‘They Didn’t See My Clothes:’ How ‘The Traitors’ Deal With Early Exits

This article contains spoilers for Season 3 of “The Traitors.”

Before heading to a castle in the Scottish Highlands to film the new season of “The Traitors,” Dorinda Medley read “The Art of War,” talked through strategies with her daughter and filled her luggage with vintage Vivienne Westwood and Alaïa pieces.

Medley, a veteran of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” figured she was prepared for the competition series, in which a cast of reality stars is divided between “traitors,” whose identities remain secret and who choose a player each day to “murder,” and “faithfuls,” who try to uncover the traitors’ identities.

“One of my very best friends said to me, as the parting note, ‘it doesn’t matter if you get kicked off, just don’t be the first one to get kicked off,’” Medley said. But that’s just what happened.

After just one night in the castle, Medley was murdered by the traitors. “I’ve done some great things in ‘Housewives,’ I’ve done some not so great things,” she said in an interview. “But I’ve always been in control of them. Whereas when you’re on this show, it’s just a whole different set of rules. Like, what could I have done?”

An early departure can be a bit of a gut punch for reality stars, who sometimes lobby for coveted spots on “The Traitors,” an Emmy-winning Peacock show that has been among the highest rated unscripted shows on TV. Besides offering a cash prize of up to $250,000, the show can help change perception of a villain or a ditz and be a springboard for their next casting. Hosted by Alan Cumming, whose wild sartorial choices set the standard, it’s also a showcase for fashion-forward reality stars.

Chanel Ayan, from “The Real Housewives of Dubai,” was excited to go to Scotland because she is a big fan of shows about the royal family and because she said she is known for her style. She hoped to showcase her smarts, but she was the second person murdered this season.