Traitors star burgled after sharing holiday photos

Paul Gorton, a contestant on the reality competition series The Traitors, says he was burgled while away on holiday after sharing photographs from the trip on social media, and is urging others to think carefully before posting about travel in real time.

Gorton has said the break-in occurred while he was still away, and that he believes the holiday photos he shared publicly may have signalled to burglars that his home was empty. He is now encouraging people to wait until they are back from a trip before posting pictures, rather than sharing them while still away.

The advice echoes long-standing guidance from police forces and security experts, who have repeatedly warned that publicly posting real-time holiday content can inadvertently tell criminals when a property is likely to be unoccupied. Common recommendations include waiting until returning home to share holiday photos, avoiding geotagging posts with a current location, and being cautious about who can see travel updates on social media accounts.

Gorton's profile has risen since his appearance on The Traitors, a competition format in which contestants compete against each other while a hidden group works covertly to eliminate the rest. That increased visibility means his experience is likely to reach a wider audience than a similar warning might otherwise receive.

He has not detailed what was taken in the burglary or whether the matter is being investigated by police, but says his main aim in speaking publicly is to prompt others to reconsider their own holiday posting habits.