Secret traitor: Top five suspects explained ahead of tonight’s reveal

The Traitors 2026: Meet the contestants, from a former detective to a bestselling crime writer">The Traitors is set to reveal the identity of the “secret traitor” when the series resumes tonight (7 January).

For the fourth series of the BBC’s hit reality series, producers introduced a new twist – the inclusion of a so-called secret traitor, whose identity is unknown to the regular traitors, the faithfuls, and the viewing audience.

Speculation has been rife over the identity of this mysterious player, with a few candidates emerging as favourites.

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Thanks to the secret traitor’s interventions in the game, multiple contestants can already be ruled out: Maz, James, and Reece have all appeared on lists of potential murder victims, selected by the secret traitor.

Two contestants, faithfuls Ben and Netty, have been murdered, while two other contestants – faithful Judy and traitor Hugo – were banished following a vote.

That means there are 13 remaining contestants who are still eligible, though some contestants are more viable than others. Here are five of the leading suspects.

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Psychologist Ellie, 33, is one of the most popular suspects, with many viewers claiming that her handwriting matches the handwriting on the murder list handed down by the secret traitor.

Others have claimed to identify strands of long blonde hair in the obscured shots of the secret traitor – potentially matching Ellie’s coiffure.

Perhaps significantly, Ellie is also the only contestant to have uttered the phrase “secret traitor”, something many viewers have picked up on.

“Either this is a massive red herring or the secret traitor has just been revealed because how else would Ellie know about that as a concept?” asked one X (Twitter) user.

Fans have also speculated that Ellie is concealing a pre-Traitors familiarity with fellow contestant Ross. Since-deleted posts on social media appear to show interactions between the duo long before The Traitors was filmed.

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One of the standout contestants from the first three episodes of The Traitors series four, Fiona has drawn suspicion thanks to her actions during the first challenge.

The Welsh local government officer, 62, appeared confused during the task, in which coffins were placed into named graves – though fans have speculated that the confusion was all a ruse, and she was playing dumb.

“I’m 100 per cent sure that Fiona is the secret traitor,” one person wrote on X. “First, she’s had loads of screen time despite not being caught up in any of the major storylines.

“Second, it plays on last year’s idea that the Welsh accent is the most trustworthy. It’s the ultimate gag.”

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Another popular suggestion is Roxy, a 32-year-old recruiter, who entered the series hiding a secret of her own – the fact that Judy (now banished) was her mother.

Viewers have also cited Roxy’s handwriting as a clue, thanks to the roundtable in episode three. Roxy’s writing shows some calligraphic similarities with the secret traitor’s, with viewers homing in on the connections between each letter.

“Look at the handwriting! The letters in each name are linked together,” one person wrote on X. “Look at Roxy’s handwriting at the round table they are identical!!!” added another. “She has to be the secret traitor.”

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There are a few pieces of evidence tying Jade to the role of secret traitor. First, there’s her thoroughly rattled expression after Claudia Winkleman picked the traitors back in episode one.

The 25-year-old PhD student’s handwriting is again a factor, with many claiming that it matches that of the Secret Traitor. Others have also pointed out that she was the only contestant to state that they wanted to be a faithful at the start of the game – making her a suitably ironic choice for the secret traitor.

Some people have also picked up on inconsistencies in her behaviour, which may point to deception. “Jade is the secret traitor,” one person wrote on X. “Claimed she was really hot on the first night traitor pick and the next night wore a thick polar neck jumper. She’s lying.”

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The No 1 choice for the secret traitor, however, seems to be 52-year-old crime novelist and former barrister Harriet Tyce.

Viewers spotted what they claim was a production blunder during the latest episode of companion series Traitors: Uncloaked, which points to Harriet as the fourth traitor.

In the background of a discussion between presenter Ed Gamble and past Traitors stars Cat Burns and Charlotte Birman, four framed photos of this year’s contestants can be seen on the wall.

All three known traitors are there, with Hugo’s face crossed out, after he was banished. The fourth picture is that of Harriet.

Elsewhere, viewers have zeroed in on Harriet’s handwriting, and her behaviour during the episode three roundtable, when she was instrumental in convincing the group to banish actual traitor Hugo.

People have suggested that the decision to sacrifice another traitor was in fact a winning ploy to earn the group’s trust and deflect suspicion away from herself.

The Traitors continues on BBC One at 8pm tonight.