Packed with drama and suspense, The Traitors has returned for its third season and is getting everyone talking once again.
But it’s not just the psychological tricks that are captivating audiences: Claudia Winkleman’s outfits are just as gripping as the gameplay. Will the next banishment steal the show? Or her latest gothic knit?
Sinead McKeefry is the brains behind Winkleman’s coveted Traitors wardrobe.
Having done her formal training at Central Saint Martins, McKeefry achieved an MA in Knitwear. “I had a part-time job working in JD Sports on Oxford Street while I was at college, and it was there that I met a stylist who had come in to borrow some trainers for the band All Saints.
“I said, if you ever have anything going, I’d love to get some experience.”
The stylist took McKeefry up on the offer, and she soon began working with the likes of Billie Piper, Emma Bunton and Mel B, before moving into TV styling for Fearne Cotton.
“Her and Claudia were doing a job together and they just had one stylist for the shoot, which was me. I’d already been working with Fearne for a while, but Fearne said to Claudia, ‘I think you’ll really like Sinead.’
“And that was about 20 years ago.”
From then on, McKeefry became Claudia’s stylist for Strictly: It Takes Two and later on, the main show itself.
But from shimmer and sparkles to moody countrycore, McKeefry found adapting Claudia’s style for the highlands surprisingly easy.
“I have a very natural style,” says McKeefry, “How can I put it? That countryside but slightly worn-down look.
“I love that aesthetic. As children, my family and I’d go to Donegal every summer on holiday, so I’m very drawn to that kind of backdrop.
“I love tweed and knitwear, and having trained in knitwear it’s very easy for me to cast my net far and look at what’s out there [for Claudia’s looks] and really appreciate it.”
There’s no denying the impact that the Scottish Highlands have on Claudia’s looks, as McKeefry draws most of her inspiration from the classic British backdrop.
“I think where the missions are sometimes set – like the woodlands – can almost make it feel like a beautiful photo shoot, where you’d see those lovely Gothic looks put together in a woodland atmosphere so naturally.”
While McKeefry’s 24 looks are meticulously planned down to precise Polaroids, sometimes perfect pieces are thrown in, “The first series we did, I think Claudia wore my old Barbour for every mission.
“I was like, she needs a coat as well, so I thought I’ll go to my house, get my Barbour and just throw that in there as well.”
For season one, it was all down to trial and error. “Right before the show, they said the breakfast look is not going to work for the round table, and I was like, what are you guys talking about? Because I didn’t even know the format.
“I was on the way to a wedding, and they said we’re going to need 12 extra looks for the round table, because otherwise it is not going to work.
“It was my assistant’s wedding as well – who would normally be the second port of call – but luckily we have an archive of clothing. I called another assistant, and said can you go into my office and we’ll just FaceTime and go through everything.”
McKeefry is used to last-minute changes when it comes to the pace of styling for TV. “For the funeral in season one, the producers called me and said ‘we just thought that Claudia should have a veil’, and I thought well I’m in London and you’re in Inverness – there’s only one way we’re going to make this happen: Amazon,” laughs McKeefry.
“So I literally sent them a £6.99 Alice band with a net coming down,” says McKeefry, “Someone writing about it actually referenced that it was Dior!”
“Now it’s really nice because there’s a very clear definition between what’s the breakfast look and what’s the round table look.”
Vastly different to her Strictly style, Claudia’s Traitors wardrobe is far more pared-back and relaxed. “I think people like to see those looks – like the Holland Cooper jeans with the Dr Martin boots in this series, it’s got that heritage feel but also an edge, which makes it look so cool.”
“What I like about some of the looks is that they’re so transferable. You could wear them out to Sunday lunch, but then we can be quite playful and a bit more dramatic.”
There’s certainly no shortage of drama when it comes to her looks – just take Claudia’s heavy fringed coat from season two.
“I don’t ever want anything to feel fancy dress – ever. But I do get that Claudia can really get into character as well. [This season] there’s definitely more of a Gothic take.
“Some of the looks are much more dramatic than what we’ve seen already.”
It’s not all of McKeefry’s keen eye however, giving credit where credit’s due, she says “[Claudia’s] got a really good, natural style. She is very into fashion.
“She’ll constantly be sending me things on Instagram – she actually did an internship at Vogue – she’ll bring me things where I’m like wow, OK…”
If you’re tempted to recreate Claudia’s looks to a T, then you’re in luck.
Claudia’s iconic woollen overcoat was actually auctioned off, along with some of her other most coveted pieces from the show.
“That was auctioned off to Comic Relief,” says McKeefry. “We also auction things for the King’s Trust and other charities. So some of those big key moments they go to a good home and make money for charity as well.”
When asked which look of season three would be most iconic, McKeefry said it’s impossible to predict, “The smiley face jumper from last season was actually the first look I put together for that series.
“I was just putting pieces together from the clothes rail and [with that one] I thought that’s definite and took a Polaroid of it. Claudia loved it from the moment she put it on.”
But nailing an iconic look is hard to predict. “You almost don’t want to do the same thing twice, but so far, people seem to have really loved the Kaptial jumper – with the herringbone and skeleton on it, but I don’t think that’s our standout moment.
“I think the standout moment is still to come.”
The Traitors returns on Wednesday evening on BBC One at 9pm, with catch up available on BBC iPlayer.
