Kirby Bentley reveals the toll of playing The Traitors’ ultimate game

It’s the finale of The Traitors and, as the game reaches its climax, Kirby Bentley reflects on the mental and physical toll of lying as a Traitor.

“I ended up getting a cold,” Kirby, 40, tells TV WEEK. “We [the Traitors] were the ones lying. It really gets to you. I was exhausted; I was stressed the whole time.”

Despite being one of the game’s sharpest strategic players, Kirby says her Traitors persona couldn’t be further from her real personality.    

“I hate liars,” the Survivor player explains. “In real life, I don’t want liars in my circle. I am very black and white and I like knowing where I stand. So my values and my morals are completely opposite to in the game.”

Her years as a professional athlete also helped her switch off her emotions and focus on the task at hand.

“I played National League Netball and NFL for 10 years at the highest level,” she says. “You learn to compartmentalise. It seems really cut-throat, but that’s just how you perform.”

But not everyone found it so easy to separate the game from their emotions. This week, Keira breaks down in tears after mistakenly eliminating a Faithful, highlighting just how difficult the psychological pressure can become when the stakes are this high.

“The pressure mounts when you get it wrong,” says Kirby.

“I think that’s the hardest thing of all – there were definitely some uncomfortable conversations to be had when we left the manor.”

The Traitors airs Tuesday and Wednesday at 7.30pm on Network Ten and 10Play.