Traitors Ireland host Siobhán McSweeney: ‘I was told I shouldn’t be on telly’

Siobhán McSweeney, the actress best known for playing Sr Michael in the popular sitcom Derry Girls, has spoken publicly about her experience hosting the Irish version of the reality TV show Traitors. In an interview with The Irish Times ahead of the second season's broadcast, she expressed frustration over her compensation, blaming RTÉ for underpaying her. Last September, McSweeney was filming The Great Pottery Throw Down for Channel 4 in England, working long hours starting at 4 a.m. During this time, she began to worry about her brother, Traolach, who was not calling as usual. When she reached out, Traolach reassured her that everything was fine, stating that he saw her every day on television and that people only wanted to talk about Traitors. From the outset, the Irish version of Traitors, a show where 24 contestants lie and deceive each other for the chance to win a cash prize, became a massive hit. It quickly became water-cooler television, drawing audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The show helped launch careers for some of its participants, including former prison officer Paudie Moloney, who later appeared on Dancing with the Stars and in a TV advertisement with Joanne McNally. The final episode attracted an audience of 732,000 viewers. As host, McSweeney brought a distinctive flair to the show. Already renowned for her role in Derry Girls, she added a unique blend of charm and authority. Known for her vibrant style, she often wore bold outfits such as black boleros, silk capes, and Victorian-style neck ruffs, paired with striking makeup and a warm smile. Her presence on set at Slane Castle, where the show was filmed, had the power to shift the mood, either calming tensions or raising the stakes. Despite her popularity, McSweeney initially hesitated when Kite Entertainment, the independent production company behind the show for RTÉ, approached her to host. She declined multiple times, expressing concerns that RTÉ might mishandle the format. However, she eventually agreed after being convinced that the format would remain intact. In an interview at the Cellar Bar of the Merrion Hotel in Dublin, McSweeney spoke candidly about her decision. “I agreed after saying no three times,” she said. “I said no because frankly I thought RTÉ would fk it up. So did the nation. I’m not going to be part of a failed British reproduction. I can’t do a st version of what Claudia Winkleman does. Don’t f**k up the format, and they didn’t, which is down to Kite.” Her remarks reflect a larger personality, jovial, thoughtful, and theatrically inclined. She is known for speaking her mind, which has sometimes made her difficult for publicists, especially given the presence of RTÉ’s press representative and her London agent during the interview. McSweeney’s journey into television began in the late 1990s while she was an undergraduate at University College Cork. She and another actor performed in a play titled The Physicists by Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Though neither of them recalls much about the performance, McSweeney’s talent shone through. At the time, she was studying science, yet her passion for acting was evident. She has consistently challenged traditional norms in the industry, particularly regarding the expectations placed on women. “I shouldn’t be on telly at all,” she says. “I’m told continuously that everyone who works on telly should be blond, speak a certain way, have a certain size. Those days are gone now because that was never the truth.” McSweeney’s success with Derry Girls has cemented her status as a beloved figure in Irish entertainment. Her recent role as host of Traitors continues to showcase her versatility and confidence in front of the camera. As the second season approaches, fans will be eager to see how she balances her comedic timing with the high-stakes drama of the show.