Impromptu Meet-And-Greets & ‘Traitors’ Talk With Asha Banks

Asha Banks has a secret: She may or may not be a Traitor. “[My team and I are] playing our own game for the whole three weeks of touring,” the burgeoning actress and singer-songwriter tells NYLON. “We’re doing round tables, we did a trial in Philly where we did a relay race up and down the Rocky steps in order to get a shield for the murder … We’re doing The Traitors with a side of touring.”

In the Lower East Side’s Bowery Ballroom on an early October afternoon, we meet in the greenroom of the legendary concert hall roughly 20 minutes after her arrival. Banks’ rider essentials — an assortment of teas, Manuka honey, Throat Coat, a steamer, and a kettle — are strewn across the tiny countertop, turning the singer’s makeshift arsenal into her home for the night. “It’s so messy immediately, it’s literally like my bedroom,” she says apologetically. “I’ve been here for five and a half minutes, how has that happened?” Even in the face of chaos, the Brit remains gracious and personable; she’s quick to go in for the hug and wastes no time welcoming me into her crew, tossing out introductions to everyone we come across. At this point, there’s still at least four hours to go before Banks is expected to hit the stage, yet a line of superfans has already begun queueing outside the venue.

“These girls out the front I’ve seen before the shows and after the shows literally every day,” she says. “They’re welcoming me off the bus and then sending me away afterwards. They’re so great.” It’s no surprise Banks has amassed such an ardent fan base: A mainstay of the Amazon Prime Video extended universe, Banks is not only the star of the popular 2025 Amazon Prime Video film My Fault: London and its 2026 sequel Your Fault: London, but her song “Too Busy Missing You” was prominently featured in the Season 1 finale of Off Campus earlier this year.

“The Off Campus opportunity arose, and I was like, ‘I absolutely have to,’” she explains. “I had seen it bubbling on social media and that people were so excited for it, and I was like, ‘This is going to be amazing.’ I’m very glad that I did, because it’s made such a huge difference.” Add a North American tour and a brand-new EP, Bottled Up, which dropped on Oct. 2, on top of it all, and you quickly begin to understand why Banks describes the past few months as “absolutely insane.”

“It becomes more insane in the quiet moments, but I feel like I’ve had less of those, so there’s moments where I can catch myself and just recognize how insane it is,” she says. “It’s truly everything I’ve dreamed of, so it’s just amazing.” Of course, her success didn’t just appear out of thin air; Banks has been steadily working toward this level of success ever since she made her TV acting debut on EastEnders in 2011, before going on to star in West End productions of Les Misérables and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

She’s not new to this life by any means, so even though her career is advancing at a much more rapid pace these days, she does feel especially primed for this moment. “I feel lucky in that each thing that I’ve done feels like it’s taken [me] a gradual step up,” says Banks. “I’ve been able to stay grounded as I go, and because of that, it feels less overwhelming than it could have. Inside I’m like, ‘No, I have really worked for this and have been wanting this and been thinking about it, and it’s slowly been coming.’ Which I think is really a nice way to come at it.”

Now her ambitions of “BEGOWT-ing,” an EGOT-style accomplishment that Banks half-jokingly created for herself, don’t seem so far-fetched anymore. “It’s about the BAFTA, Brit, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Wembley Stadium, and Tony,” she explains through laughter. “This is obviously irony, but also, why not try? Why not just aim high?”

As if it weren’t obvious from the perpetual smile etched onto her face and the playful, family-like dynamic she has with her team, Banks is having the time of her life “roughing it” on this tour. Along for the journey are her supporting act Alfie Jukes, one of Banks’ closest friends in the world whom she met on the set of a musical when she was 15 and he was 16, and her manager Will, who plays a very crucial role in the postshow Traitors gameplay as The Traitors UK host Claudia Winkleman. “He does have a wig and the outfit and all,” she says. Whoever wins gets a wild dolphin adopted in their name, courtesy of Will.

“Last time, myself and my drummer Ramiel won as Faithfuls, which was great, and Will adopted a pony called Tinkerbell. Now we get mail updates on Tinkerbell and how she’s doing,” says Banks. “I take it far too seriously, genuinely. I’ve resorted to speaking to myself in my hotel room, looking in the mirror and being like, ‘Hey, if this person murders, what does that mean?’”

Bowery Ballroom has seen its fair share of legends come and go, but Asha Banks has already made her mark on the space. Scattered throughout the room is an assortment of goodies she’s accumulated from fans, including a pastry from Librae Bakery, custom Asha Banks-branded M&Ms, and a handwritten note. “Yesterday I was told that the girls that went to the Philly show are all coming back today. They’ve all made friends, so they’re all going to travel together. There’s something very nice about that,” she says, her words teeming with reverence and appreciation. With no space for lunch in the overcrowded greenroom, Banks steps away to grab a quick bite to eat just before sound check, making sure to check in with her adoring, dedicated fans in the queue on her way out.