The Traitors is a TV show that has gripped audiences like no other. Filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, this hit show turns trust into a liability and small decisions into game-changing moments that contestants must pay attention to.
What is The Traitors & How Does it Work?
The Traitors is a psychological strategy game set in a remote castle, where every contestant arrives as a Faithful but soon learns whether they will secretly play as a Faithful or a Traitor. The Faithful’s goal is to identify and banish all Traitors before the end of the game. The Traitors must deceive the group, avoid suspicion, and survive until the final.
In most episodes, contestants meet at the Round Table to debate suspicions and vote to banish one player, who then reveals their true role before leaving. Each night, the Traitors meet in secret and agree on a Faithful to “murder”, removing them from the game overnight. The number of Traitors is never revealed and can change through banishment or recruitment. Alongside the deception, all players work together on Missions to build a shared prize fund of up to £120,000.
Source: The BBC
Who Were the Contestants on The Traitors 2026?
Stephen Libby
Role: Traitor
Fate: Winner
Stephen Libby, a cyber security consultant from London, made Traitors’ history as the joint winner of The Traitors. Calm, strategic, and quietly loyal, he chose principle over a solo win in the final banishment, backing Rachel to the end. That decision paid off. Together, they became the first traitor duo to win, each walking away with £47,875. It was a defining endgame moment under intense pressure.
Rachel Duffy
Role: Traitor
Fate: Winner
Rachel Duffy made history as the joint winner of The Traitors. A head of communications from Ireland, Rachel was sharp, composed and trusted when it mattered most, voting to banish Jack Butler in the final stretch. Stephen stayed loyal, sealing their fate as the first traitor duo to win the show. Rachel claimed £47,875 after a tense, perfectly judged endgame.
Jack Butler
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Jack Butler, a personal trainer from Hatfield Health, reached the final stages of The Traitors as a Faithful. Calm under pressure, he survived deep into the game before a decisive final vote. Rachel and Stephen chose to banish him, with Stephen backing loyalty over a solo win. Jack exited in episode 12, just short of the prize.
Faraaz Noor
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Faraaz Noor, an internal auditor from Middlesbrough, reached the endgame of The Traitors as a Faithful, earning respect for his clear thinking under pressure. In the final banishment, he voted for Stephen, while Stephen and Rachel turned their votes on him. Banished in episode 12, Faraaz exited just one step from the final prize, after a tightly fought finish.
Jade Scott
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Jade Scott, a PhD student from Warwick, competed as a Faithful on The Traitors. Analytical and composed, she faced heavy scrutiny at the episode 12 round table. Faraaz raised doubts rooted in Amanda’s suspicions, while attention shifted elsewhere. Jade was ultimately banished with three votes, exiting late in a tense, fractured endgame.
James Barker
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
James Barker, a gardener from Weymouth, played as a Faithful on The Traitors. Episode 12 proved decisive after a chaotic round table and a tied vote with Rachel. The outcome went to the chests of chance, where luck ran out. James was banished, revealing his Faithful status after a dramatic endgame twist.
Roxy
Role: Faithful
Fate: Murdered
Roxy, a recruiter from the Netherlands, appeared on The Traitors as a Faithful and one-half of a hidden mother daughter duo with Judy Wilson. Unaware contestants never knew their link. In episode 11, she was murdered after Stephen and Rachel chose her over Faraaz, following tense turret discussions that briefly tested their alliance.
Matthew Hyndman
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Matthew Hyndman, a creative director from Scotland, competed as a Faithful on The Traitors. Banished in episode 10, he fell victim to a fragmented round table filled with cross accusations and shifting suspicion. His comments about traitor voting patterns drew attention, and amid widespread confusion, Matthew was voted out, later revealing his Faithful status.
Ellie Buckley
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Ellie Buckley, a psychologist from London, played as a Faithful on The Traitors. Banished in episode 9, she came under fire for mission answers that appeared aligned with the traitors. Rachel also suggested that Ellie was gathering information. Voted out with four votes, Ellie revealed she was Faithful and secretly in the game with her boyfriend Ross.
Jessie Stride
Role: Faithful
Fate: Murdered
Jessie Stride, a hairstylist from Hull, played as a Faithful on The Traitors. In episode 9, she openly pushed her suspicions of Stephen, raising her profile and making her a risk. After tense turret debates, Stephen and Rachel chose to murder Jessie, with Stephen planning to frame the move as a setup against him.
Sam Little
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Sam Little, an account manager from North Yorkshire, competed as a Faithful. Banished in episode 8, he drew suspicion after confidently claiming knowledge about shield holders and immediately chasing protection in a challenge – an assertiveness that backfired. Sam was voted out with six votes, revealing his Faithful status after a costly misunderstanding.
Adam Waughman
Role: Faithful
Fate: Murdered
Adam Waughman, a builder from Romford, was murdered in episode 8. Playing as a faithful, his exit followed a calculated gamble in the turret. Stephen and Rachel ruled out Sam, Jessie, and James as shield risks, correctly deducing that Adam was vulnerable. He was revealed at breakfast, catching the group off guard.
Harriet Tyce
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Harriet Tyce, a crime writer and former barrister from London, appeared as a Faithful on The Traitors. Viewers were keen to see her legal instincts at play. In episode 7, she accused Rachel, Roxy, and Matthew, even inviting banishment to prove her case. Lacking support at the round table, Harriet was voted out and revealed as Faithful.
Fiona Hughes
Role: Traitor
Fate: Banished
Fiona Hughes, a local government officer from Swansea, entered The Traitors as the series’ Secret Traitor, revealed in episode 4. Her game unravelled at the episode 6 round table after sustained clashes with Rachel and renewed scrutiny from Stephen and Jessie. Banished and exposed, Fiona voted for Sam as her cover collapsed.
Reece Ward
Role: Faithful
Fate: Murdered
Reece Ward, a sweet shop assistant from Sheffield, played as a Faithful on The Traitors. Murdered in episode 6, his exit came as a shock to the group. Amid ongoing tension between Rachel and Fiona in the turret, the traitors chose Reece as a surprise target, removing a low profile player and unsettling the remaining Faithfuls.
Amanda Collier
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Amanda Collier, a retired police detective from Brighton, brought real investigative instincts to The Traitors. Her background in reading behaviour, spotting inconsistencies, and following evidence often proved useful at the round table. Banished in episode 5 after a tied vote and random draw, she exited unlucky rather than outplayed, revealing herself as a Faithful.
Marzook “Maz” Bana
Role: Faithful
Fate: Murdered
Marzook “Maz” Bana, a civil servant from Preston, played as a Faithful and was murdered in episode 5. His exit surprised the group, many of whom expected Stephen to be targeted. With Stephen absent from the turret, Fiona and Rachel faced a tense decision and chose Maz, carrying out a rare face-to-face murder.
Ross Garshong
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Ross Garshong, a sales executive and personal trainer from London, appeared as a Faithful on The Traitors. Banished in episode 4, he came under scrutiny due to his friendship with Netty and Ben’s final words. Voted out by one vote over Reece, Ross revealed he was Faithful, before Ellie was shown to be his girlfriend.
Hugo Lodge
Role: Traitor
Fate: Banished
Hugo Lodge, a barrister from London, entered The Traitors with high expectations from viewers. His legal background suggested sharp interrogation skills, yet suspicion quickly turned on him. In episode 3, Harriet challenged his behaviour at the round table. The group, including Stephen, voted to banish Hugo, who then revealed he was a Traitor.
Ben
Role: Faithful
Fate: Murdered
Ben, a Royal Navy veteran, took part in The Traitors as a Faithful. Murdered in episode 3, his exit followed the Secret Traitor shortlist, which included Maz, Ben, and Reece. The decision to kill Ben removed a steady presence early, leaving behind final words that later fuelled suspicion and debate at the round table.
Judy Wilson
Role: Faithful
Fate: Banished
Judy Wilson, a child liaison officer from Doncaster, competed as a Faithful on The Traitors. Banished in episode 2, suspicion grew around her shifting demeanour and her admission of reacting strongly during Claudia’s Traitors announcement. Labelled a big personality at the round table, Judy was voted out early and revealed as Faithful, before viewers later learned she was Roxy’s mother.
Netty Österberg
Role: Faithful
Fate: Murdered
Netty Österberg, a nursery school teacher from Glasgow, appeared on The Traitors before becoming an early murder victim. Shortlisted alongside Maz and James, she was ultimately killed by the Traitors. Her death had ripple effects – at breakfast, attention quickly turned to Ross, her old acquaintance, placing him under immediate scrutiny.
The Traitors 2026 Missions:
- Episode 1 – Rowboats raced across Loch Glass, teams hauled gold-filled coffins to graves, earning money while empty graves granted murder immunity.
- Episode 2 – Chariots bearing thrones were pushed downhill, stopping for gold or shields; seated players were immune, and swaps allowed protection at the castle.
- Episode 3 – Castle players recreated portrait scenes so gallery teammates matched frames, adding money per success, with one portrait hiding a shield.
- Episode 4 – Shortlisted players were caged as others searched skulls, stacking them to save allies, add money, and prevent murder that night.
- Episode 5 – Players ignited statues using forest spears, naming someone for murder eligibility each time, while burning statues banked cash for teams.
- Episode 6 – Teams answered mirror questions about themselves, racing for garden access, where smashed mirrors released clues about traitors during a tense finale.
- Episode 7 – Teams located cherub statues via coins, choosing shields at monetary cost, needing all found to win anything during the mission.
- Episode 8 – Inside a jump scare cabin, puzzles revealed names, sending one player grave searching for money or a shield alone outside.
- Episode 9 – Boxed contestants guessed traitor opinions, while traitors coordinated answers; correct individual guesses steadily increased the prize fund for everyone involved.
- Episode 10 – Spinning on the Carous hell, players grabbed toy hidden gold, losing seats each round until one won a shield alone.
- Episode 11 – Contestants ascended a hill to the Fyrish Monument, collecting gold rocks. At the summit, they filled the Shield of Fyrish with the gold, and if completed in time, £10,000 would be added to the prize fund.
- Episode 12 – Speedboat teams chased flares for Loch Gold, climbed a dam, then raced a helicopter for bonus money within a strict time.
How Did The Traitors 2026 Perform?
By the final of this highly anticipated series, an average of 9.4 million people watched, peaking at 9.6 million on the night. The numbers tell their own story of popularity, with a 54.9% audience share making the finale the biggest overnight audience across the market since the finale of The Celebrity Traitors in November 2025.
Source: The BBC
Hire a Faithful or Traitor from The Traitors Today!
The Traitors succeeded because it respected its audience. People watched closely, reading behaviour, tone, and timing, and the viewing figures reflected that level of attention. What made the contestants so compelling on screen also works in real-life settings: calm decision-making, trust under pressure, and handling scrutiny when the room turns against you.
Many of the most recognisable traitors and faithfuls now speak openly about those experiences, from leadership and influence to resilience and ethics. If you are interested in working with one of the famous faces from the show, the team at London Keynote Speakers Agency can advise and manage the booking process. Call us today on 0203 9580 428 or complete our online contact form.
