BBC The Traitors: Exactly why Welsh accent deemed 'more trustworthy' as player Charlotte continues to pretend
This year's series of The Traitors has seen a fair bit of Welsh representation on our screens. In the third series of the popular psychological adventure competition we've seen Elen and Leanne, both from north Wales, compete in the show as Faithfuls.
Another contender, who has a Welsh connection and has used this link as part of her game plan, is Charlotte. The 32-year-old business director from London has a Welsh mum, but was born and raised in England. In the first episode of the BBC series, Charlotte revealed she would be adopting a fake Abergavenny accent during the show. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
The contestant revealed that she hoped that adopting a fake Welsh accent would make her "more trustworthy" with her other contenders. Her game plan has seemingly worked well so far, with neither Leanne or Elen realising her accent is fake during the show. But many have questioned why Charlotte has adopted a fake Welsh accent on the game show, with one fan on X branding it as a "hilariously unnecessary lie".
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A psychologist has now had their say on exactly why a Welsh accent is deemed "more trustworthy" and why certain accents may be perceived as "unfriendly", which could explain Charlotte's decision. Although there are many different accents in Wales, acclaimed psychologist Dr Lalitaa Suglani said accents such as Welsh are perceived as "warmer and more approachable".
Speaking on behalf of research done by online gambling site Slingo, Dr Lalitta said the Welsh accent along with "certain regional British accents" are often perceived as "friendly" due to their "gentle intonation and rhythm" which in turn, often makes speakers come across as "more emotionally open and relatable". Meanwhile, the expert explained that accents with "sharper or more clipped accent", such as received pronunciation (RP) may come across as "authoritative or detached", which may explain The Traitors' Charlotte's decision to alter her accent.
Other contributions to these assumptions include cultural stereotypes and biases, which means that accents often carry cultural associations tied to stereotypes about friendliness, professionalism, or honesty. According to Dr Lalitaa, these perceptions are shaped by societal narratives and media portrayals over time.
Another contribution could be down to familiarity and comfort, with people tending to trust accents that feel familiar or similar to their own, evoking a connection or shared identity. The expert also suggested that cognitive biases in judgements, which refers to the fact that people are wired to make quick judgments based on auditory cues, could also be a contribution. According to Dr Lalitaa, friendly-sounding accents can activate "positive emotional" responses, while "unfamiliar or harsher" accents might trigger skepticism or caution.
The Traitors will be aired from Wednesday to Friday at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
