'Paul is the shameless villain we need on The Traitors - but his mask will slip'
Cloaked murder, secret relationships, lies laid bare... Claudia Winkleman's fringe. The first series of The Traitors had the whole nation hooked with its camp, Cluedo-esque feel. But how do you keep that momentum up when the format is already so familiar?
Give us a villain, of course. And Paul Gorton is delivering that by the bucket load in season two. But like all baddies, the business manager-turned-cold-blooded-killer (well, almost) has proved seriously divisive with viewers. One of the most common complaints we've heard at the Round Table this season is of Faithfuls (or Traitors) changing tact as soon as they enter the castle grounds. Banished ex-military man Jonny got accused of switching up his personality throughout the show and chess coach Anthony got booted off via the same logic.
But Paul, 36, has remained consistent in his shameless desire to kill and not be killed - even before he'd made his Traitor debut. And that's exactly how he's managed to create a cult following amongst his fellow players - much to Jaz's dismay.
Ever the humble foe, Paul said before the show that he 'fancies himself' as a winner, adding: "People get a bit disarmed around me because I am affable, I think that can make people slip up". He even vowed to never wash his top again if Claudia tapped him on the shoulder and chose him as a Traitor. Love him or loathe him, Paul is not afraid to show just how delicious he finds the deceit behind closed doors. His Machivellian streak is in equal parts endearing and infuriating, and that's what makes him brilliant to watch.
The memes speak for themselves. Dubbed both a genius and completely evil all at once, Paul has been described online as the colleague who 'would take the credit for a big project you did all the work on'. Or the manager who's 'your best mate one minute and investigating why you're 47 seconds late to your desk' the next. Cutting a sort of Shakesperian, David Brent figure, his cunning gameplay has sent the internet into a frenzy.
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This isn't Paul's first foray into performing - or national telly for that matter. The Manchester-born salesman appeared on Deal or No Deal in 2010 (leaving the building with 10p), hosted his own TV show to bolster his fame and even performed stand-up comedy. But The Traitors seems to be his true calling, as he genuinely relishes the idea of murdering one of his fellow castmates each night - starry-eyed and grinning like a Cheshire cat as he contemplates doing the deed.
His keen ability to turn on the water works at just the right moment, work the room with his so-called 'narratives' and act like your best friend right before he seals your fate with a death note feels as though it's been plucked straight out of one of Shakespeare's greats. Viewers have compared his poker face to Van Gogh's steely portrait, or his teary moment to Matt Hancock's infamous 'eye-wipe' on Good Morning Britain (ouch). But he strikes me as a modern day Iago from Othello - duplicitous and damming.
Whenever he feels his conscience creeping in, Paul simply 'reshapes' the scenario in a way that will 'benefit' him. Take his 'Oscar-worthy' performance when he claimed to 'miss his family', adding that he 'wouldn't mind going home' after things went sour for him at the round table. Or his constant insistence that it's the 'quieter', less confident players who should raise suspicions. Convenient much.
But his self-absorption may be his downfall, as he's too dizzied by power to see the plot holes in his master plan. The business manager clung onto being voted the most popular member of the group so tightly that he nominated himself for the dreary dungeon challenge, and exposed himself in the process. He's managed to fight off his critics so far, with a cohort of clueless cheerleaders behind him, but how long will he last until the mask slips? Whatever happens, it's safe to say we'll all be watching obsessively.
But why are we so hooked by Paul's epic manipulation? The show's heavily gamified format allows him to shamelessly lean into his villain alter-ego - we can't shun him for doing his job, after all. This addictive dynamic is one we lack on other reality shows like Love Island and Big Brother, where any hint of deviancy is quickly weeded out by viewers - in order to put players on the chopping block.
We're simultaneously waiting for Paul's fall from grace and secretly rooting for him in the process, and that's exactly what the series needed to keep us tuned in. Paul's main character energy is carrying the show this season - whether he lands the prize money or returns home with just his Claudia-tapped T-shirt in hand.
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