Could you spot a Traitor? Here's how to catch a liar, according to experts

Words by Kerry Parnell

As Celebrity Traitors begins and contestants including Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Alan Carr and Paloma Faith, try to outfox each other in TV’s most deliciously duplicitous show, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out triumphant.

Will Olympic diver Tom Daley win the trust of his fellow contestants, including sports presenter Clare Balding and singer Charlotte Church, or will he be callously murdered by his cloaked colleagues?

We can't wait to the Traitors Castle with host Claudia Winkleman. All we can say, is we hope the star Traitors are better at lying than the legendary Linda from Series 3.

The show has opened up discussions around lying – can it ever be a good thing? Most of us were raised to always tell the truth but we soon learn in life that little fibs here and there are essential to maintain smooth relationships and save people from being unnecessarily hurt.

Plenty of us omit certain details when telling a story but telling outright lies for personal gain and enjoying doing so points to another level of deceit altogether – one with little moral compass! In the interests of protecting ourselves we may tell a lie, but we also need to know how to spot if someone else is deceiving us.

Here’s 19 sure-fire give-aways, from experts.

1. They make you feel uneasy

Before you even start looking for physical give-aways, you should listen to your intuition, say experts. You’ll get a ‘sixth sense’ something isn’t right with what they are saying, according to psychotherapist Tina Chummun.

‘Listen to your gut instinct – your body is your first and finest lie-detector,’ she says. ‘Long before your brain processes a fib, your gut – packed with its own nervous system – picks up on subtle shifts. If you suddenly feel tense, uneasy, or ‘off’ around someone, trust that signal.’

2. They shake their head

They might be saying yes, but they don’t realise their head is saying, ‘no’. Leadership trainer and body language expert, Andy Coley, says he was astonished to see people shaking their head whilst asserting something was true, when he began coaching.

‘Normally if we say no, we shake our head and when we say yes, we nod… if these signals are mixed up, they can give a clue that something conflicting is happening between their thoughts and their words,’ he says.

3. They exhibit micro-expressions

While they might be attempting to keep a poker face, their micro-expressions will give them away. Look closely while they are speaking and you may spot the slightest flicker of a fib, like a flash of truth, say experts.

‘A liar’s face may betray them for just a split second – a flicker of fear, guilt, or contempt, that doesn’t match what they’re saying,’ says Chummun. But you have to pay attention, because, ‘these micro-expressions happen so fast they’re easy to miss unless you’re tuned in,’ she says.

4. They pause, or stumble over their words

When you’re lying, you have to be quick and super-smooth, to come up with plausible excuses, without it being too obvious you are making things up as you go along. This is not easy and because lying can overload the brain, a give-away someone isn’t telling the truth is when they stumble, or pause, in their speech, says Chummun.

‘Watch for longer pauses, lots of ‘erms’ and ‘uhs’, unnecessary details, or sentences that keep getting revised mid-way,’ she says. ‘If the story seems harder for them to tell than it should be, that’s your spoken clue.’ 

5. Their story changes

The adage that all good lies are built on a kernel of truth is why many players get away with it for so long. However, those less skilled at lying, or if they’re feeling under pressure, might change their story or start contradicting themselves, over time. ‘If someone is telling the truth, their narrative is more likely to remain consistent, even when retold multiple times,’ says psychotherapist Susie Masterson. This is why criminal investigators ask suspects to repeat their story, over and over, trying to look for holes in it.

6. Their body language doesn’t match their words

Another way of spotting someone is lying, is when the words they are saying don’t match up with how they are behaving. A classic is when someone says, ‘I’m fine,’ at the same time as frowning, involuntarily shrugging, or looking away, says body language expert Carole Railton. ‘Incongruence is the biggest clue. It’s impossible to be happy if you are frowning and the reverse is true – if you are smiling, you will not be able to be angry,’ she says. 

7. They say too much…

When someone is telling the truth, they usually answer a question in a straightforward manner, but if they are lying, there’s often a tendency to over-elaborate and say too much. Listen to how they answer you, says Coley. ‘If you ask someone questions about what they have said, a liar may over-elaborate and then start to contradict what was said previously,’ he says.

8. …or too little

However, to confuse things, a good liar might also do the opposite and say too little, especially if they’ve concocted a story with fellow Traitors. If they seem unwilling to go into detail about something, that could be a red flag, say experts. ‘People who are lying might pause, then under-elaborate,’ says Coley. ‘Most people can easily answer questions about what happened, if it’s real.’

9. They’re acting differently to usual 

A big give-away someone you know well is lying, is when they’re exhibiting a change in their usual mannerisms or behaviour. ‘It is easier to spot a liar you know,’ says Railton. ‘If you know their normal behaviour, you can look for deviations and play on these to develop a theme and test if they are lying.’

If someone who is usually confident, fun and outgoing, for example, looks on edge, or is sweating, then that’s a sign they’re not being upfront, says Chummun. ‘The best clues come from spotting what’s different for that person. It’s the shift, not the action itself, that should raise your eyebrows.’

10. They get defensive

Do they immediately go on the defensive when questioned? It could be a sign they’re not telling the truth. ‘Liars tend to feel uncomfortable when questioned directly, especially if asked the same question multiple times,’ says Masterson. ‘They might display defensiveness, become hostile, or attempt to deflect the conversation.’ But she warns – if they’re an expert Traitor, it could also be a double bluff.

11. They avoid eye contact…

This one is a classic – if someone is lying, they often literally can’t look you in the eyes, so glance away when speaking. If this is not normal for the person, it can be a sign they’re fibbing. ‘Avoiding eye contact is a common example of someone lying,’ says Masterson.

12. …or hold your gaze too long

However, Masterson, adds, watch out for the master-liars, as they’re all over this. ‘Some liars overcompensate by maintaining intense eye contact,’ she says. Coley explains the key is to spot if their pattern of eye contact changes while they are speaking. ‘If they normally look away to answer, but maintain eye contact for a question, or if they normally maintain eye contact but then look away for a specific question, they could be lying,’ he says.

13. Their voice changes

It’s not what they say, it’s how they say it. Listen carefully and you’ll hear a liar’s voice changes when they’re telling porkies – either they start speaking faster than usual, the pitch is higher or lower than normal, or the intonation goes up at the end of a sentence, like a question. ‘

The best way to spot a liar is to know how someone behaves normally,’ explains Railton. ‘Shifts like talking faster, blinking more or less and voice pitch rises are good clues to lies. And often liars make statements that sound like questions,’ she says.

14. They fidget…

One of the most obvious signs of lying, is when someone becomes fidgety and looks physically uncomfortable answering questions. ‘Do they start shifting uncomfortably in their seat, shuffling, swaying, tapping feet, wringing hands or generally appearing nervous?’ says Coley. ‘When we are lying, it affects our nervous system and we can end up feeling itchy or tingly, which appears externally as fidgeting.’

15. … or are unnaturally still

Conversely, another sign someone is not being truthful, is when they stop moving around so much, when speaking, that you notice they seem unnaturally still, or rigid. ‘Where the person becomes too rigid, it can also be a sign of stress or deceit,’ says Masterson.

16. They touch their face

One of the classic ‘tells’ somebody is lying, is when they touch their face or even cover their mouth, whilst speaking. ‘People who are lying may touch their hair, face or mouth more often than usual, or hide their mouth behind their hand when replying, trying not to be, ‘seen to be not telling the truth’,’ says Coley.

17. They shut their eyes

Another give-away someone is not being truthful, is if they close their eyes when they’re delivering the lie, without realising. ‘They might completely close their eyes, whilst talking,’ says Coley.

18. They overact

As all parents of young kids know, one of the easiest ways to spot they’re faking is when they overact their emotions – from dramatic crying to shouting their innocence. It’s much the same in adults – hello Linda fake-crying in the breakfast room in Season 3. ‘Someone might try to overcompensate by exaggerating their emotions, or conversely, seem too calm or indifferent when strong,’ says Masterson.

19. They turn it on you

It’s a classic gaslighting manoeuvre, seen around the table in Traitors, when the Traitor deflects the questioning and turns the tables on to the hapless Faithful, who watches their game plan crumble as the herd votes them out. Series 1’s Traitor Wilf was an expert at this.

Take note if someone goes on the defensive too quickly, says Coley – what do they have to hide? ‘They might become defensive and manipulate the situation, turning it round to you causing offence,’ he says.

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