‘The Traitors’ Host Alan Cumming on Loving the Show & EP on Phaedra Parks’ Success

Peacock’s The Traitors has garnered four Emmy nominations for its second season, and host Alan Cumming shared his enthusiasm for the reality competition show.

“I really just love this show. I love being at the castle. I love everybody there. It’s such a fun thing to do,” Cumming said during a virtual panel for Deadline’s Contenders TV: The Nominees. “What was great the second time around is we’re back all in the swing of it a bit more. And everyone was a bit more confident because we’d done one already, and the show had been a success. And now we really kind of hit our stride.”

Cumming, who is up for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program, his fifth career Emmy nomination, expressed his delight in returning to the show. “It felt really good to come back,” he said, adding: “It’s great when you do something new, but you always worry you’re not going to get a chance to make it better and to improve upon it. And that was what was so great about doing this second season. It really felt we had a chance to sort of tinker with things. I think the show improved because of that. And it’s always nice to be in Scotland.”

For the second season, which was renewed for Season 3 in February, producers chose a full cast of celebrities and reality stars. Executive producer Toni Ireland noted that the “biggest benefit of having a whole celebrity cast is it’s a completely level playing field.”

One standout from the season was The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks. Many contestants underestimated her due to the nature of the show she is best known for.

“I think all Housewives are social gamers, right? They know how to play the social game,” said executive producer Mike Cotton. “I think the Housewives do have the skills. … They can be social manipulators, and they can play that side of the game. There’s many different ways in which you can play it.”

Ireland added: “That’s why Phaedra was so successful. Because to be a successful traitor, you have to have a social game. You can’t just be a strategist. People have to like you and trust you, and that’s why she was so brilliant.”

The Traitors also received nominations for Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program and Outstanding Reality-Competition Program.