{"id":386701,"date":"2026-01-02T11:07:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T11:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/386701\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T11:07:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T11:07:09","slug":"bbc-the-traitors-fans-convinced-theyve-worked-out-secret-traitors-identity-after-spotting-glaring-job-title-clue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/386701\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC The Traitors fans convinced they&#8217;ve &#8216;worked out&#8217; Secret Traitor&#8217;s identity after spotting glaring &#8216;job title&#8217; clue"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The fourth series of BBC One&#8217;s acclaimed reality competition The Traitors launched last night with a dramatic format shake-up that has left audiences guessing.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time since the programme began in 2022, host Claudia Winkleman has introduced a fourth player operating in the shadows: a Secret Traitor whose identity remains concealed from both the three regular Traitors and viewers at home.<\/p>\n<p>This mysterious figure, distinguished by a red hooded cloak rather than the traditional green, represents the most significant change to the show&#8217;s structure since its debut.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike previous series where the three Traitors operated as a unit, this fourth player works entirely independently whilst wielding considerable influence over the game.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"c142c\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"f168e0e2cb51a2b416e1c812b215055e\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%202000%201331'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bbc-the-traitors-claudia-winkleman.jpg\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" alt=\"BBC The Traitors: Claudia Winkleman\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC The Traitors: Claudia Winkleman introduced the twist at the start of the premiere <\/p>\n<p> | <\/p>\n<p> BBC<\/p>\n<p>Each evening, the Secret Traitor compiles a shortlist of potential victims from which the regular Traitors must select their murder target.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You are my secret Traitor, you will not be joining your fellow Traitors tonight. Instead, you will be controlling them,&#8221; Ms Winkleman informed the anonymous contestant during the opening episode.<\/p>\n<p>Crucially, while the Secret Traitor knows precisely who the other three deceivers are, they remain completely unaware of this hidden puppet master&#8217;s identity.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout Thursday&#8217;s premiere, Hugo, Rachel, and Stephen &#8211; the three known Traitors &#8211; rued the fact that there was someone else calling the shots while they desperately tried to conceal their own roles.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"997a5\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"cbba7aeb69d759454f1a2e1fc2019a66\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201920%201080'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bbc-the-traitors-the-secret-traitor.png\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"BBC The Traitors: The Secret Traitor\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC The Traitors: The Secret Traitor provided the shortlist of who should be murdered <\/p>\n<p> | <\/p>\n<p> BBC<\/p>\n<p>By the end of the episode, the Traitor trio determined the Secret Traitor was working against them rather than as part of a unit, prompting frustration from Hugo and Stephen, in particular.<\/p>\n<p>Their annoyance was exacerbated further when they received the shortlist of Faithfuls they&#8217;d have to murder, with none of the three names being Hugo, Stephen, or Rachel&#8217;s preferred choice.<\/p>\n<p>Inevitably, social media has been flooded with theories as to who the Secret Traitor could be, but there&#8217;s one name that has emerged more frequently than others &#8211; and for arguably good reason.<\/p>\n<p>Amanda, a retired police detective from Brighton, quickly became the fandom&#8217;s number one suspect for the Secret Traitor role, and one X user has pointed out a rather cunning way the BBC show&#8217;s producers may be hiding in plain sight.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"0657f\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"fbd15db4ed31deed9f39c7828171c837\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%202000%201331'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bbc-the-traitors-amanda-has-emerged-as-a-possible-secret-traitor-candidate.jpg\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" alt=\"BBC The Traitors: Amanda has emerged as a possible Secret Traitor candidate\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC The Traitors: Amanda has emerged as a possible Secret Traitor candidate <\/p>\n<p> | <\/p>\n<p> BBC<\/p>\n<p>LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:<\/p>\n<p>Normally, when a contestant is speaking to the camera away from the group, their name, age, job title, and &#8220;Faithful&#8221; or &#8220;Traitor&#8221; status appear.<\/p>\n<p>For Amanda, this wasn&#8217;t the case, with &#8220;Retired Police Detective&#8221; taking up much of the graphic as she spoke to viewers.<\/p>\n<p>Pointing this out, one social media user shared a snap of Amanda from the show and argued: &#8220;Notice the name strap (Aston\/lower third) doesn\u2019t say &#8216;faithful&#8217; in this series, unlike previous. Clever change if they\u2019re the Secret Traitor #Traitors #Traitorsuk.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, other X users put forward other clues to suggest Amanda is the one beneath the red cloak.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"3e7a7\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"9f1a2c16a4eba3cb897c68af73d5da43\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20487%20383'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767352029_322_bbc-the-traitors-amanda-has-emerged-as-a-possible-secret-traitor-candidate.jpg\" width=\"487\" height=\"383\" alt=\"BBC The Traitors: Amanda has emerged as a possible Secret Traitor candidate\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC The Traitors: Viewers are convinced it could be Amanda <\/p>\n<p> | <\/p>\n<p> BBC<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Hear me out: Amanda said to Stephen, &#8216;I don\u2019t have the weight of being a traitor on my shoulders!&#8217; Suggesting she knows that he does!!! She\u2019s my early prediction for Secret Traitor. @the_traitors_,&#8221; a second commented.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, a third suggested alongside a photo of the Secret Traitor&#8217;s shortlist: &#8220;This is unlikely to be a young person\u2019s penmanship AND I doubt Claudia would pick 3\/4 male traitors. The murder shortlist suggests a white contestant. Convinced the #secrettraitor is Fiona or Amanda #TheTraitors #TraitorsUK.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Another weighed in: &#8220;&#8216;I found baddies all my life now it&#8217;s time to be one&#8217; there is NO WAY the secret traitor isn\u2019t Amanda after she ate that line up and left no crumbs #TheTraitors.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A fifth concurred: &#8220;Here is who remains as a secret traitor, it&#8217;s so obviously amanda or judy let&#8217;s be honest #TheTraitors.&#8221; (sic)<\/p>\n<p>And a sixth added: &#8220;It\u2019d be a crime, pun intended, if Amanda isn\u2019t the secret Traitor. #TheTraitors.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, there were some who weren&#8217;t entirely convinced by the Amanda theory. &#8220;I think they are editing it like it\u2019s Amanda but I deffo think the secret traitor is our queen Fiona #TheTraitors,&#8221; one X user argued. (sic)<\/p>\n<p>Ms Winkleman had built anticipation for the premiere by hinting at the dramatic changes ahead. &#8220;There&#8217;s something new and what happens in this series is truly extraordinary, with moments that made me gasp,&#8221; she revealed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t wait for people to see it. The producers have the greatest minds on Earth.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mike Cotton, creative director at Studio Lambert, explained the thinking behind the bold addition. &#8220;Each series is like a murder mystery, we never change the core game, but we always play with the twists around it,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;ll be interesting to try and change the conversation slightly this season.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The fourth series of BBC One&#8217;s acclaimed reality competition The Traitors launched last night with a dramatic format&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":386702,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[64,63,1576,480,134,13296,427],"class_list":{"0":"post-386701","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-bbc","11":"tag-celebrity","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-sgg","14":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}