"It was a cold death": The Traitors star Maz from Lancashire looks back at his time on the show

59-year-old Maz, full name Marzook Bana, was a civil servant - and latterly revealed, a retired police officer - from Preston.

A father of five, Maz signed up for The Traitors simply because he loved the show.

Unfortuantely for him though, he faced a difficult few days in the Traitors’ castle- featuring on the murder list three times (more than any other contestant).

Last night, was finally Maz’s time to go, with the traitors murdering him in plain sight in the middle of the woods.

Fresh out the castle, Maz sat down for a chat to share what he really thought of the experience so take a look at that next...

Was the castle as you expected? How did it feel walking in for the first time?

“You see some things on TV, and you think ‘it can't be like that!’ and what I found was that it was even better than what I saw on the TV. You have this vision in your head, because you've been watching the programme for so long, but then to actually experience it in reality was just amazing.”

What were your first impressions of your fellow players?

“I’ve made loads of friends, and they’re still my friends. So that’s always a good sign, isn’t it?”

Were you happy to be a Faithful?

“I was happy to be a Faithful. I wanted to be a Traitor; I think most people would be if given the chance as you have more longevity in the game, but I was always aware that as much as I wanted to win the game, and as much as I wanted to be a Traitor, I always look at the bigger picture. I tried my best to stick to who I was, rather than to be somebody else, and if that meant that I went out first, that was fine.”

We obviously saw you murdered in plain sight. What was it like seeing the Traitors for the first time? Were you suspicious of any of them?

“I'd already come to the conclusion that Stephen was a Traitor, and I wasn’t massively surprised about Rachel due to a couple of things that she'd said that were making me really suspicious. But Fiona, I had no idea. It was a cold death in those cages.”

How does it feel to be leaving the game now?

“I really enjoyed being there, I enjoyed people's company and I was really enjoying trying to figure out who the Traitors were. I am a tad disappointed that I didn't stay a bit longer to try and prove my suspicions as I think I had good suspicions, but I can’t fault any of my time there.”

Would you have done anything differently?

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I'm not that type of person that really looks back at things as I don’t think it gets you anywhere. You've got to feel the moment, and for me I did enjoy the moment and so I wouldn’t change that.”

What will you take away from your time on The Traitors?

“My main takeaway is just being able to experience something like this at my age. Most people don’t get the chance to ever have an experience like this, and so it’s amazing to do at 59. I've made so many friends, met so many lovely people, and have also seen Scotland for what it is, which is absolutely gorgeous. I don't have any negatives at all.”

Do you have a standout highlight of the experience?

“There's many! I absolutely loved the Missions, and I loved the people. I had such a laugh with people like Judy. Honestly, just being on the show was my standout moment.”

Who do you hope goes on to win?

“I hope the Traitors go on to win. The reason why I say that is because I understand the pressure that they must be under and how they have to think and be on it all the time. I have every respect for whoever goes on and wins though, because everyone deserves it.”