust and who they can’t because three to five other contestants have been designated as “traitors.”
If even one of the traitors bamboozles the “faithful” and makes it to the final stage of the competition, they win the $250,000 cash prize.
In “The Traitors,” there are no formal teams and no immunity from being eliminated, Davidson said.
Davidson said the show ratchets up the drama with “banishments” and “murders.” If you want to vote to eliminate another player in one of these two ways, you have cast your vote in a big circle along with everyone else.
“You have to vote people out to their face,” Davidson said, adding that there’s a possibility of being retaliated against if the vote doesn’t go your way.
Should Davidson emerge victorious, he said he intends to buy his own home with the earnings. Though viewers will have to watch the show to see if Davidson managed to achieve that dream.
All 10 episodes of “The Traitors” will be available to Peacock viewers starting Jan. 12.
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