The shadowy game of deception on BBC's The Traitors has been rocked by a potential major leak, as one player may have accidentally revealed herself as the mysterious red-cloaked Secret Traitor.
The Slip That Sparked Suspicion
During a confessional interview in the latest episode, psychologist and contestant Ellie expressed hesitation about her strategy, saying she didn't want others to think she was a "Secret Traitor". This specific phrasing sent alarm bells ringing for sharp-eared viewers. The critical twist of the fourth season, which launched on 1 January 2026, is that a fourth traitor operates in complete secrecy, unknown even to the other traitors and the audience at home.
As host Claudia Winkleman explained in the premiere, this clandestine player, distinguished by a scarlet cloak, has the power to call the shots from the shadows by selecting a shortlist of three candidates for the other traitors to murder.
"Anyone notice Ellie talking in the interview room and saying 'people will question whether you are sitting & watching as a kind of secret traitor'," one fan pointed out online. Another added: "Ellie saying 'don’t want to look like a secret traitor' as a faithful who don’t know about a secret traitor??? Suspicious wording." A third agreed, questioning why she would use the word "secret" unless the concept was forefront in her mind.
The Hunt for the Scarlet Schemer
Fans have been desperate to uncover the secret traitor's identity since the twist was announced. Their chance to witness the uncloaking was tantalisingly close in the episode aired on 3 January 2026. After the banishment of traitor Hugo, the two remaining traitors, Stephen and Rachel, were given a covert mission.
They were instructed to mark a family tree of players with red ink to indicate murder targets. Successfully marking nine names would not only grant them a murder that night but also a meeting with the elusive secret traitor. They accomplished their goal, albeit while nearly blowing their cover to fellow player Reece.
As the secret traitor ascended the stairs to the traitors' turret, the episode concluded, leaving the reveal cliff-hanging until the next instalment on Wednesday 7 January.
Viewer Detective Work and Other Clues
In the absence of a confirmed reveal, the show's dedicated audience has turned to amateur sleuthing. Earlier, fans noted that the name of murdered contestant Netty was misspelled as "Nettie" on the first handwritten murder shortlist. This led to a theory that whoever wrote the list—presumably the secret traitor—might spell it the same way at the roundtable.
However, Netty's murder prevented that particular clue from being tested. Undeterred, fans are now analysing handwriting on the lists for other tells. "Based on the hand writing on the short list, I think Roxy could be the secret traitor," one viewer speculated.
Whether Ellie's verbal slip was a catastrophic error or a red herring remains to be seen. For now, the hunt for the puppet master in the scarlet cloak continues, with viewers scrutinising every word and action for the slightest clue.
