The Traitors’ star Fiona Hughes has shed light on her controversial strategy as the Secret Traitor, explaining why certain names appeared on her murder shortlist.
Appearing on BBC Radio 2’s The Scott Mills Breakfast Show, the 62-year-old reflected on her "wonderful experience" and detailed her approach to the game. Her banishment from the reality series last Friday followed an attempt to expose fellow traitor Rachel, which ultimately drew suspicion onto herself.
As a local government officer, Fiona was introduced as the secret traitor, a new twist that kept her identity hidden from both contestants and viewers.
In this clandestine role, she was responsible for compiling shortlists of potential murder victims for the other traitors.
Explaining her choices, she stated: "I thought they were the three most faithful, and that’s why their names were on the list. When you think of Netty, Ben and Maz – they just had faithful written over them. Netty was fantastic, she’s so friendly, beautiful and open-hearted. Ben, a veteran and he was clever. And Maz, his whole aura was one of love and peace. I wasn’t privy to the chats going on in the turret. They didn’t know why I was putting these names."
Since leaving the show, Fiona admitted she has "loved" observing her fellow traitors – Rachel, Stephen, and Hugo – grapple with identifying the red-cloaked secret traitor.
Her departure from the game came after a heated confrontation where she accused Rachel, 42, of lying. Rachel had claimed that banished faithful Amanda had confided in her about being a former police detective. Fiona, 62, countered that Amanda would have shared such information with her, given her own family’s extensive background in law enforcement.
Reflecting on the dramatic argument that captivated viewers, Fiona candidly described herself as a "plonker."
She recounted: "We had a watch party here for the final episode when they booted me out, and rightly so. All the family were here and they’re quite noisy. I’m going to have to sit down and watch it again – as it was impossible to take it all in."
Summing up her experience, Fiona remarked: "It was only six episodes but it felt as if I had been there a lifetime. It was a wonderful experience."
The complete interview with Fiona will be broadcast on Wednesday’s edition of The Scott Mills Breakfast Show. The Traitors continues on BBC One and iPlayer on 14 January at 8pm.
