Who is the ‘Secret Traitor’? All the theories so far

The Traitors season 4 has pulled out all the stops to ensure the nation will be glued to their TV screens this winter.

The new series kicked off 2026 in style as a new cohort of strangers made their way to the Traitors castle to play the ultimate game of deception and betrayal – but the show had even more in store.

As ever, Claudia Winkleman chose her three Traitors – Rachel, Hugo and Stephen – but she also chose a player to be her secret Traitor, who has more power than any of the others in the game.

The chosen player will provide a murder shortlist for the three Traitors to choose from each night. They have no idea who is giving them their marching orders – but the secret Traitors knows exactly who they are...

The secret Traitor must hide in plain sight to avoid being detected by not only the Faithful but also the Traitors, who will be looking to get their power back.

Audiences at home also have no idea who the hidden figure is either, so let's get theorising...

Who is the Secret Traitor? All the theories so far

Judy

One theory amongst the three Traitors is that Judy could be the secret Traitor, albeit with rather slim evidence to suggest why.

After the Traitors were chosen at the roundtable, the other players said they felt a "shift" in Judy.

At that point in the game, if Judy were chosen by Claudia she would believe she was picked to be a Traitor, but not yet a secret one.

And when the Traitors received their shortlist at the end of episode 1, their attention turned to Judy.

Stephen told the others: "I think it could be Judy, I just have a feeling she could be the person behind all this."

The plot thickens...

Jade

Another player who appeared slightly reserved after the Traitors were chosen was Jade, which aroused suspicion among the Faithful.

"Jade was looking straight down and she looked terrified, like, really scared," one contestant noted, adding: "It could be nerves, I don't know, but that's the only thing I've got."

You can also tweet us @RadioTimes if we've missed a theory off the list – otherwise, happy guessing!

The Traitors season 4 continues on Friday 2nd January 2026 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Seasons 1-3 are available to watch on iPlayer.

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