Matthew Hyndman is one of the breakout personalities on the current season of The Traitors, where his strategic mind and quick wit have made him impossible to ignore. But long before reality TV, he faced a very real, very harmful experience that shaped his life and his advocacy.
In a 2021 article in The Independent, Hyndman wrote about being pressured into conversion therapy — not by strangers, but by the church community he was deeply involved in at the time. After private messages about his sexuality were revealed publicly in an email, he says he was encouraged to “fix” himself in front of hundreds of fellow missionaries.
Instead of healing, it deepened his sense of alienation and set him on a very different path.
A painfully common story
Conversion therapy refers to practices aimed at changing or suppressing LGBTQ+ identities. Though widely discredited by major medical organisations, these practices continue in many religious and community settings around the world. For Hyndman, it wasn’t framed as abuse at the time — it was presented as support, a pathway back to “normalcy.”
Yet the experience left lasting effects. Being told you need to change who you are as a condition of belonging — that internal message can take years to undo.
Turning trauma into purpose
Rather than stay silent about what happened to him, Hyndman chose to act. He co-founded Ban Conversion Therapy UK, an advocacy group aimed at pushing for a robust legal ban on conversion practices across the United Kingdom.
The UK government pledged years ago to outlaw conversion therapy, but activists and survivors say progress has been slow and loopholes remain. Groups like Ban Conversion Therapy UK are working to close those gaps and ensure that all forms of conversion efforts — whether religious, “therapeutic,” or informal — are clearly prohibited and punishable under the law.
Hyndman’s work with the organisation involves speaking publicly about his own experience, amplifying the voices of other survivors, and lobbying policymakers to commit to meaningful legislative change rather than watered-down guidance.
Why his story matters
A lot of public conversation about conversion therapy focuses on historical abuses or distant practices. But Hyndman’s account underlines a crucial truth: these things still happen, and often under the banner of religion or community support.
For many LGBTQ+ people, particularly those raised in conservative or faith-based environments, the idea that their identity is something to be fixed is not an abstract notion — it was lived reality. The psychological and emotional impact can be profound, especially when it intersects with rejection, internalised shame, and loss of community.
By naming his experience and dedicating himself to change, Hyndman gives audiences both inside and outside the queer community a bridge: one that connects personal history with public action.
From reality TV to real-world impact
It’s easy to enjoy Hyndman’s gameplay on The Traitors without knowing the resilience forged in earlier chapters of his life. But understanding that context deepens the appreciation of who he is off screen — someone whose humour and intelligence are matched by an unwavering commitment to fairness and dignity.
As conversations about conversion therapy continue to evolve globally, voices like Hyndman’s remind us why legislation matters, why visibility matters, and why collective accountability for harmful practices can’t be delayed indefinitely.
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