A Church of England vicar from Cornwall is taking part in the new series of the hit BBC One show The Traitors.
Rev Lisa Coupland who was ordained in 2023, is a fan of murder mysteries such as Agatha Christie, Inspector Morse and Midsomer Murders and says this is one of the main reasons she wanted to apply.
The show which began its third series on BBC One on New Year's Day, sees a group of 25 individuals travel to a castle in the Scottish highlands with the aim of banishing 'traitors' who deceive their fellow contestants into thinking they are 'faithful'. The winner stands the chance of winning up to £120,000.
62 year old Rev Lisa told The Falmouth Packet that although the show, which is based on deception, goes against Christian values of honesty and truth, it was just a game:
"This is something that I've had to reflect on quite a lot, about going on a programme like The Traitors where deception and lying is part of the game and how does that sit with being a priest? It doesn't exactly speak of the values that we uphold as a priest.
“But this is a game. And just the same as if I'm sitting around the kitchen table with my family, if you're playing the game, you play the game, whatever that entails.
“And on numerous occasions, we have been made very aware of what the rules are, what the game is that we're letting ourselves in for. So, you're not doing it to unsuspecting people."
The vicar from Meneage parish said she wouldn't initially reveal her vocation because "if I say I'm a priest, I think I'm going to have a target on my back straight away.”
She added that she would use part of any prize money to help family and friends as well as support her parish church:
“I'm not in it for the money. And that's genuine. If I won the money, I wouldn't keep it.
“My own parish church, we have an old vestry, that we want to convert into a community place so that we can have lunches for people who have been widowed, who are bereaved and want to come together.
“I'd like to open a Lego club for kids to come and be able to be creative.
“I am very fortunate in my life that I have a job, and I have a husband who has a good job and so I'm very blessed.
“It's not about the money for me genuinely. Well, okay, that's a lie. It would be lovely to win the money because I know that I could do some really positive things with it. But if I don't win the money, I'm not going to be heartbroken.”