Minah Shannon is an Original Traitor from The Traitors (UK)/Series 3.
Profile[]
Retrieved from BBC:
Age: 29
Occupation: Call Center Manager
Location: Liverpool
Why did you apply to be on The Traitors?
After season one, a couple of friends and family members sent me the link and I thought I’ve got nothing to lose and I probably won’t hear anything, so I did it. I got through the first few stages for season two, but it got to the point of asking work for time off, and I wasn't able to get the time off. So, it was one of those things where, if something's meant to happen, it's meant to happen, and if there's a reason it doesn't happen, it was never meant to be.
After season two, people kept saying to me that I’d be so good on that show, so I applied again, and here I am! There’s nothing like it on the telly. Me, my husband and my mother-in-law love the show - we've watched the Australian one and the celebrity one from America. I think I like it because I like playing pranks on people and telling them little white lies, innocent lies - I think that's probably what drives me.
Tell us a little bit more about yourself and what you think you will bring to the game.
It depends on whether I'm a Traitor or a Faithful. I'd like to think I'm easy to get on with – I do just gel with different types of people from different walks of life. But I’m also very playful and always wanting to have a laugh.
If I was a Faithful I'd probably be a bit scatty and feel paranoid, I'd have to remind myself to calm it down a bit. I think overall, I would bring team spirit, getting everyone involved, making sure everyone's included. I think that's from my job – I’m asked to be like that at work so I think naturally I’m like that in general. I’m the mother of the group but also the one that wants to organise everything for everyone, and then sometimes a bit of a control freak, but always getting everyone involved.
What did you think of the previous series? Was there anyone’s game plan you admired?
I thought Harry was amazing. He played the role of a Traitor as perfect as anyone because he was friends with everybody. He would get everyone involved in the challenges, he wouldn't always be obsessing over shields, but then he'd also go for shields, which obviously makes sense if you're Faithful. I think the way he managed to grow a friendship with Mollie was perfect, because, if you're a Faithful you need somebody who is blind to your lies and who will always back you.
I thought Diane was amazing. There was quite a nice mix of people. Zack was a bit bossy, he had Maddie tendencies, but then I know I'd be that person to an extent, where you can be full on with your ideas, and you get people to back you in an idea that's incorrect. But it's harmless, isn't it? With Paul, I personally don't appreciate that style of Traitor. I feel like he was quite intense. Also, the other thing that I’d like to see in this season, whether I’m a Traitor or not is Traitors being faithful to each other. Obviously, you're a Traitor, so you don’t have any loyalty to anyone, but in the past they’ve been so quick to just throw each other under the bus sometimes. It’d be nice to see two Traitors win, and having each other’s backs all the way. I suppose though if it’s between you or throwing someone else under the bus, you’ve got to throw them under the bus, haven’t you?
What do you think you'll bring to the game? Do you have a game plan?
I feel like I have a very similar personality to Harry. In this game I will cheer everyone on in the Missions to get them done and to get the money. Secretly you're thinking, I need this lot to work hard to earn my money that I'm going to take at the end!
I think you've got to be careful not to throw too many accusations and allegations whether you're a Traitor or a Faithful, because if you're a Faithful, and you're constantly accusing people, as soon as you accuse a Traitor, you could get murdered. And then I think if you're a Traitor, there’s a risk of accusing too much. I’m going to be observant and be like the mother of the group - even though I might not be the oldest mother in the group - and just have my arm around everyone. If people are struggling, if they’re homesick or they just want to have a cousin and coach or someone to help tell them that it's going to be okay, I'm probably that person.
Are you competitive?
I used to be competitive, but my husband's family are all so competitive. I think it's because they were dancers growing up and they used to do competitions. I think if you're around that energy that much, like I am, you become quite competitive. For example, when Liam, my husband said he was going to learn to drive, my immediate response was well, I'm going to learn how to drive first. If you can do it, I can do it. I passed first, and he started three months before me!
I feed off people's energy. If someone's doing something I'm going do it too. I'll probably do a little bit of a better job. So yes, I’m a bit competitive!
Do you think you’ll be good at the Missions? What strengths do you think you might bring to them?
I’m very athletic, I do a lot of running, I'm quite a sporty person and I've always been naturally good at sports stuff, apart from tennis - I can't seem to crack tennis. I'm not strong enough to hit the ball. I think my fitness levels will help in the Missions, and I'll be really good.
If you are a Traitor, how do you think you'll feel?
I don’t know how I’ll feel until I’m in that situation, but I'm going in really wanting to be a Traitor. I'd be really nervous in the moment where you take the blindfold off. It'd be like, oh gosh, game on.
Whereas I feel like, if you weren't a Traitor, you'd probably have a little bit of time to figure out what the hell's going on. But I think that's exciting in itself, and I sometimes think it's a harder game playing a Traitor. If you're going to play a good Traitor, you constantly have to convince yourself of this lie, and that has to become your reality. You're out there trying to find Traitors, all the while knowing that you're the Traitor. And planning who you’re going to murder, who's the right person to murder at what stage in the game. I think it is a hard game, but the silver lining is that you know you're not going to get murdered, so you can probably sleep easy. Aside from that, I'm up for the challenge.
If you are a Traitor, how far are you prepared to go to win the game?
I’m naturally very competitive and because I always want to win, I’d do anything. But I also like to be honest with people and I think I’d struggle betraying people I’d become close to. I think in the back of my mind though I’d think I’m doing this for my family and that trumps any of the friendships I might possibly make.
If you're a Faithful, what do you think your game plan would be?
I think observing people as much as I possibly can, even the little things, trying to take in as much as I can prior to the blindfolds going on to see if I can pick up on any differences after that. And my game plan, I think, would be not to accuse anyone so full on, because it's alright when you're accusing the Faithful, because the Traitors will also back that. As soon as you start accusing the wrong person that’s a Traitor, then you're at risk of getting murdered. I’ll be careful about putting my energy into being fixated on one person. I get so angry in the first couple of episodes of all Traitors series, as it happens all the time, and everyone votes for the same person. It's like, why don’t you think for yourself, it's a little bit lazy, and I think that's playing it safe. So, I won’t necessarily play it safe in that sense, because I'd just be like, if I don't think that you're a Traitor, I'm not going to vote for you just because the rest of the table is.
How good are you at spotting a liar?
I’m very rarely wrong about people. I do think, because I take time to - without sounding like a creep - just watch people out the window. I take time to take people in and pick up on little bits. Sometimes the way you say certain things, shows more than what you're actually saying. I'd like think you can tell if someone's lying, but saying that, no one can tell when I'm lying. So, if the liars are as good as me, I'm in trouble!
If you win the prize money, what do you think you'll spend it on?
The first thing I'd do is book me and my husband a honeymoon. We got married in December 2020, in the height of Covid, and we had a really small wedding, which was lovely, but it wouldn't have been my choice and we didn't get a honeymoon. I’d love for us to go traveling around America for three weeks. I’d also use the money for a house deposit, which would be amazing.[1]
Gameplay[]
Minah was selected on Day 1 to be a Traitor, alongside Linda and Armani. She remained quiet and in the background whilst Armani emerged as a leader of the group, and Linda immediately attracted suspicion that wouldn’t dissipate over the course of the game.
Minah voted to banish Armani and later Linda after both murdered Fozia in plain sight. She then issued an ultimatum to Charlotte, who joined her as a Traitor.
At this point, Minah had attracted no suspicion except from Anna, who she later murdered. However, after Freddie and later Francesca became suspicious of her, due to various reasons, she was ultimately banished in Episode 10, because of the votes of those two, plus Alexander and Charlotte, who did not trust her as a fellow Traitor, and had been planting seeds about her.
Game History[]
| Episode | 1 | 1-2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7-8 | 9 | 10 | Banished: Episode 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traitors' Decision | Chosen with Armani & Linda | Murder Yin | Murder Keith | N.A. |
Murder Maia | Recruit Anna (Rejected) |
Murder Livi | Murder Fozia | Recruit Charlotte (Accepted) |
Murder Anna | Murder Lisa | Murder Joe | |
| Shield Wins | N.A. |
N.A. |
N.A. |
Lost | Won Shield | Lost | Lost | N.A. |
Lost | Lost | Lost | ||
| Banishment Vote | No Vote |
Livi | Charlotte | Armani | Kasim | Tyler | Dan | Linda | Alex | Francesca | Freddie | ||
| Voted With Group? | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | |||
| Votes Received | - | - | - | - | - | - | Anna | - | - | Alexander, Charlotte, Francesca & Freddie | |||
Trivia[]
- Minah is joined by Wilfred Webster from The Traitors (UK)/Series 1, Morten Thoresen from Forræder (Norway)/Season 3, Gáspár Róka and Timi Rátkai from Az Árulók/Season 3 as the Traitors who participated in the most Murders in any franchise - eight.
References[]
- ↑ The Traitors Series 3 Contestants - Meet the players joining Claudia Winkleman in the castle | BBC Media Centre — January 1, 2025
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