This is who the Secret Traitor might be – and what the twist means for the game

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The new season of The Traitors is here, and Claudia Winkleman has added a surprising new element that’s sure to change the game.

Right at the start of the latest series, the host revealed a new twist: this season would include a fourth, secret traitor. Alongside the already confirmed traitors – Rachel, Hugo, and Stephen – another contestant will be secretly working against the others, and neither the players nor the audience will know who it is.

Introducing a new, powerful traitor was a clever idea – we even thought the show could use a boost – but the original traitors weren’t happy. Claudia revealed they were now working under this new, overarching villain. Hugo, always eager for power, complained it made them feel like ‘middle management’.

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Okay, so every night, this mysterious figure in a red cloak – the one Claudia actually talks to, which is wild – sends the traitors a list of potential targets. The catch is, neither of the traitors themselves are on the list, and the red cloak doesn’t reveal themself either. Basically, we get a pre-approved list of people we can kill, and we pick from that. It’s a weird system, but it keeps things… contained, I guess.

Viewers on X have noticed something interesting: one player’s name consistently missing from the ‘murder’ lists will likely reveal their identity soon. One fan commented that it would have been more entertaining if the secret traitor hadn’t been revealed to the other players. They believe the others will quickly figure out who it is by carefully examining the lists and eliminating suspects.

Someone had a really smart idea – we’re all going to start jotting down notes on our phones each night to figure things out. It’s something we’re definitely going to use, and I wanted to say thanks for the tip!

Following the first challenge, ten contestants were at risk of being eliminated, but only three – James, Maz, and Netty – were confirmed as not being the traitors. This also meant they weren’t the traitors, as far as the viewers at home knew.

Who is the secret traitor?

Let’s begin with the round table, where Claudia determined everyone’s role. From the camera’s perspective, she seemed to be near Adam, Faraaz, Roxy, Matthew, and Jessie after she’d identified and removed those who were at risk, as well as the three traitors.

Okay, I’ve been obsessing over the details, and I noticed something! The list of potential murder victims misspelled Netty’s name as “Nettie,” so I’m definitely going to be watching to see if anyone accidentally calls her that during the round table scenes – if she even makes it to the round table, that is. And someone on X pointed out that the person in the red cape looked really tall in that quick shot, which could be a clue if it wasn’t just the camera angle or the actor’s height!

Nettie / Netty

Since this is only the first episode, we’re still learning about all the new characters and how they act. Here’s a list of the 16 people who could potentially be the secret traitor, ranked from most to least likely:

Judy – the name being tossed around the most by the other contestants

Fiona – another person who people can’t stop mentioning

Roxy is Judy’s daughter, and keeping this secret would allow her to continue acting as a hidden betrayer.

Amanda – a retired chief detective inspector turned traitor would be a great curveball

Someone who looks remarkably like Ed Gamble – nicknamed ‘Sam’ – is publicly speculating about their own identity, which could be a clever way to deflect suspicion onto others.

Harriet – the crime writer couldn’t write a plot twist as spicy as this

Jessie – going for one of the cheeriest and sweet people would be a great double bluff

I noticed Matthew seemed a little off during the finale – some of the other contestants said he had this glazed look, and I’m guessing it was because he was totally thrown by Claudia’s decision. It was a shocker for everyone, but maybe it hit him harder than most!

Ross knew Netty before she was murdered, which raises the question of whether he considered her a suspect. It’s definitely a possibility.

Adam – ghost hunter who possibly hunts faithfuls come nightfall

Faraaz – under suspicion, but the jury’s out

Jade – big of “social deception games” which screams secret traitor

Ben – hiding in the shadows slightly, good move for a potential secret traitor

Ellie – psychologist who presumably is also good at mind games

Jack – loves tactic games, and could use this to his advantage as the hidden traitor

Reece – another quiet one, who may be just biding his time

What does this mean for the game?

This change makes the game more challenging and weakens the traitors’ influence. Because they have less control over who gets eliminated, they don’t gain as much from their deceptive strategies.

However, this approach might also make the traitors seem trustworthy and believable to others, helping them blend in while everyone tries to figure out who’s secretly on the opposing side.

The show can only keep surprising us for so long, especially once viewers start figuring out who’s left. But it’s safe to say there are more surprises coming. If we had to guess, we’d predict Claudia will shake things up again very soon.

The Traitors series 4 continues on BBC One and iPlayer now

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2026-01-02 00:50