Matthew might be entering The Traitors with a low-drama strategy, but his real-life energy is anything but quiet.
At 35, the creative director from Northern Ireland now living in Edinburgh is already standing out as one of the season’s most emotionally compelling contestants.
On paper, his game plan is simple.
Anyone but him.
Stay liked, stay connected, and stay part of the wider group.
But scroll through Matthew’s Instagram and you quickly realize that this approach isn’t tactical so much as instinctive.
Matthew is the founder of Wee Gay Hike Club, a community built for queer people who want to get outdoors without having to perform confidence, fitness, or masculinity.
In post after post, he thanks those who showed up first and gives extra credit to those who came alone.
That detail matters.
It reframes solitude as bravery and community as something you build gently rather than earn.
His content isn’t about peak bagging or personal bests.
It’s about walking together, noticing the view, and letting conversation unfold at its own pace.
In one end-of-year post, Matthew described the hike club as the absolute highlight of his year.
In another Christmas caption, he acknowledged how the season can hold joy and a quiet ache at the same time.
He wrote directly to those who were alone, estranged, or shrinking parts of themselves to keep the peace.
You are still here.
You are doing great.
That emotional honesty hits differently when paired with reality television.
It suggests that Matthew’s social awareness on The Traitors isn’t about manipulation.
It’s about attunement.
He understands how people feel in groups, how exclusion creeps in, and how safety is often created through small acts of care.
In a game where players are punished for standing out too much or too soon, his instinct to stay connected feels quietly powerful.
Whether he ends up a Faithful or a Traitor remains to be seen.
But emotionally, Matthew is already playing a very different game.
One rooted in belonging, softness, and the radical idea that queer people deserve space in nature, on television, and in each other’s lives.
And honestly, that might be the most dangerous thing of all.
📷 IG: @ yermatty