Weekend with Faraaz Noor: ‘You can’t beat my mum’s chicken curries’
The Traitors contestant on Saturday-morning walks, his favourite restaurant, and what it was like reaching the final of the hit BBC reality show
Faraaz Noor reached the final of the fourth season of BBC reality show The Traitors. The programme follows contestants as they work together to win a cash prize through missions, all while trying to identify the hidden “traitors” sabotaging the larger group of “faithfuls”.
Noor, 22, lives in Middlesbrough with his parents. He entered the game hoping to use the money to take his family on Hajj, but narrowly missed out on the winnings. Fresh from his exit from the castle, Noor plans to continue creating his popular food reviews on social media.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What’s the first thing you do on a Saturday?
I like to go on a little morning walk to stretch my legs — I try to get my 10,000 steps in. Then I’ll either go to the gym or go to Tesco, even if there’s no bits and bobs needed. I just like looking at the aisles. My mum and dad always have a go at me, they say I buy too many sauces and our fridge is full of them.
Do you like to eat out or stay in?
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I’ll go out with my mates. I’m a massive foodie — I do reviews on TikTok and Instagram, so if I can get a review in, it’s always a good weekend. But it’s also just nice seeing friends after a week of work.
Best restaurant?
Bazaar is easily my favourite restaurant in Middlesbrough. Fun fact: they’ve got the largest pizza oven in Europe, which is strange given it’s in Boro. They do steaks, pizzas, short rib, half chickens; they specialise in grilled meats. I went for Sunday lunch for the first time recently and it blew me away. Top notch.
What do your Sundays look like?
I’m chilling with the family, since we’re all so busy throughout the week. We’re usually watching TV, most likely the footy. My dad and sister are massive Liverpool fans, but I’m more of an armchair fan.
Congratulations on making it to The Traitors’ final. How are you feeling?
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. I’m still on cloud nine to be honest.
You were filming for four weeks — what meal did you miss most while you were away from home?
It has to be my mum’s chicken curries. You can’t beat that. You can’t put a price on it.
What was the food like on The Traitors?
It was honestly astonishing. As you can probably tell, I was filling my boots.
How did you stay connected to your faith throughout filming?
Being able to pray was really nice. Your mind’s going a million miles an hour and then you’ve got that five or ten minutes to yourself, just praying to God. It really puts everything into perspective.
The team were perfect — they always let us know when it was time for namaz. Maz and I used to pray together, which was really nice. When Maz was “murdered”, Fiona came up to me and said: “I know Maz was your prayer buddy. If you ever need to meditate, we can do it together.” That was really sweet.
You wore a shalwar kameez during the final episode — what made you decide to wear that?
My mum got it for me for Eid, and I thought: “This is mint — I’m going to take it with me.” I thought: “if I make the final, I’ll wear it then.”
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What did you take away from the experience?
Going with my gut instinct and backing myself. I’m quite confident anyway, but sometimes I second-guess myself.
What does life after The Traitors look like?
I really enjoy creating food content on TikTok and Instagram, so I think something in regards to broadcasting, learning about different cultures and cuisines — that would be the dream.
You were a fan of The Traitors before joining the show. What else are you watching at the moment?
The Sopranos. It makes me feel like a proper mafia boss when I watch it.
