- - Who Is the ‘Secret Traitor’ on 'The Traitors'? The Shocking New Twist Explained

Mike BloomJanuary 9, 2026 at 3:05 AM

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[SPOILER ALERT! The following contains information about the first three episodes of The Traitors Season 4, now streaming on Peacock. Please do not read further if you don't want to know about the identities of the Traitors, the "Secret Traitor" twist, or the eliminations.]The concept of The Traitors, at its core, is simple. Every night, one to four Traitors gather to murder one of the Faithful. Then, the next day, their goal is to avoid getting fingered as the culprit of that murder and escape banishment at the Round Table.But leave it to Season 4 of the Emmy-winning Peacock series to flip that concept on its head. For the first time ever, Alan Cumming released a "Secret Traitor" into the game. Like their fellow Traitors, their job is to pick the candidates for murder. The twist: Their identity is a secret to everyone — even the viewers.Here's everything to know about the new "Secret Traitor" twist on The Traitors Season 4, including (spoiler alert!) who wound up donning the special red robe.

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How does the 'Secret Traitor' twist on The Traitors work?

Unlike the other Traitors, which are chosen while blindfolded at the Round Table, the "Secret Traitor" was chosen in the opening moments of the season. Each player had a box assigned, one of which had a card identifying them as the "Secret Traitor." That means they would operate independently and exist anonymously — even to their fellow Traitors.The first two nights, the "Secret Traitor" would submit a shortlist of murder possibilities to the other Traitors. In doing so, they narrowed the field considerably down to only three or four options. The other Traitors would then have to choose among those options, and those options only, to murder.A new wrinkle unfolded, however, during the second murder. The Traitors were tasked with murdering in plain sight, acquiring the shortlist from behind a painting, and burning the card of the person they wish to murder in the fire in the breakfast room. If they succeeded in doing it without getting caught, they would meet the "Secret Traitor" the next night, and the two factions would merge. If they failed, there would be no murder that night. The Traitors suceeded in their task, setting them up to come face-to-face with the elusive individual. But they never got that chance...

Related: ‘The Traitors’ Season 4 Cast: Where You Know Them From

Who is the 'Secret Traitor' in The Traitors?Donna Kelce

Donna Kelce on 'The Traitors'Euan Cherry/Peacock

The "Secret Traitor's" identity was kept a secret not only from the Traitors, but the audience as well. So, for the first two-and-a-half episodes, we were left to guess who it could be alongside Candiace Dillard Bassett, Lisa Rinna and Rob Rausch. Were there clues in who they were targeting? If they were exhibiting Traitorous behavior themselves?As mentioned before, Candiace, Lisa and Rob R. succeeded in their mission and murdered Rob Cesternino in plain sight. That meant not only did the murder go through, but they were able to meet the "Secret Traitor" the next night. But that all went awry at the Round Table.Donna Kelce had been on people's radars from the very beginning, as the players noted she mainly sat in the background and observed. She escaped the first Round Table thanks to Ron Funches turning the group onto Porsha Williams with last-minute information. But when Donna revealed she was in on the secret plan alongside Ron, it turned people onto her further. She was voted out near-unanimously next, and her final words were a shocking statement: "You got yourselves a Traitor!"As shown through flashback, Donna received the rogue role on Night 1. As she narrated, she purposely went after the background players in her two shortlists, fearing they were unnoticed and dangerous. Ironically, one of the names she targeted was Rob R. himself, indicating she did not know the identities of the other Traitors. Unfortunately, she never got the opportunity to pull down her hood in the turret alongside the others, as she exited the game before she got the chance.

Related: ‘The Traitors’ Season 4 Release Schedule: Episodes, Dates, How to Watch

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”