What is the ‘Secret Traitor’? Rules behind major new twist revealed

Just when you thought The Traitors couldn't possibly shock audiences any more, season 4 shakes things up with a twist no one saw coming.

In the opening moments of season 4, host Claudia Winkleman can be seen giving a red cloak to someone, telling them that they are the Secret Traitor, before quickly rewinding 12 hours.

Gasps aplenty were undoubtedly heard in every living room across the nation, with one question on everyone's mind: What does this all mean?

"Each series is like a murder mystery, we never change the core game, but we always play with the twists around it," said Mike Cotton, creative director at Studio Lambert.

"I think it'll be interesting to try and change the conversation slightly this season."

So, what exactly is the Secret Traitor and just how much power do they hold in the game? Well, read on to find out more as their role is dissected further.

What is the Secret Traitor?

The Secret Traitor is a new role introduced in The Traitors season 4, in which one of the contestants has more power than ever.

While Claudia Winkleman chose her three Traitors as she does every season, she also chose a fourth – who is unknown to both audiences at home and the Traitors in the castle.

"You are my secret Traitor, you will not be joining your fellow Traitors tonight. Instead, you will be controlling them," Winkleman told the anonymous player.

This player will work alone and each night will provide a murder shortlist to the three Traitors, and it's from that list they must decide who should be murdered.

Winkleman explained further: "Because they're a Traitor, they won't put themselves on it and, of course, they won't put you on it."

While the three Traitors don't know who the secret one among them is, the figure hiding in plain sight knows exactly who they are...

Will viewers find out who the Secret Traitor is?

At the moment, audiences will not find out who the Secret Traitor is and they must work as the Faithful to work out who it is.

With only one episode released, it can only be speculated at this point that eventually viewers will find out the identity of the secret Traitor, but Mike Cotton has urged those at home to look out for clues as they arise.

"They're not lying to us in their interviews," Cotton said of the secret Traitor. "The interviews that you see, they would have said that whether they were a Faithful or Traitor, so that's for the viewers to pick up on. When they are discovered, you'll have to wait and see."

Oh, the drama!

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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