'I wanted to be a traitor' Laois Traitors star reveals sad reasons that spurred him to enter RTÉ's hit show

A Laois man is enjoying his sudden fame after playing a great game in Traitors Ireland, but has shared the sad reason that spurred him on to enter the hit show.

Mark White, aged 39 from Durrow was a hit with fellow gamers in Slane Castle, as well as with RTÉ viewers, that is until he was 'murdered' two thirds through the series by Traitors Paudie and Nick.

Mark met the Leinster Express / Laois Live at his workplace, EKCO MSP, based in the trendily restored Portleix house in Portlaoise.

He was still a bit hoarse from all the post show celebrations with almost all of the Traitors "cast".

The Traitors Ireland cast with presenter Siobhan McSweeney. Photo: RTÉ

“We all met up on Tuesday night in Ballsbridge and got to watch the last episode together.

“I loved the show and I was delighted to be a part of it. I made a lot of new friends. It was well received, a lot of people liked it,” he said.

He explained how he got on the show, a phenomanal success that had gripped viewers three nights a week for the past month.

“It was just random. I watched all the franchises in other countries and I love it.

“A few months before, two people I was friends with passed away from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.

“At the time I was like 'I'm not going to say no to anything any more, I'm going to go do things.

“I organised a cycle from Mizen Head to Malin Head. I did it about three months ago with 13 other people from Laois. We did it over four days, we called it the Mizen to Malin Cycle, with Angie McNulty, for the Mater Hospital. We raised €18,500.

“I was just on a path of doing things. Then I saw the application for this show and I just filled it out, thinking I wouldn't get it.

“Two weeks later I got a phone call, and that started the whole series of events. I had to do three interviews, and a personality test. So 6,500 people applied and 24 got it,” he said.

He recalls his favourite moments.

“The physical missions, the boat mission was cool and the barrel mission. Then just all the game playing, the mind games.

“They all knew I wasn't a traitor so there was no pressure on me at the round table. I just had to be myself. I wanted to be a traitor, I wanted to play the mind games, tell the lies and just play the game.

“I just had to find out who the traitors were and I think I did a good enough job, I caught two straight away, Paudi and Eamon. that put a target on my back, I was lucky to last as long as I did.

“You're getting an idea to of what it's like behind the scenes with a camera crew, filming. They were all brilliant, RTE, Kite Entertainment,” he said.

He had his favourites he hoped would win if he didn't.

“Nick and Vanessa. I spoke to them more than anyone, we were on the same wavelength with our suspicians. That's my downfall because when Nick got recruited he had to get rid of me because I would have copped he was a traitor.”

If he had won, his hope was to buy a campervan.

“Ah maybe someone will sponsor one and I'll tag them on Instagram,” he joked.

Mark is from Durrow, but originally from Cullohill.

“I'm a Harps man and a Lions soccer man,” he said.

He is also a champion pool player, based in Ballacolla and will shortly represent Laois at the All Ireland pool championships in Killarney.

He has newfound fans all over Ireland, including many he met at the National Ploughing Championships.

“The young kids shocked me most, the amount of primary school kids coming up for photos, it's mental. The fact it's on at half 9 and there was cursing in it.

“I was out for a night in Portlaoise, a guy in work had a party, and I'd say a quarter of the people knew me but I was out in Dublin and it was mental with people coming over. It'll all die down, but it's mad.”

He works as a deployment team lead in the IT sector for EKCo MSP, building bespoke laptop systems and doing site visits.

Mark has had hearing aids since birth in both ears, but two years ago he woke up and had suddenly lost all hearing in his right ear.

His only option was to get a cochlear implant.

“I didn't care, a lot of people get sick and there's nothing they can do about it. I'm lucky to have a solution.”

He attended local schools, and not the school for the deaf in Dublin, at the insistance of his mother. David went to Cullohill NS then Heywood CS, fitting in well and learning to speak despite his disability.

“I grew up nearly not knowing I had hearing aids.”

He has one brother in England, and a niece Ruby who also has hearing aids.

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“It's kind of cool for her to see me on tv with hearing aids. I've had a few messages on Instagram from people who are proud to see someone else wearing cochlear implants on television. Some schools have asked me to call in to talk about it too. I hope to do it once I catch up on work.

“I did the show for me, not for publicity, but if anybody gets something good from it, that's great.”

Follow Mark on Instagram here