“I do agree that unconscious racial and cultural bias exists in this game where my authenticity or honesty or the ways in which I choose to express myself look suspicious to people who are unfamiliar with people like me.”
Following her banishment from this year’s Celebrity Traitors, that was the take of actress Myha’la, 30, after finding herself leaving the iconic castle early.
The Industry star was overwhelmingly voted off by her co-stars after a series of slip-ups during her time on the show, including winking at a banished Traitor, concealing a shield, and foolishly changing her vote at the roundtable.
To be fair to Myha’la, she did also concede that she “sealed her own fate” due to this series of cock-ups. But conceding that your own mistakes played a part in your downfall doesn’t get the vultures circling like crying “unconscious bias” does.
Myha’la admitted she “feared” being “unconsciously bias”-ed against before entering the castle, and when coming face to face with her castmates, she “clocked right away how prevalent this is in this game.”
I mean, who would’ve thought that a cast consisting of a non-binary Game of Thrones star, Nish Kumar’s best mate, and a soap star best known for her trans Corrie character would prove such bigots?
Myha’la made the remarks on Instagram, where she simultaneously tried to clarify that her “dear friends on this show (in) no way consciously put bias on me because of my race.”
She went on, however: “I do think games like this should allow more conversation around unconscious bias and how, when under pressure, people (society) gravitate towards things they know and understand or subsequently push away from things they don’t.” (sic)
Should it? Should it really? Or could it simply be that extroverts find introverted behaviour suspicious and vice versa?
Could it be that assertiveness in a game where second-guessing is prevalent has an adverse effect? Could it be that we shouldn’t presume everyone unconsciously holds discriminatory views towards marginalised or minority groups?
I mean, Alan Carr, a gay white man, won last year’s Celebrity Traitors after seeing off black autistic singer Cat Burns, Nigerian-born historian David Olusoga, mixed-race actor Nick Mohammed, and Joe Marler, a white rugby player who’s been open about his own mental health struggles.
Which minority group was supposed to have been “unconsciously bias”-ed against there?
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Let’s look at the banishments of yesteryear, given that those from ethnic minority backgrounds are supposedly persecuted off the bat each series when evidence of Traitorous behaviour is thin.
The first person banished by groupthink in season one was Nicky Wilding, a white woman. In season two, Sonja Clarke, another white woman. And in season three, Nathan Khider, a white man, was the group’s first victim.
It wasn’t until season four of the civilian series that Judy Wilson, a black woman, was banished. Sam Little, a white man, led the charge against her.
This was when claims of “unconscious bias” really started to rear their heads. Broadcaster and Jeremy Vine regular Narinder Kaur was one particularly vocal viewer at the time, arguing on X: “Another reality TV series #TraitorsUK where black contestants are voted off first! The racism is glaringly obvious, and it’s astounding ppl keep gaslighting us that it’s just a damn coincidence!”
She added: “It’s astounding that the media aren’t discussing the racism on the Traitors! (And reality TV shows in general in the UK). Even worse if you’re a WOC and happen to be clever, outspoken and confident – you’re obviously traitors. No other explanation. Doesn’t matter if they said exactly the same words as a white man!!!” (sic)
A rather surprising take on Judy’s banishment, I felt, especially given that in the roundtable ahead of her exit, Judy literally admitted to looking at host Claudia Winkleman when she said the word: “Traitors.” I reckon that might have had something to do with it.
Amanda, a white woman, was also one of her most vocal defenders against Judy’s interrogators. She clearly didn’t get the “unconscious bias” memo.
Some may argue that those “murdered” by the Traitors paint a different picture. And that’s true. Three out of the four first murdered contestants in the first four civilian series were people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Aisha Birley, a black woman, was murdered first by The Traitors in season one. Yin Lu, an asian woman murdered in three, and Netty Österberg a mixed-race woman murdered in four.
But Aubrey Emerson, a white man, was the first killed off by the Traitors in season two, and if you look towards the first edition of the Celebrity Traitors, its debut season saw Paloma Faith, Tom Daley, and Ruth Codd as the first three murder victims – all white.
The chosen Traitors each series are a much smaller pool than the full cast of the roundtables, so I’d argue it is even weaker evidence of “unconscious bias”. Even so, are we suggesting that the likes of Armani Gouveia and Minah Shannon in season three were displaying “unconscious bias” towards Lu, for instance?
The Traitors has proven to be a rare success for the BBC. It has already attracted 10m+ viewers during live broadcasts so far this season.
The show proves linear TV is not dead.
And I do not doubt that this is in no small part down to its regularly diverse line-ups. Seeing people from all walks of life interact and scheme in such a high-pressure environment is why it’s so entertaining.
But if critics keep looking for reasons to be angry, we’ll end up with a manufactured, watered-down product destined for the chop.
The BBC is on a cost-cutting mission right now. If The Traitors bosses start to pander and overcompensate for this so-called bias by meddling with its formula, I can’t imagine the Beeb will continue forking out the rent for that castle much longer.
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