A Cornish priest from the Lizard has swapped her cassock for cunning as she joins the cast of BBC's hit show The Traitors.

Rev Lisa Coupland, 62, is set to appear in the third season of the nail-biting game show, which tests contestants' abilities to detect deceit while competing for a prize pot of up to £120,000.

Her day job as an Anglican priest might seem at odds with the show's themes of treachery and manipulation, but her passion for whodunnit stories makes her a fitting addition to the cast. 

Rev Coupland was born in London and delivered by nuns, leading her to believe her Christian calling was "from birth".

"My main driving force is that I am completely obsessed with murder mysteries," she told CornwallLive. "If there's a murder mystery on the go, I'm there. I've watched every episode of Poirot, every Agatha Christie more than once, Midsomer Murders, Inspector Morse, Grantchester, Father Brown, Sister Boniface. I'm just obsessed with murders and the mental aspect of trying to work out who did it."

The show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, will see 22 contestants gather in a remote Scottish castle to pit their wits against one another. Lisa hopes her sharp mind and calm demeanour will be assets in the high-stakes environment.

"I like to think that I can think a little bit laterally, and I like to think that I'm a pretty good judge of character," she said. "Although this is an artificial scenario, because people are bringing to the game, and this includes me, not necessarily who they are as a real person. In standard life, I'm sure people are not that treacherous; I'd like to think."

She went on, "I think I'm quite calm. I'm quite a realist. And so, I'd like to bring some sort of calm to situations if they get a bit overwrought. And be there for people as well. Listen to them, but also be looking at people from outside the box. I'm quite an observer."

While Lisa describes herself as competitive, she acknowledges the ethical dilemma of balancing her Christian values with the game's premise.

"Oh, I'm so competitive. So competitive," she admitted. "People have said to me, and this is something that I've had to reflect on quite a lot, about going on a programme like The Traitors where deception and lying is part of the game and how does that sit with being a priest? It doesn't exactly speak of the values that we uphold as a priest.

"But this is a game. And just the same as if I'm sitting around the kitchen table with my family, if you're playing the game, you play the game, whatever that entails."

Rev Coupland emphasised that everyone on the show understands the rules and expectations: "You know that when they go in there, they know what the role is, and they know what the game is. What confuses it, of course, is because there's a money pot at the end of it. But genuinely, that doesn't bother me. I'm not in it for the money. And that's genuine. If I won the money, I wouldn't keep it."

If she were to win, her focus would be on giving back to her family and community.

"I've got three sons, so I'd probably help them out a little bit," she said. "I have a friend who runs an animal charity in Ireland who I'd also like to help."

Coupland has served among Cornish parishes within the Meneage Benefice and the Deanery of Kerrier, located along the Lizard Peninsula. Naturally, the church communities there would welcome any financial support.

"We have an old vestry that we want to convert into a community place so that we can have lunches for people who have been widowed, who are bereaved and want to come together. I'd like to open a Lego club for kids to come and be able to be creative.

"It's not about the money for me genuinely. Well, okay, that's a lie. It would be lovely to win the money because I know that I could do some really positive things with it. But if I don't win the money, I'm not going to be heartbroken."

Coupland's mix of sharp observation, calm leadership, and a love of puzzles could make her a strong contender in The Traitors. Will she emerge victorious or fall prey to the treachery of others? Cornish viewers will no doubt be rooting for their local vicar as she takes on this unique challenge.

The Traitors, season three, is available to watch on BBC 1 and iPlayer.