For regular readers of the Weekly, Jackie Pope will need no introduction because she’s been writing our horoscopes for more than 22 years. The much-loved astrologer is also in demand online as a clairvoyant and tarot card reader.
“There’s a gift on my mother and father’s side, and I realised early on it was something I was good at too,” she says. “Although everyone has a certain level of intuition, the trick is to practise every day and love what you do.”
Which is why Jackie can’t see herself retiring any time soon.
“I love to see the penny drop. For the light to switch on behind someone’s eyes to see that life can be simple. We can resolve problems without things being dramatic,” she says. “Not that I tell people what to do. I just read their pathway, then they choose what to do.”
Jackie also loves taking on new challenges, so when Three’s show The Traitors sought contestants for a new series, Jackie threw her hat into the ring.
Hosted by Paul Henry, the show sees contestants involved in a murder-mystery. Those dubbed “Faithfuls” must figure out which of the contestants are “Traitors”. Those traitors’ role is to eliminate or “murder” the guests one by one.
“When I saw an ad for The Traitors pop up on Facebook, I decided it would be the perfect adventure for my 70th year.”
Jackie also wanted to celebrate being free from breast cancer for 10 years. And, of course, Jackie was selected to be on the show because she is smart and sassy. She’s also a little bit naughty, which is just the ticket for The Traitors.
Jackie’s primary objective was to have fun, but she still took her role seriously. In typical Aquarian-style, the perceptive septuagenarian watched every episode of The Traitors she could lay her hands on. Studying franchises from the US, UK and Australia, Jackie boned up on strategy in order to weed out friends from foes and Faithfuls from Traitors.
“I’d always dreamed of doing something like this, but I also knew that clairvoyants and old people are always the first ones to go, which is why I told the others I was a columnist who wrote horoscopes, because I suspected I might be the sacrificial cow if they knew I was a clairvoyant.”
Even though Jackie was eliminated at the end of the third episode, she will always be a winner to the Weekly. “Being on The Traitors was a blast,” she says. “I went in wanting to prove to myself I could do something like that and I came out with a new lease on life. And I loved getting permission to lie my face off. That was exhilarating!”
But it still smarted to be eliminated. “When I came home, I cried for about five minutes because I didn’t win, but I’m so glad I wasn’t murdered on the first night.”
Jackie also enjoyed befriending some of the younger contestants.
“There was a set of stairs in the castle where for some reason I couldn’t keep my balance. Whenever we were on them, one of the younger people would magically appear by my side to hold my hand,” she tells. “Or if I was lagging behind, one of them would stop and wait. I found that very moving because I did worry about the physical challenges. I’m very proud of how I coped, especially with the flaming mud!”
Jackie also gave one of the younger Traitors players a run for his money.
“There was a scene at the round table where Mark told everyone he organised Dungeons & Dragons games. I let him know he wasn’t the only gamemaster. I’d been playing Dungeons & Dragons before he was born because gaming just happens to be one of my passions.”
Reflecting on her time in the castle, Jackie declares she wouldn’t change a thing.
“I did think about who I should be in the game. Should I play the sweet old granny? But when I got there, I knew I had to be myself, even if I’m not everybody’s cup of tea.
“There were moments when I wondered, ‘What have I done?’ But I went in with an open heart and an open mind, and came out ecstatic that I did it. Here I am, 70 years old, and it’s one of the best adventures I’ve ever been on!”
The Traitors New Zealand screens 7pm Mondays and Tuesdays on Three, and streams on ThreeNow.
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