![\"Jade](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_281717350-495d.jpg\")
\n\t\tStephen now has his own life-sized bulwark in Jade (Picture: BBC\/Studio Lambert\/Euan Cherry)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tStephen now has his own life-sized bulwark in Jade (Picture: BBC\/Studio Lambert\/Euan Cherry)<\/p>\n
Poor Jade. She can\u2019t seem to catch a break.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even her fellow contestants on The Traitors<\/a> have acknowledged that Jade\u2019s time in the Scottish castle has not been the cosy crime<\/a> drama experience the surroundings suggest.\u00a0<\/p>\n And after tonight\u2019s episode resulted in switched votes and roundtable deadlock, I fear her days of defending herself aren\u2019t yet over.<\/p>\n Regardless of what happens next, Stephen now has his own life-sized bulwark in Jade.<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve made my case before for how warped the suspicion levelled at the PhD student has been, because it has primarily relied on her quiet and subdued personality as proof<\/a>.<\/p>\n But at tonight\u2019s critical summit \u2013 the last time a banished contestant reveals their identity \u2013 Jade\u2019s swapped votes could be the concrete bit of evidence those already gunning for her can point to in their quest to oust her.<\/p>\n \t\t Regardless of whether it\u2019s James or Rachel who leaves Ardross Castle, the only other names floating through the corridors are Jade and Stephen.<\/p>\n For all his guilty blushes and darting looks, Stephen and his Paddington Bear-style fits are, in my opinion<\/a>, going into the final, with Faraaz as the lone Faithful spying in his direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tGet even more Traitors gossip\t\t\t<\/p>\n Want to get all the latest news and predictions for the best and most dramatic show this new year? <\/p>\n Sign up to our TV Daily newsletter<\/a> to get a personalised selection of the hottest takes, latest theories and big behind-the-scenes news every morning. Don’t to forget to select ‘The Traitors’ when you enter your email.<\/p>\n Or join our The Traitors WhatsApp channel<\/a> for live episode coverage, juicy gossip and a place to recover from all the cliffhangers.<\/p>\n Simply click on this link<\/a>, select \u2018Join Chat\u2019 and you\u2019re in! Don’t forget to turn on notifications!<\/p>\n That leaves Jade the obvious choice for who the Faithful will suspect was accompanying Rachel up the turret steps. But it isn\u2019t just Jade\u2019s actions that have helped Stephen when all seemed lost time and again this series. Rachel\u2019s mistake in last night\u2019s episode<\/a> was only amplified by her actions tonight.<\/p>\n Regardless of who pulls a shield from their box, Faraaz has mounted far too convincing a case <\/a>against Traitors supremo Rachel for her to finish this implausible run with a win. If only Fiona hadn\u2019t sparked kindling at Rachel\u2019s feet<\/a> when she self-immolated, it might all be so different.<\/p>\n But during this episode, even James, whose guesses and gameplay have been so atrocious it\u2019s been painful to watch, has finally taken notice, getting wind of the fire that has been burning right under their noses, set by Fiona and smouldered by Harriet.<\/p>\n Murdering Roxy was Rachel\u2019s big blunder, <\/a>because at the roundtable she had no allies left to latch onto, while James had actual evidence to point to.<\/p>\n \t\t Which is why I think Rachel deserves to be the banished party,<\/a> and probably will be, leaving Stephen to beeline for victory. This isn\u2019t the first time in this series that a stalemate roundtable has come down to chance.<\/p>\n Earlier on, Amanda was banished over Reece after picking the box at the front of Claudia Winkleman\u2019s killer platter.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n This time, Rachel picked the box at the back. It\u2019s dubbed a \u2018game of chance\u2019, but the whole box business doesn\u2019t feel quite as 50\/50 as a simple coin toss would.<\/p>\n But if Rachel is the one who leaves, admitting she\u2019s a Traitor on the way out, it will be Faraaz that the remaining Faithful look to for guidance, having now made himself known. <\/p>\n He\u2019s going back and forth over whether it\u2019s Stephen or Jade, and based on the day they just had, it\u2019s Jade who\u2019s done the most to incriminate herself, thus unfortunately putting herself back on the chopping block.\u00a0<\/p>\n Why Jack found Rachel\u2019s speech convincing is something only he can explain. He has said he\u2019s locked in with tunnel vision on the show finale. An apparent byproduct of that is he\u2019s got blinders up to everything else, like guilty Stephen next to him. <\/p>\n Only time will tell how that works out for him.<\/p>\n \t\t Compared to Jade\u2019s unshakable cloud of suspicion, Stephen is Teflon. Rachel tried to throw her qualms across the roundtable at him<\/a>, but all she had to go on was his return from the cages mission donkey\u2019s years ago.<\/p>\n Rising like a serpent on the attack, the 32-year-old cybersecurity whizz batted away the accusation with the assurance of someone who now knows exactly what they\u2019re doing. Perhaps he got it from Rachel because up until now he\u2019s had the frantic look of someone desperately trying to learn on the job.<\/p>\n If Stephen is able to ride out the lingering suspicions around Rachel and capitalise on Jade\u2019s eyebrow-raising roundtable indecision, he could yet keep his fabulous wool jumpers over his castmates\u2019 eyes until the bubbles are popped at the very end.<\/a><\/p>\n Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jessica.aureli@metro.co.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Share your views in the comments below.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"TX](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_279977011-f73d.jpg\")
\n\t\tFor all his guilty blushes and darting looks, Stephen and his Paddington Bear-style fits are, in my opinion, going into the final(Picture: BBC\/Studio Lambert\/Euan Cherry)<\/p>\n![\"For](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_279354754-04a3-e1769097552134.jpg\")
\n\t\tFaraaz has mounted far too convincing a case against Traitors supremo Rachel(Picture: Cody Burridge\/BBC\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n![\"TX](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_281717372-25ce.jpg\")
\n\t\tStephen could yet keep his fabulous wool jumpers over his castmates\u2019 eyes (Picture: BBC\/Studio Lambert\/Euan Cherry)<\/p>\n
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