Tears, treachery and murder: Meet the cast of The Traitors NZ

Julia Vahry

37, former police officer

A master at reading body language after spending nearly a decade on the frontline, she says, “I really like to see the best in people, so I don’t naturally sit in a place where I am anticipating a lie. However, I do watch people’s responses in situations –

a lot of the time, they don’t need to say anything at all for me to spot a lie.”

Mike Puru

47, broadcaster

The former Flava radio host and beloved TV star applied to be on the show “because I am fascinated with how humans think and operate”, he tells Woman’s Day. “We are complicated! I’m also keen to test my own ability to lie to win something – and man, it looks like some seriously mind-bending fun.”

Anna Reeve

36, model & influencer

Having lived most of her life with the autoimmune disease alopecia universalis, which results in the loss of all body hair, Anna’s unique look saw her scouted at just 14. Not your average “mummy blogger”, she says, “I have a pretty good read on people and their demeanours, catching a slight shift in behaviour or change in story.”

Brooke Howard-Smith

50, entrepreneur

Married to fellow television personality Amber Peebles, the talent agent and ex-Target presenter reckons The Traitors is

“a very smart show and a real challenge”. The former extreme athlete adds, “I’ve always said no to reality TV, but this seems to be so much more than your typical reality show.”

Sam “Fury” Johnson

27, professional gamer

The captain of the “E Blacks”, this champion video game sportsman hopes to track votes and build a “mind map” to trap the Traitors. Known for his cool, calm demeanour, he says, “If I win the prize money, I want to invest it in my dream business venture – opening an e-sports bar in my home city, Christchurch.”

Loryn Reynolds

28, ballroom dancer

Asked how she’ll feel if she’s chosen to be a Traitor, the Dancing With The Stars pro – who won the show in 2019 with partner Manu Vatuvei – says, “It will be empowering knowing I have some control over the game, but I’ll need to be aware of what’s happening around me and have my poker face firmly on to try to hide the truth!”

Colin Mathura-Jeffree

51, model

Well-known for his stints on New Zealand’s Hottest Home Baker and New Zealand’s Next Top Model, smiling assassin Colin is obsessed with crime movies. He says there is an evil streak behind his charm… “People think they know me, but really they don’t know me at all.”

Dan Sing

48, talent agent

He’s appeared in Xena, The Brokenwood Mysteries and The World’s Fastest Indian, but Dan is also a pro poker player, who

won more than $50,000 in a 2015 tournament. Asked how this will help him, he says, “I have an exceptional poker face, but no one can read what you are up to if you also have no idea.”

Kimberly Stewart

38, psychic

No, not Sir Rod’s daughter! This Kim is a medium who says her supernatural abilities have been passed down through both sides

of her family, with her ancestors including tea-leaf readers and fortune tellers. Also an author, she says, “My game plan is to use my intuition and to watch everyone closely.”

Brodie Kane

36, broadcaster

Asked if she’s got a good poker face, the former Breakfast star says, “Look, I would say my face is really emotive, but I actually think that makes a good poker face because I’m really good at maintaining the status quo of myself, which makes for a good poker face, right? I think that makes sense, but the short answer is yes!”

Sam Smith

37, comedian

No, not the singer! The 7 Days funnyman is a father-of-two whose multiple sclerosis forced him to give up his job as a dentist. Sam hopes to be chosen as a Traitor as he’s “naturally a friendly guy so nobody will suspect me”, but otherwise, he says, “I’m going to let people manipulate me and hope it all works out in the end.”

Robbie Bell

50, hairstylist

Kings

33, musician

Dylan Reeve

43, writer & filmmaker

Christen Oliveira

27, influencer

Justine Smith

54, comedian

Matt Heath

51, Radio Hauraki host

Vanda Symon

54, crime novelist

Fili Tapa

42, influencer & IT consultant