Fiona Hughes, the contestant revealed as the Secret Traitor on the current series of the BBC's hit show The Traitors, has given a candid interview explaining the real strategy behind her dramatic exit.
The Turret Confrontation That Sealed Her Fate
The 62-year-old local government officer from Swansea saw her journey end just two episodes after it was disclosed to viewers – though not to her fellow players – that she was the hidden Secret Traitor. Her departure came after a fiery confrontation with fellow Traitor, Rachel.
The clash erupted during Thursday night's episode, following the banishment of another player, Amanda. Rachel informed the group that Amanda had confessed to being a former police detective in real life. Fiona chose that moment to publicly challenge Rachel's information, accusing her of being a Traitor herself.
The move backfired. The group sided with Rachel, leading to Fiona's banishment from the competition during the episode aired on Wednesday 11 January 2026.
'I Knew She Was Telling The Truth'
Speaking to host Ed Gamble on the official Traitors Uncloaked podcast, Fiona has now revealed she never actually doubted Rachel's story. Her challenge was a calculated, high-risk play for survival.
"No, I knew she was saying the truth," Fiona admitted. "I absolutely knew she was saying the truth and I trusted her explicitly."
She explained her thought process, revealing she had growing suspicions about Rachel's loyalty. "However, I'd had my suspicions on Rachel," she continued. "I thought that if anybody's going to throw me under the bus, it's going to be Rachel."
Throwing a Grenade: The Poker Strategy
Fiona framed her final move as a necessary, if desperate, tactical gambit. She compared it to a bad hand in a poker game.
"If you play poker and you have a rubbish hand, you're not going to keep putting money in the kitty, you throw the hand down," she said. "And I thought that's what I'm going to do here. I'm going to throw a grenade in the room and let's see who comes out of it unscathed."
She maintains the bold challenge "had to be done", even if it meant the end of her dream of an all-Celtic final three. "It would have been lovely for the three Celts to have made it to the end, but it was never going to happen," she reflected.
Despite their on-screen feud, Fiona was full of praise for Rachel, describing her as an "amazing player" and "canny".
"She's going to be the queen of Ireland," Fiona stated. "I love Rachel to bits. But I'd seen that Rachel was the danger to me – or I'd felt [it]. And I always go with my gut, so I listen."
The Traitors continues on BBC One at 8pm each Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
