The Traitors Ireland‘s release on BBC iPlayer has provided a great balm for anyone missing the UK version after its recent final – and one of the things that’s made it so popular is the presence of host Siobhán McSweeney. But it seems the actor, who also fronts The Great Pottery Throw Down and starred in Derry Girls, initially needed a fair bit of persuading to even take the job.

Speaking on The One Show to hosts Alex Jones and JB Gill yesterday, she explained that she feared she wouldn’t live up to the likes of Claudia Winkleman, who hosts The Traitors in the UK, and Alan Cumming, who fronts the US version.

“When I was asked, I said no three times, because I thought you needed somebody as good as Claudia or Alan Cumming to do it,” she said, jokily adding: “But they convinced me they didn’t!”

“But what I try to do is sort it bring my own idea into it, because there’s no point trying to be Claudia. You have to be who you are.”

Praised by Jones for her outfits on the show, she said: “It’s all about the outfits. Well, it’s such an outrageously camp show, you sort of have to meet it. Lady Muck is the name of the character I play!”

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The 12-part series aired last year in Ireland, and has gone down a storm with British viewers thus far. One person wrote on X: “Traitors Ireland is unhinged. The best of the entire franchise. This is the level of insanity that I want from Traitors UK. Superb television.”

Someone else said: “Honestly the Traitors Ireland is so good. #TraitorsIreland Holy f**k, they pick up on such good things it’s incredible.”

Another quipped: “Love the #TraitorsIreland. Nobody says ‘I voted for yourself’.”

McSweeney also teased that the current run of The Great Pottery Throw Down will go down to the wire, with the diversity of expertise amongst this year’s contestants making it hard to pick a frontrunner.

BBC

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“It’s my fifth series doing it, and every year I know less and less! Every year, I’m gobsmacked over the talent we have,” she said. “This year, it just seems to have elevated a little bit. Maybe because they’re all so incredibly talented but in different ways.

“This year, it’s pretty exciting because you just can’t tell [who’ll win]… It’s all down to the very last episode with this series.”

The Traitors Ireland airs on BBC Three and iPlayer, with new episodes every Monday night at 9:05pm.

The One Show airs weeknights at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

The Great Pottery Throw Down airs Sundays at 7:45pm on Channel 4.