Traitors star Robbie 'I'M NOT CUT OUT FOR THIS!'

Alarm bells rang for the hairdresser who felt targeted from the start

- Aroha Awarau

As an Auckland hairdresser for more than 40 years, Robbie Bell prides herself on being a trustworthy and loyal professional. In fact, when she moved to another hair salon in the suburb of Pukekohe last year, after spending 40 years cutting and styling hair in Ponsonby, she made a commitment to drive an hour one day a week so she can still cut the hair of her loyal client base in central Auckland.

"It was hard for me to say goodbye," she explains.

So Robbie was shocked her loyalty came into question during her time as a contestant on the popular TV show The Traitors NZ.

Part reality competition and part murder-mystery, the Paul Henry-hosted series on Three pits 19 contestants, made up of celebrities and everyday people, in a situation where contestants dubbed "Faithfuls" have to figure out who among them are the "Traitors", who are assigned to eliminate or "murder" the guests one by one with the chance of winning the $70,000 prize money.

From the very first day, the other contestants singled Robbie out, assuming she was a traitor. They were wrong.

"Traitor is such a treacherous word," she says. "It's very undesirable to be labelled a Traitor. To think someone was a Traitor amongst the others starts to play on your mind."

Once there was a target on her back, other contestants would scrutinise Robbie's every move.