The Scottish Highlands have never looked quite so dramatic—or so cunning—as they do in the fourth season of The Traitors, which premiered on Peacock on January 8, 2026, dropping its first three episodes in one suspense-packed batch. Hosted once again by the ever-dapper Alan Cumming, the show welcomed a fresh crop of pseudo-celebrities to his storied castle, all vying for a shot at a $250,000 prize. But if fans thought they knew what to expect from the reality competition, this season’s new twist—a Secret Traitor, whose identity was hidden from everyone, even the other Traitors—threw the game into exhilarating chaos from the very start.
This year’s cast is a reality TV lover’s dream, a veritable who’s who drawn from all corners of pop culture. The lineup includes Real Housewives stars like Lisa Rinna, Dorinda Medley, and Candiace Dillard Bassett; Survivor alums Natalie Anderson and Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho; Big Brother’s Tiffany Mitchell; Love Island’s Rob Rausch; Olympic figure skating legends Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski; and, perhaps most surprisingly, Donna Kelce—the beloved mother of NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce, and soon-to-be mother-in-law of Taylor Swift. The eclectic mix set the stage for a season brimming with intrigue, alliances, and, inevitably, betrayals.
From the moment the contestants arrived, the atmosphere was electric. According to Rolling Stone, Alan Cumming wasted no time, introducing the twist in the very first episode: one Traitor would be chosen in plain sight, but their identity would remain a mystery to both the cast and the audience. The rest of the Traitors—Lisa Rinna, Candiace Dillard Bassett, and Rob Rausch—were selected in the traditional, secretive manner. As Cumming explained, “The Secret Traitor will not know your identity, nor you theirs. The Secret Traitor will work alone. But don’t be scared, they are on your side. Each night, they will decide which players are on the shortlist for murder. You must select who to murder only from this list.” The twisty new rule sent the cast into a frenzy of speculation and suspicion.
As TIME reported, the Secret Traitor’s influence was immediate. The first murder of the season saw Ian Terry from Big Brother 14 eliminated, followed by the banishment of Porsha Williams from The Real Housewives of Atlanta—both orchestrated by the original Traitors but subtly manipulated by the Secret Traitor’s shortlist. The cast, meanwhile, was left scrambling to decipher clues and form alliances, with tension mounting as public feuds erupted. Survivor’s Yam Yam Arocho and actor Michael Rapaport clashed loudly at breakfast, each accusing the other of being a Traitor in a scene that had the rest of the table on edge.
But the real fireworks came in Episode 3, aptly titled “Show Me Your Faces.” After a secret mission completed by Lisa Rinna and Rob Rausch (with Candiace Dillard Bassett left out of the loop), the Traitors earned the right to finally meet the Secret Traitor in the turret. Yet, just as the original Traitors prepared to unite with their covert ally, the Faithfuls set their sights on Donna Kelce. Her quiet demeanor, nervous energy, and lack of engagement had made her an easy target—what she herself described as “low-hanging fruit” for a group of reality TV veterans. She tried to explain her reticence as being starstruck, telling the group, “I’m fangirling on every one of you, forgive me. I tried today.”
Despite her pleas, the votes stacked up against Kelce during the daylight Round Table, with only Michael Rapaport and Kelce herself casting dissenting votes. Even Dorinda Medley, who worried aloud about the wrath of Swifties if she voted for Kelce, ultimately joined the majority. When Kelce stood to make her exit speech, she stunned the room by revealing, “You got yourself a Traitor!” The group erupted in cheers and applause, realizing they had banished a Traitor—but not knowing they had, in fact, outed the Secret Traitor herself. As Peacock and Rolling Stone both confirmed, Kelce’s unmasking was a genuine shock to both the Faithfuls and the original Traitors, who had no inkling of her role.
This dramatic reveal not only ended the Secret Traitor twist prematurely but also heightened the stakes for the rest of the season. The Faithfuls, emboldened by their success, seemed ready to take even bigger risks. The Traitors, meanwhile, were left reeling, having lost a potential ally without ever knowing who she was. As Lisa Rinna put it, “This is twisty—big time twisty.” Rob Rausch echoed her sentiment, worried about the unpredictable impact the Secret Traitor could have had: “The Secret Traitor could really mess up our game, depending on who they put on the short-list.”
The fallout from the banishment rippled through the castle. As Entertainment Weekly recounted, the next mission forced players to pair up and trust each other with their safety. Those left unpaired or unsaved, like comedian Ron Funches, were placed on a new shortlist for potential murder, keeping the paranoia and drama at fever pitch. The group’s successful completion of a skull-stacking mission added $25,000 to the prize pot, but the real prize seemed to be survival itself.
By the end of Episode 3, the cast had been whittled down, alliances had shifted, and suspicions ran higher than ever. The next episode, scheduled for January 15, promised even more intrigue, as the remaining Traitors—now just Rinna, Dillard Bassett, and Rausch—would have to navigate the game without Kelce’s secret support. The question on everyone’s mind: would Alan Cumming introduce another Secret Traitor, or would the rest of the season play out with the original trio?
One thing’s for sure: with a cast this competitive and a host this devilishly clever, The Traitors Season 4 is shaping up to be the show’s most unpredictable—and entertaining—outing yet. The early ouster of the Secret Traitor may have cut short one mystery, but it’s only fanned the flames of suspicion, strategy, and spectacle. Viewers and contestants alike are left wondering what twist Alan Cumming has up his tartan sleeve next.
For fans of reality television and psychological gamesmanship, this season is proving that in the Highlands, trust is always in short supply—and betrayal is never more than a vote away.