Viewers of BBC's hit show The Traitors were left stunned once again as contestant Stephen, one of the secret 'Traitors', committed a glaring error that could finally expose his game. Despite recent close calls, the Scottish player's latest slip-up during Wednesday's episode has fans convinced his days in the castle are numbered.
A Costly Confusion Over Breakfast
The critical mistake occurred after the morning meal, when Stephen approached fellow player Harriet in the kitchen. His goal was to deflect suspicion from his fellow Traitor, Rachel, and to gauge whether Harriet suspected him. In his attempt to appear loyal, Stephen told Harriet: 'I've got zero suss on Rachel. And this morning at breakfast when you said "Look at who isn't going for Rachel and who's protecting her". I'm not protecting her by saying that.'
However, this statement contained a fatal flaw. Harriet had never made that comment at the breakfast table. She had only voiced that theory during a private confessional session, which is only witnessed by the individual player and the television audience. The only other people who could have possibly heard it were Stephen and Rachel themselves, as Traitors share confessional footage.
Fortunately for Stephen, the slip appeared to go over Harriet's head at the time, as she reassured him he wasn't on her suspect list. But eagle-eyed viewers immediately spotted the blunder and took to social media to point it out.
Viewers React to the Blunder and Stephen's 'Guilty' Demeanour
Fans watching at home were quick to call out the error, suggesting it was a clear sign of Stephen's guilt. One viewer wrote: 'Ooops. I think Stephen might have just dropped his camouflage… He said to Harriet, "you said at the table to watch out for people protecting Rachel" Oh Stephen. She didn't say that at the table. SHE SAID IT AT THE CONFESSIONAL.'
This wasn't the only reason viewers are baffled Stephen remains undetected. Many have consistently highlighted his physical reactions during the tense roundtable banishment meetings. Comments flooded in noting his visibly guilty demeanour, with viewers stating: 'STEPHEN IS LITERALLY BRIGHT PINK,' and 'How can they look at Stephen at every round table and think he is not a traitor he looks so guilty!' Others questioned why no one in the game seems to be suspicious of the fact he turns 'bright red at the round table all the time.'
A Pattern of Mistakes: The Previous Week's Fumble
This latest error follows another significant misstep just last week, which also led fans to predict his imminent banishment. The drama unfolded after host Claudia Winkleman revealed that the Traitors had put nine contestants 'on trial for murder' by marking their names with red fingerprints on a family tree in the hallway.
As the Faithful scrambled to work out the culprit, Stephen tried to pin the blame on another player, Maz, because he had seen him near the picture. However, in his eagerness at the roundtable, Stephen accidentally implied he had prior knowledge of the plot. He said: 'And I've spoken to you before Maz, through this process. And so I was thinking to myself last night, you know - oh sorry this morning, after we found out how the thing was done.'
By mistakenly saying 'last night', Stephen inadvertently suggested he was contemplating the murder mechanism before the Faithful were even aware of it. Although this Freudian slip seemed to pass by the other players, it did not escape the notice of the audience, who declared it a major clue to his treachery.
With a growing catalogue of verbal slips and a tell-tale flushed complexion, the pressure is mounting on Stephen. Viewers are now waiting to see if the Faithful will finally piece together the evidence that has been so obvious to those watching from home.
