"There's cut-throat competition" - The Mole host Ari Shapiro discusses cast, location and more

The Mole season 2 is all set to premiere on June 28, 2024, only on Netflix. Season 2 has introduced a new host, Ari Shapiro, a renowned radio journalist. Shapiro calls the show his 'dream job' besides his work at NPR.

The first batch of episodes will come on June 28, with 5 episodes, and then subsequently released weekly. The show features 12 contestants in a completely new location in Malaysia.

The show follows a format similar to its predecessor, where contestants are placed in a location and assigned adventurous missions. The winnings are added to the prize pot, but a traitor named 'the mole' aims to sabotage the missions without being caught.

There is going to be a quiz at the end of each episode to find out who 'the mole' is. The ultimate winner is the one who survives and takes home the cash prize.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly on June 26, Ari Shapiro shared his excitement that he can finally talk about the show, as the official trailer is out. Also, by revealing the new location, that is Malaysia, he gives insight into what can be expected out of the show. He says:

"There are these missions that look like, they are filmed in some nature documentary, but, there is also, a cutthroat mission in the middle of it."

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The Mole host, Ari Shapiro on the cast, location, and more

The Mole season 2 welcomes a new host Ari Shapiro to go on the adventurous journey of this reality TV show along with 12 contestants. The show has wrapped up shooting and is going to premiere on Netflix on June 28.

Since, the release of the official trailer, Ari has taken to multiple platforms to talk about the show, from his own Instagram to different interview platforms. In the ET interview, he shares:

"I have been keeping a secret for a year, and I am so excited that I can finally talk about it, and I am excited for the people to see this show, that was so fun to make, and hope it's gonna be as much fun to watch."

The cast of the show consists of 12 contestants, all from different professions, and come with their unique set of skills and strategies for the game. The show completely relies on the shoulders of the contestants and how they perform in the mission. One of them has been planted as 'the mole', and had no good intentions towards the missions or the prize pot.

The Mole season 2 cast. (Image via Netflix Tudum)

Ari describes contestants in an interview with ET as:

"I love how different they were from one another. These were so diverse, not, typically we think of the catchword 'diversity', but you know, in age, background, body type, occupation, race, you name it, and watching them come together as a team to complete missions was really interesting."

The cast of season 2 consists of a real-life detective, a forensics account, a homemaker, people from marketing and programming, and various people from different professions.

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Location of The Mole season 2

Season 2 of the show has chosen Malaysia as their destination. Each episode of the show is filmed in a different location and therefore, contestants get to perform each mission in a completely different terrain with a new set of challenges.

Ari Shapiro has shared many posts with his Instagram followers related to the location of the show. He talks about the location in detail, where he appears in complete awe of the beauty and charm of the country. He explains in the June 26 interview:

"One of the things that sets The Mole apart and makes Malaysia a perfect match for it is that every episode is in a different location, and so in Malaysia, you have the most beautiful remote tropical islands, and also huge sky scrappers metropolis settings, and then, you've got caves, and jungles. So, you go to places that are just eye-popping."

Ari Shapiro also, applied as a contestant in the very first season of The Mole which was aired by ABC in 2001 as reported.

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The new season of The Mole season 2 will premiere on Netflix on June 28, 2024.