Trigger warning: This article discusses suicide and abuse.
2022 marked the first year The Traitors Australia aired on television. Network Ten’s newest reality TV venture was a hit, and rightfully so. The competition had it all: Drama, entertainment and nail-biting suspense, making it a formula for success.
The last episode saw Alexandra Duggan take home a prize pool of $250,000 worth of silver and of course, the title of The Traitors Australia. While she’s busy spending her well-earned fortune and planning a wedding to boot, fellow contestant Craig also has big plans now that the show is over.
Australia collectively mourned for Craig after he was duped and stabbed in the back by Traitor Alex. His hopes of winning the prize were dashed, and his aim to finish the show as a champion for the sake of his special needs daughter slipped from his reach.
“It was very emotional to go through, but to watch it back, it’s like you’re relieving those emotions all over again. So it was hard to watch, to be honest,” Craig told The Latch.
“I wasn’t playing the game for me. I was playing the game for my wife and my daughter — we have a special needs adult daughter who is 21, but her mental age is about three or four.
“So my sole purpose was to support her. At that moment, it was just bitter disappointment, and I had an overwhelming feeling that I let them down,” he admitted.
Craig, who tragically lost his sister to suicide and suffered from an inexplicable amount of abuse as a child, initially turned down the offer to appear on the show, with the network having to approach him a second time for him to give in finally.
“Channel 10 found me, and I said no to The Traitors at first, especially once I knew the title because, as a business coach, I didn’t want to be associated with anything called The Traitors,” said Craig.
“I’m a survivor of horrific abuse, and the first 21 years of my life was surviving abuse in every sense of the word, and my primary motivation was to keep my two sisters alive.
“I’m aware that I carry a fair bit of damage that comes along with that, and my youngest sister did, in fact, end up taking her life as a result of the damage that was done to us. I live with a lot of those things, so putting myself in a pressure cooker mental situation for me was not something I would have done. Which is why I said no to doing it,” he admitted.
“But the importance of doing it for our daughter overrode that, so I put that on the back burner because the ‘why’ for us was important.”
The Traitors is constantly testing your mental strength. It’s not easy living with a group of strangers and not knowing who to trust, but despite Craig’s reservations and history, he made it to the very end.
Now, he, along with fellow Traitors contestants Justine and Nigel, are embarking on a new initiative. One that helps support those struggling with their mental health.
“I guess when you look at mine, Justine and Nigel’s stories, it’s incredible. We want that to mean something, so we’re working out what we can do from a mental health perspective to help people going through what we’ve gone through,” Craig explained.
“We’ve toyed around a little bit; we’ve set up a website called Grab a Plate, Grab a Mate, and we’re not sure where it’s going to go. But if there are people out there in that space, then we’d love to encourage conversations around mental health.
“Every day, I live with the thought that if my sister could have spoken to the right person at the right time, she might still be here, and that will never leave me. So even if we help one person, then we’ve accomplished something we can be really proud of,” he said.
If you or anyone you know is struggling and needs support, call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. You can also speak with someone confidentially at Headspace by calling 1800 650 890 or chat online here.
Want more The Traitors? Click here to read all our content, and check out the stories below:
- ‘The Traitors’: When Will the Games Begin?
- ‘The Traitors’: Will Midy Have to Compromise His Values for the Win?
- Teresa Knows How to Control a Crowd, But Can She Win ‘The Traitors’?
- ‘The Traitors’: Claire Is Ready to Deceive Everyone for the Win
- ‘The Traitors’: Will Criminal Lawyer MK Make It to the End?
- Rodger Corser Spills on What We Can Expect From ‘The Traitors’
- ‘The Traitors’: Can Financial Investigator Paul Banish the Traitors?
- ‘The Traitors’: Puzzle Queen Olivia Is Ready for a Challenge
- ‘The Traitors’: Hostage Negotiator Nigel Is a Traitor With an Edge
- ‘The Traitors’: Real Estate Agent Matt Is One of the Good Guys (He Swears!)
- ‘The Traitors’: Competitive Mark Is Ready to Win
- ‘The Traitors’: Traitor Marielle Is Ready to Take Out the Faithfuls
- ‘The Traitors’: Cheeky Lewis Is Ready to Lie to Everyone’s Faces
- ‘The Traitors’: Kate Is Ready to Be Devious for the Win
- ‘The Traitors’: Will Law Student Kashindi Defeat the Traitors?
- ‘The Traitors’: Justine Won’t Let Anyone Take the Win From Her
- ‘The Traitors’: Fiona Is Expecting to Be Underestimated
- ‘The Traitors’: Ethan Is Ready to Burn Bridges to Win
- ‘The Traitors’: Hotel Concierge Dirk Is Ready to Lie for the Win
- ‘The Traitors’: Body Language Expert Craig Is Ready to Find the Traitors
- ‘The Traitors’: Clairvoyant Chloe Can See Herself As the Winner
- ‘The Traitors’: Traitor Angus Is Excited to Be the Villain
- ‘The Traitors’: Will Miss Universe Finalist Alex Charm Her Way to the End?
- Everyone Who’s Been Banished or Murdered on ‘The Traitors’
- The Traitors’ Mark Reveals the Most Surprising Part of the Game and Who He Thinks Will Win
- ‘The Traitors’: Does Claire Think Nigel and Marielle Can Make It to the End?
- The Traitors’ Angus on Being a Traitor and Who He Thinks Will Win
- The Stunning Hotel Where ‘The Traitors’ Was Filmed
- The Rules of ‘The Traitors’, Explained
- ‘The Traitors’: Chloe Explains Her Decision to Quit the Game
- The Traitors’ Marielle Reveals What’s Next for Her After Being Blindsided
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