Peacocks The traitors is nominated for four Emmy Awards for its second season, and host Alan Cumming talked about what he likes about the reality competition.

“I just love this show. I love being in the castle. I love everyone there. It’s so much fun,” Cumming said on the virtual panel for Deadline’s Contenders TV: The Nominees. “The second time around, it was great that we all got a little bit more into the groove. And everyone was a little bit more confident because we’d done a show before and it was a success. And now we’re really hitting our stride.”

Cumming, who is nominated for outstanding host for a reality or reality competition program, his fifth career Emmy nomination, said: “It was a great feeling to come back,” adding: “It’s great when you do something new, but you’re always afraid you won’t get a chance to make it better and improve it. And that’s what was great about this second season. It really felt like we had a chance to tinker with things. I think the show improved because of it. And it’s always nice to be in Scotland.”

For the competition’s second season, which was renewed for season 3 in February, producers opted for a full cast of celebrities and reality stars. Executive producer Toni Ireland said the “biggest benefit of having a full celebrity cast is that you’re on equal footing.”

One of the highlights of the season was The Real Housewives of Atlanta Star Phaedra Parks. Many of the contestants known from competitions underestimated her because of the type of show she is famous for.

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“I think all the Housewives are social players, right? They know how to play the social game,” said executive producer Mike Cotton. “I think the Housewives have the skills. … They can be social manipulators and play that side of the game. There are a lot of different ways you can play it.”

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Ireland added: “That’s why Phaedra was so successful. Because to be a successful traitor you have to have a social game. You can’t just be a strategist. People have to like you and trust you, and that’s why she was so brilliant.”

The traitors He is also nominated for Outstanding Directing of a Reality Program and Outstanding Reality Competition Program.

Check back on Monday to watch the panel video.

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