Matthew Banished From The Traitors After Dramatic Vote

The latest episode of BBC’s hit reality competition The Traitors on January 21, 2026, delivered a dramatic shakeup as creative director Matthew Hyndman, 35, became the ninth contestant banished from the castle. The episode, which unfolded with all the suspense of a classic murder mystery, saw alliances tested, suspicions aired, and a pivotal vote that could change the course of the game.

The tension began building early in the episode, as the remaining contestants faced the daunting roundtable, the show’s signature forum for accusation and elimination. According to the Belfast Telegraph, the votes ultimately came down to Matthew and James, with James wielding an unusual advantage: the ceremonial dagger, which granted him a double vote. In a twist, James used both votes against Matthew, sealing his fate. But it was Rachel, revealed to be one of the Traitors, who cast the final, decisive vote that sent Matthew home.

Host Claudia Winkleman, a fixture of the show’s drama, struggled to contain her disappointment as Matthew’s banishment was announced. "Faithful, what are you thinking? The Traitors will murder one of you tonight. I am genuinely speechless. Good night," she told the remaining players, her frustration palpable, as reported by The Mirror.

For Matthew, the roundtable was a culmination of both strategic missteps and missed opportunities. In his exit interview, he reflected on his regrets, telling the BBC, "There are a few mistakes that I made near the end, particularly at the final round table. I should have gone all guns blazing against Stephen." He explained his rationale, noting that the Traitors’ decision to give James the dagger meant the numbers were stacked against him: "My initial instinct was I can't go after Stephen, because then he will definitely vote for me, and then I'm gone. On reflection, he was always going to vote for me because he was a Traitor, and I thought he was a Traitor."

Matthew’s regret extended to his relationship with James, who had suspected him since the beginning. "If someone doesn't like me, I'm not going to beg them to be my friend – but in the game of the Traitors you have to kind of do that," Matthew admitted. He wished he had worked harder to persuade James to join forces against Stephen, saying, "When James got the dagger, I should have desperately tried to get to him and say, 'Look, Stephen is a Traitor, he's going to vote for me tonight. Please just listen to me on this one occasion, and if I'm wrong, then banish me the next night.' I should have tried to convince James, but I just didn't even bother trying."

James, for his part, was visibly shaken by the outcome. After casting the double vote that led to Matthew’s banishment, he was left in tears, realizing he had made the wrong decision and fearing he might be the next to leave. "That’s me f***ed," he confided, according to The Mirror. "Probably deservedly so as well." James’s emotional response underscored the psychological toll the game takes on its participants, where trust is fleeting and every decision can have dire consequences.

Matthew’s journey on The Traitors was marked by a deep desire to play as a Traitor himself. "I just wanted to be a Traitor!" he laughed in his interview with the BBC. Despite being "gutted" not to be selected as one, he quickly shifted his strategy to stay in the game as long as possible. When he was voted the fairest and given the rare opportunity to meet the Traitors, he saw it as a chance to buy himself at least two more days in the castle. "I was also so certain that I was going to be murdered," he said, describing the constant sense of jeopardy that defines the show.

His plan, had he been recruited as a Traitor, was nothing short of Machiavellian. Matthew revealed, "I had a plan in place that if I got recruited, I would have come down to breakfast and then told everyone that I was sitting on some information, and that the Traitors had told me they were going to recruit Rachel next, as I would have known Rachel was a Traitor, and it would have had to have been Rachel." This move, he believed, could have exposed a key player and shifted the balance of power.

But the game’s complexity is not just in its strategy; it’s also in the relationships forged under pressure. Matthew spoke warmly of the friendships he made, particularly with Rachel and Harriet. "Me, Rachel and Harriet have formed this lovely group and we're in a WhatsApp group together called 'The Confessional'," he shared with the BBC. "Me and Rachel, because we're from the same place, and me and Stephen, because we've had a lot of the same experiences, so that's really special!" The irony that these bonds were formed in a game built on deception was not lost on him: "It's really mad."

The episode’s most dramatic moments, however, belonged to Rachel. After casting the final vote against Matthew, she found herself under immediate suspicion. Faraaz, the youngest player at just 22, openly accused her of being a Traitor, referencing a heated argument between Rachel and Fiona as "Traitor on Traitor." Stephen, Rachel’s fellow Traitor, confided to the camera that she was facing "an uphill battle" to stay in the game, a sentiment echoed by the mounting pressure from other contestants.

As the episode closed, Rachel and Stephen retreated to the turret, tasked with deciding whether to "murder" Faraaz or Roxy. Rachel cautioned Stephen, "Now is not the time in the competition to stick up for people," warning that if he heard she was talking about him, it was only to deflect suspicion. The show’s psychological chess match was in full swing, with alliances fraying and the Traitors’ grip on the game increasingly precarious.

Throughout, host Claudia Winkleman’s presence loomed large, her disappointment at Matthew’s exit a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the game. The faithfuls’ failure to root out the Traitors left the remaining contestants vulnerable, and the sense of impending doom was palpable.

For viewers, Matthew’s exit was a masterclass in both the social and strategic pitfalls of The Traitors. His candid reflections, emotional goodbyes, and the web of intrigue left behind ensure that the next episode will be watched with bated breath. The game, as Matthew said when he first arrived, is truly on.