Cork actress to host hit reality show

A Cork actor and presenter has been announced as the host of the Irish version of a hit reality TV series airing in this country in 2025.

Siobhán McSweeney, known best for her role as Sister Michael in ‘Derry Girls’ will take the helm of ‘The Traitors Ireland’, coming to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player this year.

“Like everyone, I am a huge ‘Traitors’ fan, so when I was asked to host the Irish version I jumped at the chance,” said Siobhán.

The show demands a certain level of charm and deception, something Siobhán believes the Irish have in spades.

She continued: “The Irish have a charm and ability to deceive while smiling which will make this version rather special, I think. And I’m the luckiest person in the world to watch them close up.”

The Irish version of the nail-biting psychological reality competition will see 22 strangers arrive at a remote castle to play the ultimate game of deception, betrayal, and trust – all in the hope of winning up to €50,000.

However, hidden amongst them are the show’s titular traitors, who will attempt to secretly murder a player every night. It will be up to the others, known as the ‘faithfuls’, to try to detect who the traitors are and banish them from the game before they become their next victim.

Each day, the group will embark on missions as they work together to add more money to the prize pot. The lucky ones who survive to the end will have the chance of winning the life-changing cash prize, but if a traitor remains undetected, they’ll steal all the money.

Steve Carson, director of video, RTÉ, said: “We're really looking forward to bringing ‘The Traitors Ireland’ to RTÉ audiences and delighted that Siobhán is going to be at the heart of it. She is an incredibly talented actor with a great comic and dramatic range. We know that she is going to bring something really special to Ireland's version of this fantastic game of trust and deceit.”

Darren Smith, MD Kite Entertainment, said: “At Kite HQ we’re thrilled Siobhán has come on board to host ‘The Traitors Ireland’. We’ve been very big fans ever since we first laid eyes on her mega performance of Sister Michael in ‘Derry Girls’ and know she’ll be a crucial part in making the Irish version of ‘The Traitors’ brilliantly entertaining, endlessly dramatic, and best of all, utterly Irish.”