Award winning historian David Olusoga is trading documentaries for deceit, stepping into The Traitors with a remit to prove that academic rigour can outwit reality rivals. The Standard confirms his place in the autumn schedule, noting producers were keen to add intellectual heft to a line up heavy on performers.
Olusoga has presented landmark series such as Black and British and A House Through Time, dissecting primary sources to expose hidden narratives. Friends tell The Independent he intends to apply similar methodology in the castle, keeping a mental index of tells and contradictions to build a timeline of potential traitor moves.
Filming rules limit contestants to brief supervised note taking, posing a challenge for someone used to archival depth. A researcher who has worked with Olusoga revealed he practised shorthand memory techniques before entering confinement, aiming to recall breakfast conversations down to cup placement.
The historian’s public profile as calm and trustworthy may attract night time elimination if he is a Faithful, a risk Olusoga acknowledges. He joked during a recent British Library panel that “librarians can be lethal when cornered”, hinting he will not shy from direct accusation if logic points his way.
Scholars on academic Twitter celebrate his casting as proof that serious broadcasters can cross into entertainment without diluting credibility. Whether Olusoga leaves as master sleuth or silent victim, the experiment will test how scholarship fares against manufactured paranoia.
