One of the more unexpected plot twists on the latest series of the BBC’s The Traitors was contestant Charlotte revealing that despite being from London, she was putting on a Welsh accent to seem more trustworthy to her fellow contestants.
Leaving aside the fact that, if she gets found out, faking her origins will hardly inspire confidence among her peers, has Charlotte stumbled upon a reasonable strategy? Are Welsh accents genuinely perceived as trustworthy?
Before getting into the details of how people view Welsh accents, it’s important to underline that our attitudes to accents in general – whether positive or negative, widespread or personal – are merely perceptions. No accent is intrinsically smarter, friendlier, or more trustworthy than any other. No accent is inherently dishonest or unintelligent either. When we judge someone by their accent, we are engaging in a form of stereotyping.
