Pictures: Emily Chalk
When Bailey Kench entered Paul Henry’s ultimate game of betrayal, little did she know she would deceive her way to emerge as the winner of The Traitors NZ season two.
“I couldn’t believe it,” says the 29-year-old, who took home the $73,000 prize fund collectively raised by the show’s contestants. “It was such an intense, wild ride – one I couldn’t do again!”
Bailey suggests her job as a wedding videographer prepared her for the gruelling challenge, where she focuses the spotlight on others. “It comes pretty naturally to me to fade into the background,” she says. “I knew that would help me to survive the first couple of days, but as the numbers dwindled, there was nowhere to hide and I had to get strategic.
“The hardest part was dealing with the brutal personal comments that were shot my way from other contestants, which didn’t have to do with the game at all,” reveals Bailey.
At one intense moment, ex-cop Jane Massey chose game master Mark Mockridge to join her as a Traitor, but he rejected her, an act of self-sacrifice that not only saved Bailey from the grave, but converted her into a Traitor.
“This game involves so much luck,” tells Bailey. “If Mark hadn’t turned down the role, they would have murdered me right then.”
Bailey’s new year’s resolution was to get out of her comfort zone, but on the show, she admits, she was never in it.
“I had set routines I would do as a Faithful, like the same breakfast every day. I just kept doing them as a Traitor, hoping nobody would notice a change and get suspicious.”
Bailey relied heavily on her girl-next-door persona to form friendships, particularly with Te Puke information manager Donna Officer.
“We trusted each other completely from the get-go,” she explains. However, it was this friendship that she managed to manipulate to lead the pair to the final two. It was here that Donna voted to banish landscaper and secret ex-military Faithful Jason Kahika. This move unwittingly handed the win to the sole Traitor left – Bailey.
“I knew I had won and I was so happy. But at the same time, it was my worst nightmare being face to face with Donna. She was just in tears,” she recalls.
“Donna and I are on good terms now. Other players have taken moves made in the game personally, though,” Bailey shares. “One even told me they hope to never see me again!”
Bailey nearly didn’t join the cast when a wedding she was booked for clashed with the first day of filming.
“I’m such a people-pleaser that I tearfully drafted up an email telling the production crew I couldn’t do the show,” says Bailey. She was convinced by her partner, photographer and TikTok star Jonathan Suckling, that this was an opportunity too good to miss.
He shares, “Bailey is so non-confrontational. She could be on death’s door and still insist we finish our dessert before taking her to hospital!”
Jonathan loved seeing his partner of 12 years on screen.
“She has such an incredible ability to remember names, faces and the smallest of details. I knew she would be great on Traitors,” he says.
He does, however, admit to raising an eyebrow when Bailey describes voting out Traitor Mike Adams as “the most euphoric” she’s felt in her life. “I’m not sure how I feel about that to be honest,” he laughs.
The couple met in a Year 13 photography class at Rangitoto College in Auckland. Jonathan became a wedding photographer straight out of school. Then, he followed Bailey to Dunedin, where she studied science communication and film-making, before they returned to the City of Sails.
It was Bailey’s mum Amanda who introduced her to The Traitors. “I told Mum I’d applied, but I didn’t let her know producers had casted me. Then one day, she randomly started sending messages. Some were like, ‘Have you packed for filming?’ and ‘When you win, tell Paul Henry I love him’, despite me not saying anything!”
The couple knew these messages would keep coming while Bailey was away filming and unable to communicate with family. So, they craftily took selfies in advance in different weather conditions so Jonathan could keep covering for her.
“When I won, I told Paul Henry my Mum loves him,” reveals Bailey. “And Paul said he loves her back!”
The couple, who call themselves “The Kenchucklings”, are still unsure what they’ll spend Bailey’s winnings on.
“I would love to have a winter Christmas or go on safari,” she says.
The Traitors NZ streams on ThreeNow.
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