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Unconscious bias in the workplace | Lessons from The Celebrity Traitors
Written by Andrew Moore on 7 November 2025
The Celebrity Traitors has had us all hooked. While we tune in for the twists, betrayals and tense round tables, beneath the entertainment lies a powerful lesson about unconscious bias.
Each vote and accusation is driven by gut instinct and limited information – much like workplace decisions, which are frequently influenced by hidden assumptions rather than objective facts.
So what is unconscious bias, what risks does it pose in the workplace, and how can employers take action to prevent it from affecting decisions and outcomes in their organisation?
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What is unconscious bias?
Unconscious bias refers to the automatic, unintentional judgments or stereotypes we hold about people or groups that influence how we think and behave without realising it. These biases operate beneath our awareness yet can subtly shape our decisions and actions.
In the workplace, unconscious bias can sometimes result in discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 — for example, when someone is treated more or less favourably because of their gender, race, age or another protected characteristic.
Importantly, intent isn’t required for discrimination to occur. Even if a decision-maker didn’t mean to discriminate, the outcome can still be unlawful if it results in someone being treated unfairly because of a protected characteristic.
Examples of unconscious bias
Contestants on The Traitors constantly make judgments with limited evidence. Group votes often reflect in-group and out-group dynamics: those seen as similar are trusted, while those who appear different become targets. In past series, people of colour and neurodivergent contestants have been treated less favourably – not through overt hostility, but because of hidden assumptions about who ‘looks’ or ‘acts’ like a Traitor.
This year, for example, Stephen Fry suggested Cat Burns’ tiredness might be linked to late-night Traitor activity, unaware that her fatigue stemmed from neurodiversity and the strain of social interaction. In the workplace, this sort of assumption could lead to discriminatory treatment if it affected opportunities or decisions.
Other examples of unconscious bias in the show include:
- Confirmation bias: Players often seek evidence that confirms their initial suspicions while ignoring anything that contradicts them. For instance, if a player already suspects someone is a Traitor, nervousness or a weak argument at the roundtable may be interpreted as guilt rather than a natural reaction to stress – as happened with Kate on several occasions.
- Stereotyping: People often make snap judgments based on a person’s profession, public image, or perceived traits rather than their actual behaviour. For example, Mark Bonnar, an actor known for playing dubious characters, quickly drew suspicion as a Traitor. Conversely, some players are presumed trustworthy because they are quieter, older, or a parent.
- Groupthink: As the game progresses, players often conform to the group’s consensus to avoid standing out. Many contestants abandon their initial suspicions at the roundtable in favour of popular theories – like the ‘Big Dog’ theory – often resulting in flawed decisions when the majority was wrong.
Of course, the show is designed to create drama and tension, pushing contestants to make decisions with minimal facts and plenty of speculation. It makes for compelling viewing – but it also provides a striking example of how unconscious bias can creep into decision-making when information is scarce.
How unconscious bias can harm your business
Unconscious bias doesn’t just affect fairness – it can hit your bottom line, slow growth, and damage your reputation. Here’s how it can impact your organisation:
- Recruitment pitfalls: Bias can lead you to hire familiar candidates over the most qualified, causing you to miss out on top talent.
- Promotion errors: High performers who don’t fit an unwritten ‘profile’ may be overlooked, leading to disengaged staff and lost potential.
- Stifled innovation: When ideas from certain employees are ignored, creative solutions are lost, reducing your competitive edge.
- Talent attrition: Employees who feel undervalued or excluded may leave, increasing recruitment costs and knowledge gaps.
- Reduced team performance: Bias-driven decisions push teams toward safe, familiar thinking, lowering agility, problem-solving, and resilience.
- Disputes and legal risk: Unconscious bias can lead to unfair treatment based on protected characteristics, triggering grievances and costly discrimination claims.
Just as contestants on The Traitors may ‘banish’ someone because they seem different, organisations risk undervaluing or discriminating against employees based on assumptions rather than evidence – resulting in missed opportunities, lower performance, and potential legal exposure.
10 ways to reduce unconscious bias in the workplace
Raise awareness
Begin with training or facilitated discussion about what unconscious bias is, how it works, and how it shows up. Use examples from The Traitors as a vivid metaphor: how quickly a group can ‘decide’ someone is untrustworthy without evidence.
Implement structured decision-making
Use standardised criteria in recruitment, promotion and performance processes. Make sure people are evaluated against objective measures – not just ‘fit’ or gut feel. Use evidence and document decision-making.
Blind review where possible
Remove identifiable data (such as name, school, background) from early stages of recruitment or internal review processes to reduce the influence of similarity bias.
Assemble diverse panels
Involve people from different backgrounds in decision-making panels. That reduces the risk of a homogeneous group reinforcing its own assumptions.
Encourage people to speak up
Create a culture where all employees feel safe to challenge assumptions and offer ideas. Tools such as ‘devil’s-advocate’ roles in meetings or agenda items for alternative viewpoints help.
Monitor and measure
Track recruitment, promotion, retention and engagement data by gender, ethnicity, age, disability, etc. Look for patterns that might suggest bias is influencing decisions.
Ensure inclusive onboarding
Like in The Traitors, latecomers are often treated differently. Actively include and integrate new starters so that they’re not left out.
Create feedback and reflection loops
Encourage decision-makers to pause and reflect. Ask: “What assumptions am I making about this person? Am I treating them differently because they are unfamiliar or don’t look like me?”
Champion thought diversity
Communicate that diverse thinking is an asset. Recognise and reward contributions from under-represented voices. Ensure meetings solicit input from quieter members.
Lead by example
Senior leaders must visibly model inclusive behaviour, and must accept accountability for bias-related issues. If the culture allows ‘trusted types’ to flourish unchecked, bias thrives.
Protect your business from the hidden costs of unconscious bias
Unconscious bias at work might not produce dramatic ‘banishments’, but the stakes are real. It can erode productivity, stifle innovation, and put your business at legal and financial risk. Boardrooms and interview panels can resemble a Traitors roundtable, where snap judgments, group pressure, and hidden assumptions quietly shape who succeeds – and who is overlooked.
The lesson is clear: decisions based on gut instinct, group conformity, or assumptions about who ‘fits in’ are exactly the dynamics organisations must guard against. By recognising and addressing unconscious bias, businesses can make fairer, evidence-based decisions – protecting talent, ideas, and performance from being lost.
WorkNest’s expert HR Consultants can keep your business compliant and reduce hidden costs by:
- Delivering tailored training sessions to raise awareness of unconscious bias.
- Auditing HR processes to identify and reduce bias in decision-making.
- Supporting evidence-based recruitment and promotion to ensure fair, objective outcomes.
For specialist support, contact our team today on 0345 226 8393 or request your free consultation using the button below.