The Traitors Season 4 has had plenty of high-drama moments — on- and off-screen — as Alan Cumming’s team of celebrity faithfuls pick off the treacherous traitors one by one. With just a few episodes left to air on the 2026 TV schedule, it’s been so much fun to see things like Rob Rausch’s brilliant strategizing and secret besties Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir sneaking moments of affection, but some of the cast members aren’t coming off so great, and Top Chef’s Kristen Kish defended herself against haters.
Despite two straight weeks of successful traitor-hunting, it’s been laughable at times just how wrong the faithfuls are when they set their sights on someone. Eric Nam, for instance, was sure he heard Tiffany Mitchell’s laugh during a murder, which led to her banishment, and more recently he hilariously misidentified a traitor’s handwriting. Tara Lipinsky, meanwhile, has wondered how she’s still there since she’s so bad (which is likely exactly why she’s still there), while Kristen Kish shared a comment showing that her intelligence is also under question:
The Top Chef champion-turned-host responded to The Traitors viewer who said they’re waiting to see “this smart Kristen” with several candid moments from her real life, writing in the caption:
Valid comment so I thought I’d share some real life recent moments to share a small glimpse into MY strategy I did speak about because I will never be made to be quiet when people underestimate my ability, TV game or otherwise 😂😅. That’s a life lesson for everyone! See ya next week.. ‘cause I got the shield 💅
Kristen Kish’s post goes on to show a video of her buttering bread with an actual butter knife, one of her hanging on a rock-climbing wall and giving a speech for the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group. She also included a list of several specific strategies she took into The Traitors that included:
- Vote for people that only blame others at the round table rather than show evidence to defend themselves.
- Know when to lead but more importantly know when to follow to not stand out.
- Ensure the most dangerous players think you trust them.
- You only have a CHANCE to win if you make it to that final fire. That means it’s about staying power.
She makes some great points, especially with that last one. It’s way more about not getting murdered or banished than it is about being right with every guess. The fact that she’s seemingly not on the right track with some of her accusations might — like with Tara Lipinsky — be the very thing that’s kept her from becoming a target of the traitors.
In general it’s also important to remember that there’s so much footage we’re not being shown — enough to possibly throw everything we think we know into question. Cast members like Kristen Kish and Mark Ballas haven’t gotten a ton of screen time, but they’re contributing, whether we see it or not. And most importantly, they're still around.
So while Kristen Kish may understand why her gameplay is getting dragged, I’m glad to see she’s speaking out against those who underestimate her. I can only hope her role on The Traitors increases as the number of castle-dwellers continues to dwindle. New episodes stream at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays with a Peacock subscription.
