The Traitors star Amanda Collier has revealed how the BBC show saved her life and uncovered a life-changing diagnosis.
The former Detective Chief Inspector with the Metropolitan Police, who was banished from the hit series last week, has now revealed that being selected to take part in the show might have potentially saved her life.
Amanda, 57, explained that ahead of filming she was given the routine medical check provided for all contestants taking part on the programme which showed she has a serious heart condition.
The retired detective has now shared the diagnosed as she revealed her CT scan showed that she has a ‘quite serious heart disease’.
Amanda said the condition runs in her family and that she was ‘very, very grateful’ to the programme-creators as she would never have known the extent of her health problem.
Now the BBC star explained that she has been able to get the medication and change her lifestyle in order to stay healthy.
The Traitors star Amanda Collier has revealed how the BBC show saved her life and uncovered a life-changing diagnosis
The former Detective Chief Inspector, who was banished from the hit series last week, has now revealed that being selected to take part in the show might have potentially saved her life
She said: ‘If I hadn’t had the scan I would still be running around doing what I’ve always done – such as half marathons which put a massive strain on your heart.
‘The good news is that I’m now on a course of drugs and I’ve changed my lifestyle, and I’m regularly checked by the NHS so I’m in a good place.’
Since leaving The Traitors series four, which was filmed in the summer, Amanda has changed the way she stays fit, replacing long-distance running with short bursts of exercise like HIIT classes.
The retired senior Metropolitan Police detective added: ‘I’m very, very grateful for the show.’
Since the diagnoses, Amanda has also become an advocate for the British Heart Foundation, and is keen to use her platform to raise awareness of heart disease.
‘I want to tell people heart disease doesn’t have an age… young people get it,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t have to stop you doing what you love’.
It comes after Amanda revealed the ‘tiny mistake’ that ultimately led to her elimination on The Traitors.
She bowed out in last Thursday’s episode during a nail-biting roundtable but has now explained how contestants would jump on any mistakes made, prompting Jon to ask what hers had been.
Amanda, 57, explained that ahead of filming she was given the routine medical check provided for contestants taking part on the programme which showed she has a serious heart condition
The retired detective said she was ‘very, very grateful’ to the programme-creators as she would never have known the extent of her health problem
She said: ‘If I hadn’t had the scan I would still be running around doing what I’ve always done. The good news is that I’m now on a course of drugs and I’ve changed my lifestyle, and I’m regularly checked by the NHS so I’m in a good place’
Speaking to Jon Kay and Sally Nugent on BBC Breakfast, Amanda explained: ‘If you make one tiny mistake, they leap onto it. It’s like a deck of cards.
‘I just confused them. I gave two names at the same time at the roundtable.
‘And they were sort of, “Hang on a minute, you said this person and then you said this person”.
‘Then I voted for Jade but I said someone else, so they were a bit like “That’s a bit Traitorish.'”
In Amanda’s final roundtable, votes were tied between her and fellow player Reece Ward.
The pair therefore had to go through Chests of Chance – each picking one of two boxes with one containing a shield representing safety.
Unfortunately for Amanda, it was Reece who selected the desired box meaning her elimination was sealed.
She then stood in front of her fellow players – revealing she had in fact been a Faithful all along.
During her time in the castle, Amanda largely kept her policing past a secret – although she confided in ‘best friend’ Rachel towards the end.
Unbeknown to the retired detective, Rachel was actually one of three Traitors playing against her in the game.
Following Amanda’s banishment, Rachel revealed the secret to the other contestants, hoping to use it as a misdirect.
Although this had explosive consequences as fellow Traitor Fiona openly said she didn’t believe Rachel and accused her of being a Traitor.
The two went head-to-head trying to get the other eliminated – with Rachel soon succeeding.
It comes as Amanda opened up about having suffered a horrific bike crashthat left her in the ‘most pain of her life’ and needing emergency surgery
It comes as Amanda opened up about having suffered a horrific bike crash that left her in the ‘most pain of her life’ and needing emergency surgery.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday, she recalled how she crashed at speed into a wall while riding a bicycle.
Amanda had been on holiday with her wife Caroline in 2022 when she suffered a broken collar bone which needed operating on.
She said: ‘We were in a camper van in the Loire Valley and decided to have a bike ride on the last day.
‘Caroline accidentally clipped my wheel and it sent me headfirst into a flint wall. I was wearing a helmet but realised I had to turn my body or I would break my neck.’
Amanda learnt that she would need an operation to fix her broken bone after ‘smashing her shoulder’ on the rock.
She continued to The Sun: ‘My shoulder smashed into the hard rock. I have never been in so much pain. I had to be pumped full of morphine.’
Amanda said that while she ‘was fine’ doing the challenges on The Traitors, after having metal inserted into her collarbone she still suffers ‘twinges.’
The Traitors continues Wednesday at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
