From the Lab to the Round Table: An interview with Jade Scott on The Traitors, her research, and fighting imposter syndrome.
9.6 million people tuned in to watch our very own Graduate Teaching Assistant and PhD student Jade Scott in the Traitors final. Known for her sharp instincts, calm focus, and quietly commanding presence, Jade fought off round table suspicions before finally being betrayed by the winning traitors, Stephen and Rachel.
We sat down with Jade to explore what it鈥檚 really like to juggle academia, national television, and the emotional intensity that comes with playing one of the UK鈥檚 most gripping games.
The Traitors experience鈥淚 was a fan of the programme already and when watching it last year I thought, 鈥榳hy not, I can do that鈥�! Being a keen player of online social-deception games, which make you think a few steps ahead, I didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 be too bad at it.
鈥淓ntering the castle I always wanted to be a Faithful, I didn鈥檛 think I could be a Traitor.鈥�
鈥淔or the first-round table you鈥檙e blindfolded, sitting so close to the person next to you, you can hear them breathing. When the blindfold came off, my face gave me away I wasn鈥檛 the only one who was flustered, but it somehow became a thing and it made me feel constantly on the defensive. That shaped my entire experience from the start.
鈥淚 was also accused of being defensive when I was challenged. What was I expected to do - just sit there silently? I got so much heat, and it really annoyed me, especially when everyone else was allowed to challenge, argue, and speak freely. It felt like double standards. It was hard not to react to that. It took me a long time to stop playing defensively and grow into playing the game.鈥�
鈥淥nly my dad and my boyfriend knew that I was going into the castle, they were sworn to as much secrecy as me. When the programme aired though, the support came flooding through. It鈥檚 been fantastic, academics in my department reached out when they discovered I was on the show and my Teams chats went wild.
鈥淎nd who knew how much reaction a cardigan could get! That cardigan became my whole personality. It did bother me that people made assumptions about my background from the way that I dressed. The stereotype became very frustrating, but it has taught me how quickly people can make up their own narrative.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know who had won until the final, but I鈥檇 always suspected Rachel. Watching it back confirms just how intelligent she and Stephen were. Knowing what I know now, watching the turret scenes was fascinating. It鈥檚 very easy to shout at the TV when you know who the Traitors are. It鈥檚 very different when you鈥檙e inside it.鈥�
鈥淚 chose 糖心TV for my undergraduate course because of the University鈥檚 history and standing. It鈥檚 one of the best in the country and who can resist all of the green spaces around campus. It was a no brainer that I would carry on and do my PhD here.
鈥淢y research at the University specialises in women鈥檚 health and pregnancy, focusing on understanding how the placenta develops. Complications in pregnancy can come about when there are errors in how the placenta forms or how it works and I鈥檓 looking to understand the 鈥榯rophoblasts鈥� which are the cells that deliver nutrients to the developing baby. By looking at how these cells develop and form a working placenta, I鈥檓 hoping this research will help us to understand certain pregnancy complications.
鈥淏eing in the castle has made me a lot better at explaining what I do to non-experts. I鈥檝e had to learn how to summarise years of work into a sentence or two. That鈥檚 a real skill, and one I struggled with at first. Now, I feel much more comfortable speaking to wider audiences. Women鈥檚 health is underserved, underfunded, and incredibly important and it matters to me that people understand why.鈥�
Life after the castle
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a whirlwind! I鈥檝e not really had chance to settle back into 鈥榥ormal鈥� life yet. I鈥檝e been to a few red-carpet events which are really surreal, especially when celebrities are starstruck meeting you and wanting your picture. I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l ever get used to that!
鈥淚鈥檝e got about seven months left of my PhD, and then I need to figure out what comes next. I鈥檓 weighing up my options across industry, research, and science communication and building on the nutrition business I鈥檓 working on alongside my research.鈥�
What鈥檚 your advice for anyone after being on the show?
鈥淲ithout a doubt the biggest takeaway for me is not giving in to imposter syndrome. You鈥檙e capable of more than you think, I went in convinced I couldn鈥檛 play certain roles, and I proved myself wrong just by surviving as long as I did. I鈥檝e certainly grown in confidence.
鈥淪ometimes, you just have to take a seat at the table and see what happens. I鈥檓 proud of myself for making it as far as I did, defending myself repeatedly to stay in. You only play The Traitors once, but what you take away from it stays with you.鈥�