Fiona has become the latest contestant to be banished from The Traitors castle, after she was unmasked as a Traitor in front of her fellow contestants.
The 62-year-old became embroiled in a feud with her fellow Traitor Rachel, which eventually sealed her fate during Friday night’s episode.
Fiona had previously publicly accused Rachel of being a Traitor in front of their fellow players, after deciding that her one-time ally was “playing a game for [her]self”. The pair then went head to head at the round table, with Rachel eventually managing to convince the other contestants to vote out Fiona.
Stephen, the final Traitor in their treacherous trio, also voted for Fiona, after breaking down in tears while raising her name during the round table discussion.
Earlier in the episode, the feuding Traitors managed to come together to decide to murder Faithful Reece, while the challenge saw the players compete for a chance to speak directly to the Traitors.
Matt, Harriet and Rachel were all successful, with the former later using his chance to chat to the Traitors to make a bold play, asking them outright to recruit him later on.
The Traitors continues on BBC One at 8pm on Wednesday (14 January).
The Traitors
- Matt tries to strike a deal with the Traitors
- Fiona is revealed as a Traitor
- Reece is murdered by the Traitors
- Stephen breaks down in tears as he raises Fiona's name at round table
Why Claudia Winkleman is at the riskiest point in her career
Thursday 8 January 2026 15:00 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottClaudia might have us all eating out of the palm of her knitted glove-clad hand right now, but The Independent’s Helen Coffey thinks The Traitors presenter is at the most precarious point of her professional life. Here’s why...
Why Claudia Winkleman is at the riskiest point of her career
A reminder of this year's Traitors contestants
Thursday 8 January 2026 19:30 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottThere are SO many of them. 17 remaining, to be exact. Here’s a handy guide to help you brush up on who’s who before it all kicks off again for another episode in thirty minute’s time...
Meet the Traitors 2026 contestants, from a former detective to a crime writer
Maz has been murdered!
Thursday 8 January 2026 20:11 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottCouldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. RIP.
AMANDA HAS CONFESSED SHE'S A POLICE DETECTIVE
Thursday 8 January 2026 20:32 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottTHIS IS NOT A DRILL. RACHEL IS FREAKING THE HELL OUT.
Amanda is going home !
Thursday 8 January 2026 20:53 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottReece got the shield in his chest so the DI is banished from the castle.
“My house is your house,” she told the other contestants. “Take care of yourselves.” Apart from Jade, probs.
Rachel is telling everyone Amanda was a detective
Thursday 8 January 2026 20:57 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottThis is (evil) genius. Now everyone is going to believe Jade is a Traitor.
Fiona is seeing right through it. “I’m not sure what narrative Rachel is peddling,” the Welsh queen tells the cameras.
“I think Rachel is lying.” Here we go.
'I feel I've been played. I don't like that'
Thursday 8 January 2026 20:58 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottHandbags and cloaks at dawn !! What is going to go down in the turret tonight !!
Oh my god
Thursday 8 January 2026 21:02 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottFiona has just brought everyone into the kitchen and said she believes Rachel is a Traitor. Stephen is shaking and so am I.
Fiona after accusing Rachel of lying: #TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/DLfavlVz3G
— Dominic Beesley (@Dommeister) January 8, 2026
What an episode
Thursday 8 January 2026 21:06 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottAnd we’ve only got 24 hours to recover. The next episode of Traitors airs tomorrow at 8pm. Brace for impact.
So, just to recap
Thursday 8 January 2026 21:29 , Lydia Spencer-Elliott(In case your head is spinning)
- Maz was murdered
- Amanda confessed she was a detective to Rachel
- There was a roundtable tie-break between Amanda and Reece
- Chests of chance decided Amanda was banished
- Reece burst into tears
- Rachel told everyone Amanda was actually a detective
- Fiona fumed and declared Rachel was a Traitor
- All hell broke loose
Just a light episode!
Let's take a look back at the pandemonium
Thursday 8 January 2026 22:00 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottMaz says Fiona's play was 'fantastic'
Thursday 8 January 2026 23:00 , Lydia Spencer-Elliott“I think she took is personally,” our rational king reflects. “She thought ‘how dare Amanda tell Rachel and not me’.
“Under all that show she wants control. Letting Rachel know, took some control away from her. I would have loved it.”
With all of the other drama, we’ve barely mourned Maz. So, here’s his final scene, where he too realised he’d been betrayed by Fiona...
Was that one of the best episodes of Traitors ever?
05:00 , Lydia Spencer-ElliottThe recklessness. The gall. The mutiny.
Go on, just one more re-watch:
And there's plenty more drama to come...
06:00 , Lydia Spencer-Elliott
All the theories about secret links between the Traitors players
How are we all feeling this morning?
07:55 , Jacob StolworthyWe’re still reeling from the events of last night. Fiona going rogue and turning on Rachel so publicly – and then the cliffhanger ending teasing their showdown in the turret? TV GOLD.
Should win every Oscar, BAFTA and Nobel Prize.
— SHANE REACTION (@imshanereaction) January 8, 2026
Possibly the best moment I've ever seen on television.
Haven't breathed since.#thetraitors pic.twitter.com/aXUNR0Du5c
Who has left The Traitors so far?
08:16 , Jacob StolworthySo much has happened in the show’s first few episodes that you’d be forgiven if your head is still spinning and struggling to keep up.
In the first five episodes, here’s who we’ve lost:
- Netty, Faithful, murdered, episode 2
- Judy, Faithful, banished, episode 2
- Ben, Faithful, murdered, episode 3
- Hugo, Traitor, banished, episode 3
- Ross, Faithful, banished, episode 4
- Maz, Faithful, murdered, episode 5
- Amanda, Faithful, banished, episode 5
And there’ll be another murder and banishment tonight...
Good news for Stephen
08:30 , Jacob Stolworthy“Life is a rollercoaster,” Ronan Keating once sang – and he might have been pre-emptively talking about Stephen’s journey in The Traitors.
The bag of nerves has gone from being the Traitor most at risk to the other end of the spectrum following Fiona’s very public spat with Rachel.
A former Traitors icon is even backing him for the win...
Traitors icon Amanda backs shock contestant for victory: ‘Don’t underestimate them’
Amanda learns best friend Rachel is Traitor
09:00 , Jacob StolworthyAmanda Amanda Amanda.
The retired police detective should have been the best Traitor hunter of all, but instead befriended one. After being banished from the castle, she discovered Rachel’s real identity – and was left suitably shocked.
"No way!" she exclaimed. "Well, brilliant. I was saying earlier, I hope she wins. Do I heck!"
‘Possibly the best moment I've ever seen on television'
09:30 , Jacob StolworthyViewers have been left astounded by the Fiona v Rachel bombshell – and for good reason.
The Traitors viewers declare Fiona v Rachel bombshell ‘best moment’ in series history
Rachel knew not to trust Fiona
10:00 , Jacob Stolworthy“She’s so unpredictable and I’m watching her,” Rachel told the cameras after discovering Fiona was the secret Traitor. “I think she is very dangerous for my game.” It turns out never a truer word was spoken!
Our hero of the show so far
11:00 , Jacob StolworthyIt’s Jessie. She’s the best example of what a Faithful should be – respectfully flabbergasted that her fellow cotestants are choosing to overlook a clear piece of evidence in favour of silly hunches that lead to Faithful banishments.
But this might be her saving grace! If no one listens to her, it might save her from murder. Go Jessie!
love Jessie having a crash out soliloquy in a room on her own about how clueless the other Faithful are #TheTraitorsUK pic.twitter.com/4rAFDqkBt3
— C. (@cstsher) January 7, 2026
Hang it in the Louvre
11:30 , Jacob StolworthyThe look of a man who realises he might not be so screwed after all.
stephen giving us the reaction meme of the entire season #TheTraitorsUK #thetraitors pic.twitter.com/uTTu4uZW6i
— dia ꒰აꨄ︎໒꒱ 章昊 ia (@ourangelhao) January 8, 2026
ICYMI: Amanda discovering Rachel is a Traitor
12:00 , Jacob StolworthyAKA the retired police detective realises she got it all so wrong.
Amanda finding out Rachel was a traitor all along 😭 Maz LOST IT #TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/teTE5tk3rK
— sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴠ (@superTV247) January 8, 2026
Why Claudia Winkleman is at the riskiest point in her career
12:30 , Jacob StolworthyClaudia might have us all eating out of the palm of her knitted glove-clad hand right now, but The Independent’s Helen Coffey thinks The Traitors presenter is at the most precarious point of her professional life. Here’s why:
Why Claudia Winkleman is at the riskiest point of her career
Fiona is a reminder to never underestimate an older woman
13:00 , Jacob StolworthyAs Fiona goes rogue in The Traitors, it turns out that society’s gift to older women of a cloak of invisibility is their secret weapon, says Lorraine Candy. Overlook them at your peril!
Fiona on The Traitors is a reminder to never underestimate an older woman
The Traitors breakfast room – uncloaked!
13:30 , Jacob StolworthyGuests at Ardross castle, where The Traitors is filmed, have shared photos of the breakfast room º and this is what it looks like without its giant L table setup.
The Traitors castle guests reveal what the breakfast room really looks like! pic.twitter.com/gWHBKeHnxE
— The Traitors HQ (@the_traitors_) January 4, 2026
The family tree twist
14:00 , Jacob StolworthyAfter it emerged that Judy and Roxy are related, and Ross knows both Ellie and Netty, fans think everyone may be connected.
All the theories about secret links between the Traitors players
Traitors icon backs shock contestant for victory
14:30 , Jacob StolworthyThe Traitors star Amanda Lovett has given her verdict on this year’s series, revealing her unexpected pick for victory... Stephen.
Read the reason for Amanda’s rationale here:
Traitors icon Amanda backs shock contestant for victory: ‘Don’t underestimate them’
Did Fiona break the Traitors oath?
15:00 , Jacob StolworthySome fans are wondering whether Fiona telling the contestants she “thinks Rachel is a Traitor” broke her oath to protect her fellow Traitors.
🔥 Did Fiona break the rules? The Traitors Oath is as follows:
— The Traitors HQ (@the_traitors_) January 9, 2026
"Do you commit to lie and deceive throughout this game? Are you willing to m**der one of your fellow players every single night? And do you vow to keep your identity and the identity of your fellow Traitors a… pic.twitter.com/4ymQ8UZ741
A wild theory
15:30 , Jacob StolworthyOK, hear us out.
What if Fiona and Rachel are in on this together? What if this showdown is a carefully constructed ploy to throw themselves into the spotlight to either A) lure the attention away from Stephen or B) push themselves into the spotlight so they don’t get accused of blending into the background later on in the series.
Imagine if the episode picks up with the below moment, with everyone expecting a huge row, only for them to erupt into giggles at having fooled everyone. It would be worth it for the look on Stephen’s face alone!
Reece joins 'Celebrity Traitors' contestant in hall of fame
16:00 , Jacob StolworthyLast night, Reece survived a banishment after the vote went to deadlock and it was placed in the hands of fate.
This is the second time this has happened in Traitors UK history, with the first moment occurring during Celebrity Traitors, when Mark Bonnar was banished over David Olusoga.
A breakdown of last night's huge moment
16:31 , Jacob StolworthyOur chief film and TV correspondent Jacob Stolworthy says Fiona is the firework this year’s series needed.
Where is the Traitors filmed?
17:00 , Jacob StolworthyAll you need to know about the gothic castle...
Inside the Traitors castle: A wedding venue once owned by an opium trader
Who has left The Traitors so far?
17:30 , Jacob StolworthySo much has happened in the show’s first few episodes that you’d be forgiven if your head is still spinning and struggling to keep up.
In the first five episodes, here’s who we’ve lost:
- Netty, Faithful, murdered, episode 2
- Judy, Faithful, banished, episode 2
- Ben, Faithful, murdered, episode 3
- Hugo, Traitor, banished, episode 3
- Ross, Faithful, banished, episode 4
- Maz, Faithful, murdered, episode 5
- Amanda, Faithful, banished, episode 5
And there’ll be another murder and banishment tonight...
Let's take a look back at Claudia Winkleman’s best outfits
18:00 , Jacob StolworthyThe best-dressed woman on prime time. End of.
A look back at Claudia Winkleman’s best outfits on The Traitors
Yet again, minority ethnic players are being booted off in the early stages of the show.
Micha Frazer-Carroll looks at why this is becoming a bleakly predictable pattern:
Even reality TV as brilliant as The Traitors can’t escape this troubling cliche
A reminder of this year's Traitors contestants
19:00 , Jacob StolworthyThere are SO many of them. 15 remaining, to be exact. Here’s a handy guide to help you brush up on who’s who before it all kicks off again in exactly one hour.
Meet the Traitors 2026 contestants, from a former detective to a crime writer
And the countdown begins...
19:15 , Katie RosseinskyGood evening! Katie Rosseinsky reporting for Friday night Traitors duty.
There’s about 45 minutes to go until we get to see the fallout from that showdown between Fiona and Rachel. We’ve never seen Traitor on Traitor violence like it...
Minion chic
19:27 , Katie RosseinskyYellow top, dungarees... I was thinking Rachel’s outfit looked familiar...
I can’t take Rachel trying to outrank Fiona whilst dressed like a minion 😭😭😭😭😭😭 #thetraitors pic.twitter.com/LU3gj9cRBY
— nat (@xnatalieclark) January 8, 2026
Why is Rachel dressed as a Minion?#TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/Dw7HFyTEsw
— Torin Gillies (@TorinGillies) January 8, 2026
Shoutout to the Traitors fan who has been doing the Lord’s work and creating some sort of Dulux-esque colour chart of Stephen’s round table blushes...
My girlfriend has been keeping track of how red Stephen's face changes over the course of an episode, bro is turning into a tomato #TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/mAMU32m0Ha
— Jord (@jordmarley) January 8, 2026
Let's recap the family tree theory...
19:45 , Katie RosseinskyAre you buying the speculation that all of the contestants are linked in some way? Personally, I’m not a fan of this theory, but here’s a reminder of the speculation...
All the theories about secret links between the Traitors players
Thoughts and prayers for Stephen
19:52 , Katie RosseinskyWhatever happens tonight, our knitwear king is probably in for a rough time...
Stephen is about to have the worst few minute of his life in the turret #TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/33vAZsexTa
— Dani (@danidelle23) January 9, 2026
Turret drama!
20:05 , Katie RosseinskyAnd we’re straight over to the turret!
“It’s simple really,” Fiona says to Rachel. “I believe you are playing a game for yourself, and I thought we were in this as a team.”
She then accuses Rachel of not defending Stephen enough...
”You had nothing on you and now your name is on everybody’s lips,” Stephen points out to Fiona. He’s not wrong...
Presented without context
'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'
20:11 , Katie RosseinskyHarriet has her eye on Rachel... and we’ve already seen exactly what this former barrister can do in a round table interrogation. Are Rachel’s days numbered?
'On Fridays, Traitors wear pink'
20:13 , Katie Rosseinsky
Reece has been murdered!
20:14 , Katie RosseinskyRIP to our sweet sweet shop assistant! At least you won’t be put through the emotional wringer any more!
And the Oscar goes to...
20:15 , Katie RosseinskyThese two over-actors...
Tonight’s task doesn’t just offer the chance for the players to add a whole load more cash to their prize pot: they’re also trying to win the opportunity to speak directly to the Traitors themselves. It’s a twist that we’ve not seen yet on the show...
Mirror mirror on the wall...
20:29 , Katie RosseinskyWho is...
Rachel accuses Fiona of 'wrecking' Traitors team in turret confrontation
20:30 , Katie RosseinskyHere’s a little recap of that turret showdown...
Smoke signals? Why is this challenge reminding me of Conclave?
“If smokes come out, a new Pope has been elected.”#TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/sowsDa3SbK
— Matthew Rimmer (@MatthewRimmer) January 9, 2026
Direct line to the Traitors
20:34 , Katie RosseinskyHarriet, Rachel and Matt have won the power to chat directly to the Traitors... so is Rachel going to have to... speak to herself?
“Half of my family are coppers!”
I’m obsessed with Fiona’s reasoning that Amanda would have automatically confided in her about the whole Met Police thing, purely on the basis that Fiona’s husband and brother are police officers.
A moment for the scarf
20:40 , Katie RosseinskyRed Riding Hood chic
It's round table time!
20:42 , Katie RosseinskyAnd Rachel’s kicking things off (quelle surprise...) and she’s going straight for... Fiona! (quelle surprise times two)
It's getting heated
20:43 , Katie RosseinskySurely this level of aggression between Rachel and Fiona is going to spark everyone’s suspicion? It has all the obvious hallmarks of Traitor turning on Traitor...
And on a lighter note... a rare pink lip from Our Claud!
WHY are they getting so sidetracked by half-baked theories about Jade and Sam when there’s so much material from Rachel and Fiona?!
So it looks like Stephen has thrown all his support behind Rachel after that tearful address to Fiona... Is he looking after his own interests here? And is Fiona on the way out?
That’s three votes for Fiona, three votes for Sam and one for Jade... how is Sam catching all these strays?!
Fiona is voted out!
20:53 , Katie RosseinskyHer fate was sealed after that dramatic outburst: did she go up against Rachel too early?
What a sweet goodbye speech from Fiona!
And there’s no murder tonight to celebrate the Faithfuls catching another Traitor!
Harriet is on the case
20:57 , Katie Rosseinsky“I think Fiona has been well and truly hung out to try by Rachel,” Harriet muses... and she’s entirely correct. It’ll be interesting to see how she plays her cards over the next episode or so...
First up in the confession booth...
21:02 , Katie RosseinskyIt’s Matt! But why is he expecting that the Traitors are going to give him honest answers?!
Matt's trying to make a deal with the devil(s)
21:06 , Katie RosseinskySo Matt has come up with an intriguing proposal, telling the Traitors to kill off Jessie and then recruit him the following night.
But, of course, we’ll have to wait until next Wednesday’s episode to find out their reply... The tension!
Stephen breaks down in tears as he raises Fiona's name at round table
21:10 , Katie RosseinskyWas this a work of strategic genius from Stephen? Was he genuinely sad to stick the knife in Fiona? Where does he get his jumpers from? So many questions...
Your rundown of tonight's episode
21:23 , Katie RosseinskySo... that was a lot. Here’s a quick recap of exactly what went down...
- Fiona and Rachel battled it out in the turret
- The Traitors decided to murder Reece
- Harriet, Matt and Rachel won the chance to speak directly to the Traitors in the challenge
- Fiona and Rachel had another Traitor on Traitor row during the round table
- Stephen threw Fiona under the bus and she was eventually voted out
- Everyone rejoiced after managing to root out another Traitor
- Matt headed to the confession booth to speak to the Traitors...
- ... and he asked them to murder Jessie and recruit him to join them
The big reveal!
21:29 , Katie RosseinskyPoor Reece is utterly flabbergasted after learning that his castle bestie Fiona was, in fact, a Traitor all along...
“Initially, I wanted to keep the red cloak for as long as I could,” Fiona says of her stint as the Secret Traitor.
“I was a little bit apprehensive, thinking, ‘well I don’t know what they’ve been discussing, so I’m going in cold now.’”
Fiona reflects on her showdown with Rachel
21:40 , Katie Rosseinsky“I’d thought that if anybody’s gonna throw me under the bus, it’s going to be Rachel,” Fiona says of her decision to take the nuclear option and accuse her fellow Traitor.
“I thought, I’m going to throw a grenade in the room and let’s see who comes out of it unscathed. Unfortunately it was me.”
Traitors contestants jump for joy as Fiona is banished
21:42 , Katie RosseinskyOne Traitor down, but plenty more to go...
See you next week!
21:46 , Katie RosseinskyAnd so, we bid farewell to the castle for another week. See you back here on Wednesday, when we’ll discover exactly how the Traitors respond to Matt’s unusual overtures.
Yep, that’s five whole days of waiting. I think Stephen’s face sums up precisely how we’re all feeling about that.
