Spoilers for the first three episodes of The traitors Season three.

Alan Cumming “Is sick, twisted and needs to be examined psychiatrically.” That was one participant’s assessment when he learned of a devious new twist in the third season The traitorswhose first three episodes are now streaming on Peacock.

But does the host in question agree? “That could apply to Alan Cumming’s character The traitorsin terms of what he’s doing to these people,” the real Cumming says during a visit Vanity Fair‘s office. “Sometimes we go on a mission, of course I know what that is. (Producers) explained everything to me. But when we actually do it, I’m like, “Oh my God.” I have make these people do that?’ The last part of this season is so crazy and terrifying.”

Cummings’s campy, tartan-clad host, whose frequent chanting of the word “Murrrrder” has become the show’s unofficial slogan and contributed to it The traitors Appointment viewing and three-time Emmy winner. Last year, Cumming personally won Emmys for both hosting and producing the series, which is annoying Drag Race and break RuPaulis the eight-year winning streak as hosts.

The show returns to its sprawling Scottish castle with the requisite melting pot of reality stars – where they come from The Bachelor, Bravo, Survivor, big brother, and this season even with a queer British royal. There are numerous new twists, including the late arrival of previously unannounced cast members Wes Bergman from The challenge (and more recently, House of Villains), as well as Big Brother‘S Derrick Levasseur, who enter as believers. In the meantime, Rob Mariano from Survivors And Deal or No Deal Island takes his place as a traitor among those previously tipped off Bob the Drag Queen out of Drag Race, Survivor‘S Carolyn Wiger, And Big Brother‘S Danielle Reyes.

The traitorsThe core premise remains: A group of believers band together to banish the treacherous and murderous traitors among them, in search of a cash prize of $250,000. At the end of the first three episodes was the Real Housewives faction was targeted, with Dorinda Medley of New York City and Chanel Ayan of Dubai as the first murder victim. In the meantime, Bachelor in paradise host Wells Adams And Survivors‘S Tony Vlachos, Both believers were banished from the Round Table, while the traitors were spared from elimination.

“There are so many psychological levels that keep revealing themselves,” says 59-year-old Cumming. “It’s crazy. It’s almost like they’re on drugs. They take a traitor’s potion. And then there I am, encouraging them all and persuading them. I laugh at them a lot too.”

The Tony Award-winning Scot is best known for his appearances on Broadway Cabaret, TV The good womanand the cult film Romy and Michele’s high school reunion, has made it his mission to be the “star daddy” to the participants. “I always tell them to be quiet,” Cumming says VF. “I do everything: ‘This is the Round Table.’ “This is holy ground,” things like that, just to silence them.”

Cumming incorporated parts of himself into the performance, including his actual pet Lala as a lapdog in the Bond villain style. Yet he maintains a veil of separation between himself and the series’ cast. “I used to sometimes run into them in the morning when I arrived at the castle, and I don’t do that anymore,” he says. “It’s really important that I have no connection to them at all unless I’m playing the role of this weirdo.”