New Traitors Twists
The Traitors franchise expands with high-stakes twists for both civilian and celebrity editions.
Anonymous
Key Points
1
On The Traitors: New Blood, the three Traitors are Tomica Adams, Joe Vanella and Katie Fites; none had been seriously accused at a Roundtable before Episode 5, leaving them well positioned to continue eliminating Faithfuls.
2
The “Murder in Plain Sight” challenge hinges on an apple: a Faithful who catches one tossed by a Traitor is marked for murder. The episode is also set to end with a funeral for the Faithful whose fate was sealed.
3
Claudia Winkleman selected Maya Jama and Richard E. Grant as Traitors in the celebrity edition; the review says Grant had been eager for the role from the moment he arrived.
4
The celebrity edition’s 21-player cast includes Michael Sheen, Bella Ramsey, James Blunt, Amol Rajan, Ross Kemp, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Hannah Fry and Jerry Hall—an intentionally unexpected mix of public figures.
The Traitors franchise is expanding fast across both network and celebrity editions, with new twists designed to expose hidden Traitors. NBC's The Traitors: New Blood switches to a weekly Thursday schedule starting October 8, featuring an episode called "Murder in Plain Sight" that could uncover the game's secret players. Head Topics reports that the BBC's second celebrity edition drew 8.9 million viewers for its debut, the highest-watched opening in Traitors UK history, and featured an early blunder when Traitor Richard E. Grant accidentally revealed his status.
The format's appeal lies in its unpredictability. On the American version, the three Traitors—Tomica Adams, Joe Vanella, and Katie Fites—have avoided serious accusation through Episode 5, positioning them well to eliminate more Faithfuls. The celebrity edition's 21-player cast includes Michael Sheen, Bella Ramsey, James Blunt, and others, creating an intentionally chaotic mix of fame levels and public images.
Apple Toss Sets Up American Episode's Murder Twist
NBC's upcoming "Murder in Plain Sight" challenge centers on a single object: an apple. A Faithful who catches an apple tossed by a Traitor gets marked for murder, giving Traitors direct control over who leaves the game. The episode will end with a funeral for the selected Faithful, adding ceremony to the elimination.
This challenge format differs sharply from typical Roundtable votes, where Faithfuls control eliminations. By letting Traitors act visibly, the apple toss creates chances for players to watch the hand-off and deduce who the Traitors are. With three strong Traitors already positioned after five episodes, the moment could shift the game's balance.
Richard E. Grant's Accidental Traitor Confession Stuns Viewers
Leeds Live reports that Richard E. Grant left fans speechless when he accidentally revealed his Traitor status to other players in the celebrity edition. Host Claudia Winkleman had selected Grant along with Maya Jama as Traitors, but Grant's eagerness for the role apparently led him to slip up early. The blunder came minutes into the episode, shocking viewers who expected the secret to last longer.
The BBC's celebrity cast was intentionally mismatched—pairing household names like Jerry Hall and Ross Kemp with lesser-known figures like Hannah Fry. This unusual mix was designed to create unpredictable alliances and make deception harder to spot. Grant's premature reveal tested whether celebrity status would actually help or hurt his Traitor game.
Celebrity Edition Hits 8.9 Million Viewers in Record Debut
The Celebrity Traitors' opening episode drew the largest audience of any Traitors debut in UK history, pulling 8.9 million viewers. Head Topics notes that the episode ended with a cliffhanger: James Acaster was seduced into becoming a Traitor rather than leaving the game, joining other recruited players in the conspiracy. The high viewership reflects the format's appeal across different audience segments.
The early recruitment twist—where selected players choose to join the Traitors mid-game—adds complexity to the celebrity version. Players like Amol Rajan faced the decision of leaving with prize money or staying as a hidden conspirator. The strategy differs from the American version, where Traitors are fixed from the start, creating distinct game theories for each franchise adaptation.
American Version Faces Criticism Over Cast Chemistry
The Daily Beast reports that NBC's The Traitors: New Blood has been criticized for lacking passion among its ordinary contestants. The show marks the first American Traitors season built entirely around non-celebrities, but reviewers say the cast hasn't generated the emotional stakes that drew viewers to earlier seasons. Host Alan C leads the proceedings, but the interpersonal drama that fuels the format appears muted.
The contrast with the celebrity edition is stark. Where celebrities bring existing reputations and public personas to their deceptions, ordinary players must build trust and suspicion from scratch. Early episodes suggest the American version may need stronger casting or editing to match the celebrity edition's dramatic tension and surprise twists.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
16
Articles
22
Reach
38
A
AnonymousAuthor
