How can you tell if someone is lying to you? 

The question is one popular culture is grappling with at the moment thanks to the hit TV series, The Traitors. 

The show sees a group of contestants compete against each other for a cash prize in which they must work out who is a ‘traitor’ and who is ‘faithful’. 

On Lunchtime Live, psychiatrist Brendan Kelly said there are some telltale signs to learn if you want to tell if someone is lying to you. 

“In real life, the focus is different,” he said. 

“It’s easier to pick up on the inconsistent stories, the unusual body language that goes with lying, the hesitancy and - above all in life rather than Traitors - the over-detailed explanations that people provide when they’re telling lies.”

Professor Kelly said someone who all of a sudden starts sharing “excessive information” with you might not be telling you the truth as well.  

“They’re very anxious that you believe the story,” he said. 

“So, if someone said, ‘I was out when you phoned’, for example, they might go on to say, ‘I was out at the shopping centre, I was buying things, I was buying clothes, I have the clothes at home if you want to see them.’ 

“That’s an exaggeration but we do provide too many details, as if we’re trying to persuade ourselves.” 

'We look more anxious'

Professor Kelly added that a person might also begin to look more nervous and tense than they usually would; their tone of voice might change as well. 

“We tend to speed up a lot when we’re lying and our pitch changes,” he said. 

“It can go any way - it’s just different - and our facial expressions change more quickly when we’re lying. 

“Also, we look more anxious because we’re trying to convey to other people that what we’re telling is the truth.”

According to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll, a majority of Americans believe that lying could never be justified.

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Main image: Claudia Winkleman of The Traitors. Picture by: Alamy.com