Fans of The Traitors US have launched a fierce backlash against the show's latest gameplay twist, branding it 'irritating' and calling for producers to abandon it entirely. The controversy centres on the 'Secret Traitor' element introduced in the current fourth season, which has spectacularly backfired with American viewers.
What is the Secret Traitor Twist?
Both the UK and US versions of the hit reality competition introduced the 'Secret Traitor' twist for their new series. The core concept involves concealing the identity of one Traitor not only from the other contestants in the castle but also from the audience at home. While this narrative device proved a roaring success in the UK version, with Fiona's reveal thrilling fans, its execution across the Atlantic has been met with widespread frustration.
The critical moment unfolded in the third episode of the US season, which aired on the streaming service Peacock. Shortly after her banishment at the roundtable, Donna Kelce – mother to NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce and future mother-in-law to Taylor Swift – was revealed to have been the Secret Traitor all along. This made her the first Traitor banished from the game and the fourth contestant overall to be eliminated.
Viewer Backlash: 'Unfulfilling' and 'Flawed'
Audiences have taken to social media platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) to voice their disappointment. A common complaint is that the twist robbed viewers of the essential suspense that makes The Traitors so compelling. One fan elaborated on Reddit, stating, "Watching without the context of her role? Unfulfilling."
They explained that the pleasure of watching a Faithful player passionately argue to banish someone the audience knows is a Traitor was completely lost. There was no dramatic tension wondering if Donna could talk her way out of suspicion, or the irony of seeing Faithfuls waste their votes. The fan concluded that the conceit was "flawed from the start" and urged producers: "The show should drop it."
Casting Choices Under Fire
Further criticism has been directed at the decision to cast Donna Kelce in the pivotal Secret Traitor role. Many viewers felt the choice was obvious or poorly judged, arguing that she lacked the strategic gameplay needed to make the twist work effectively.
"Making donna the secret traitor was lowkey a chop like she didn’t know how to play the game at all #TheTraitorsUS," one viewer posted on X. Another lamented, "im so irritated that they wasted a traitor position on donna. TIFFANY WAS RIGHT THERE #TraitorsUS." A separate comment simply stated, "production wasting their big secret traitor twist on DONNA.."
The Traitors US season four features an all-celebrity cast, including Love Island's Maura Higgins, Drag Race winner Monet X Change, and actor Michael Rapaport. This differs from the UK version, which uses members of the public.
While the new US series is not yet available to watch in the UK, it is expected to land on BBC iPlayer in the coming months, where the first three seasons are currently streaming.
