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As The Traitors concludes its biggest twist yet, did we really need a Secret Traitor?
It got everyone talking – but was the Secret Traitor pay-off worth it?
BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry
- Miranda Crawford
Published: Thursday, 8 January 2026 at 2:28 pm
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**Warning: this article contains spoilers for Wednesday night's episode of The Traitors.**
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It’s widely recognised that one of the standout TV moments of last year was Nick Mohammed’s shock banishment of his closest ally, Joe Marler, on The Celebrity Traitors.
When the final seemed like a done deal, a flicker of suspicion snowballed into a gutting betrayal and paved the way for Alan Carr’s victory. It was a twist that no-one could have predicted because it stemmed from raw, irrational human nature.
By contrast, last night’s The Traitors reveal of Claudia’s red-cloaked “middle-management” fell flat. While there’s no doubt that season 4 needed to switch up the format to engage long-time viewers, the Secret Traitor twist proved more exciting in theory than in practice.
Perhaps the secret was meant to last longer than it did. Bumbling barrister Hugo’s early exit left a vacuum in the turret that only the Secret Traitor could fill.
Had the Traitors held out for longer without being banished, the reveal might have carried more weight – instead, the mystery came to an abrupt end only four episodes into the season.
The Secret Traitor was revealed last night to be Fiona. BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry
For armchair sleuths around the country, the question of the Secret Traitor’s identity had provided a welcome distraction from the post-new year slump.
Internet theorists were driven to a frenzy dissecting every smirk and raised eyebrow; spreadsheets were constructed listing every Faithful up for murder. It felt like a disservice to end the fun so early. But would we have tired of it?
At first glance, the twist seemed to offer what fans were calling for: the chance to play the game. The problem with this is that it’s never as fun being a Faithful.
This year saw a vast number of players revealing they’d like to be a Traitor, and with good reason. You’re not up for murder, you hold a lot more power and, if you’re Alan Carr, you could even win.
So when the audience is cast in the role of the Faithfuls – equally blind, equally open to manipulation – you lose out on the conspiracy. We’re no longer in cahoots with the Traitors, laughing as the Faithfuls scramble for a half-formed theory and banish themselves in the process.
This year's players were eager to be Traitors. BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry
Then there’s the problem of the edit. While the Secret Traitor was heavily hinted at, suspicion was also cast on other players through clever editing of their VTs. The real Secret Traitor, it felt, was the omniscient producers, and the whole game became a bit too meta.
Either the reveal would be obvious (as it was) or, equally dissatisfactory, we would have been led astray. Neither options are particularly appealing.
As for the reveal itself, casting Fiona was a stroke of genius. The red cloak was a quirky twist, but it’s far more fun to watch our Secret Traitor frolic around in the mud while poor Reece remains locked in a cage.
Knowing that our ditzy, lovable Welshwoman (as season 3’s Charlotte can attest, a Welsh accent can hide a multitude of sins) was running rings around her fellow Traitors adds a delicious layer of irony to the turret discussions.
Are Rachel and Stephen in danger? BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry
From last night’s episode alone, the dynamic between Fiona and Rachel is already electric, and it’s clear that a brewing power struggle will erupt as soon as Stephen puts his foot in it one last time.
There’s little joy in the Secret Traitor working alone – now, we can expect the usual Traitor-on-Traitor betrayals we have grown to love. It seems that Fiona is already thinking along those lines, if her cosy chat with Amanda and Rachel is anything to go by.
The reveal was an anticlimax, but the real drama is only just beginning. For all its cloaks and daggers, The Traitors is a psychological experiment, not a whodunnit. As viewers, we gain our access back and can watch players cheat, lie and outwit one another once again.
The Traitors season 4 continues on Thursday 8th January 2026 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Seasons 1-3 are available to watch on iPlayer.
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Authors
Miranda Crawford
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