Now that 'The Traitors' UK Season 4 has premiered on January 1, 2026, let's have a look at the major twist brought by Claudia Winkleman to the gameplay.
The Traitors, a reality game show, is a popular TV programme that has made its name all across the world. Currently, The Traitors UK Season 4 is hogging the limelight. For the unversed, Season 4 has premiered on January 1, 2026, on BBC One. The reality game show is based on the Dutch series, De Verranders and is hosted by Claudia Winkleman. Now that the conflict game between 'Traitors' and 'Faithful' is grabbing a lot of attention, let’s find out what’s new in this season.
The Traitors UK returned after nearly a year. The finale episode of The Traitors UK Season 3 premiered on January 24, 2025. However, the makers wanted to bring a major twist to the conflict game between the 'Traitors' and 'Faithful'. During the first episode of The Traitors UK Season 4, which premiered on January 1, 2026, the audience and the 22 contestants were introduced to a Secret Traitor. The Secret Traitor is one of the 22 contestants and possesses special powers. Claudia Winkleman picked up the three Traitors, Hugo Lodge, Rachel Duffy and Stephen Libby during the first episode.
The identity of the Secret Traitor has been hidden from both the audience and the contestants. The Secret Traitor knows who the main three traitors are. The Secret Traitor is working against the Faithfuls and establishing their foothold in the game. This anonymous person also has a strong influence over the three traitors. For the uninitiated, this person will provide a shortlist to the traitors and from the list, they need to select whom to murder. However, this new addition to the game has diminished the traitors' power.
The first murder shortlist prepared by the Secret Traitor is the biggest clue to finding the person. It was a handwritten note that had the names of contestants, Netty Österberg, Marzook "Maz" Bana, and James Baker. Thus, as per the shortlist, these three contestants get ruled out of the suspicion along with the three traitors, Hugo Lodge, Rachel Duffy and Stephen Libby. However, the Secret Traitor has made a small mistake.
The person has misspelt Netty as Nettie in the murder shortlist. So, if someone from the roundtable makes a similar mistake, he or she will be under the scanner. In fact, the handwriting will also play a key role in identifying the Secret Traitor. Now that six contestants are out of the suspicion game, here come the other 16 contestants, among whom one is the Secret Traitor. The 16 contestants who are part of The Traitors UK Season 4 are Judy Wilson, Adam Waughman, Ben, Amanda Collier, Harriet Tyce, Faraaz Noor, Ellie Buckley, Fiona Hughes, Jack Butler, Jessie Stride, Jade Scott, Matthew Hyndman, Reece Ward, Sam Little, Roxy, and Ross Garshong. According to a report by The Independent, Claudia Winkleman is also on the suspect list who might be the Secret Traitor.
The murder shortlist prepared by the anonymous person is the only way to find out about the identity of the Secret Traitor. With each list, three persons get ruled out from the suspicion list. However, after the first episode and the introduction of the Secret Traitor, fans online have raised several questions. Firstly, they asked what the anonymous person would say after their identity gets exposed, whether they would respond saying, "I’m a Traitor", or they would reveal some deep secrets.
A few users also questioned what would happen if the Secret Traitor gets banished early. They raised questions like, Will the makers choose a new Secret Traitor? Or will the main Traitors get their full control on the gameplay again and be allowed to choose their murder victims freely? The answers to the questions will unfold with the upcoming episodes.
What are your thoughts on the introduction of Secret Traitor? Let us know.
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