Be specific, but not too specific

“People always look for verifiable information when trying to determine what’s a lie, so be careful about what information you give when you want to deceive people,” says van der Linden. “Liars tend to keep things vague so that they’re not caught out, whereas truthful information tends to be something you can fact check, because there’s no need to hide any details.” Van der Linden explains that there’s a sweet spot: giving enough verifiable information to keep Faithfuls happy, but keeping things vague enough so that you’re not caught out. For example, explaining that you did have a conversation with Diane about who killed her but not being too specific about exactly what she said. Paul, we’re looking at you.

Be ruthless with your emotions

“Trained liars try to control their emotional expressions when they tell a story,” explains van der Linden. “Coming across as confident in what you’re saying is really important, so trying to minimise any nervous cues – such as changes in your voice or your movements – is a good starting point.” The key is to be aware of when you look nervous, and try keep the nerves at bay. Obviously, if the story requires an emotional response (case in point: Paul tearfully talking about missing his son at the round table), then it’s important to lean into that so that people aren’t surprised by your response. But, according to van der Linden, any other general nerves will simply invite people to pick your story apart… like Brian’s baffling roundtable moment in episode four after being called a ‘sheep’ by the other players. Banished but not forgotten.

Do you have what it takes to win The Traitors? A top social psychologist reveals the traits and tricks necessary to triumph