We’re now into the second half of this year’s series of The Traitors – and the twists and turns are only getting bigger.
The latest episode (15 January) saw Traitors Rachel and Stephen successfully murder Adam despite being unsure whether he had a shield. This threw suspicion upon Sam – who knew Adam didn’t have a shield – and his luck ran out at the roundtable, which also saw Jessie reignite her suspicions of Stephen.
Confusion reigned after Sam revealed he was a Faithful and, in the turret, Rachel and Stephen faced what they branded their most “pivotal” decision yet: should they murder Jessie, Faraaz or Matt?
If they choose Jessie, it could point to Stephen – but if they opt for Faraaz, it will mean the Traitors have officially reneged on their “deal” with Matt, who asked the Traitors a few episodes back to murder Jessie before recruiting him as one of their backstabbing allies. Who they selected will be revealed in the next episode.
The Traitors continues on Friday (16 January) night at 8pm.
Follow along below for live updates…
The Traitors
- Rachel and Stephen consider three Faithfuls for murder
- Faithful Sam banished from castle
- Adam says he 'wanted to slap' James after shieldgate
- Sam stunned to learn Rachel is a Traitor
The wild Traitors theory that would change series as we know it
14:33 , Adam WhiteIs there anything more appropriate for this time in a series of The Traitors than a bit of mad speculation? Enter my colleague Jacob Stolworthy, who has posited that there may be yet another twist on the horizon for our traitors and faithfuls.
And it all has to do with a mysterious second envelope...
The wild Traitors twist that could change series as we know it
Rachel: Admired by all, even those she's killed
14:06 , Adam WhiteFreshly murdered Adam and Sam were on Lorraine this morning to talk all about being metaphorical corpses, and the pair were effusive in their praise for Traitor Queen Rachel.
“She’s brilliant at what she does,” Adam told regular Lorraine guest host Christine Lampard. “She’s got a really big following in there. People follow her around, and I can see her going to the final.”
“I think she’s playing a phenomenal game,” Sam added. “You saw my reaction when I left and I found out it was Rachel, I was honestly blown away. It’s really difficult watching it back and thinking ‘how did I miss that?’”
Good afternoon!
13:40 , Adam WhiteHello! Adam here taking over from Jacob for today’s Traitors blog! As previously mentioned, tonight will see one of Jessie, Faraaz or Matthew meeting their maker, which is a bit like choosing which slice of unbuttered toast you’ll eat first.
My money’s on Faraaz, for some reason.
Recap of last night's episode
13:00 , Jacob Stolworthy- Traitors Rachel and Stephen successfully murdered Adam despite being unsure whether he had a shield.
- Sam was banished after a tense rountable, which also saw Jessie reignite her suspicions of Stephen
- Rachel and Sam faced what they branded their most “pivotal” decision yet: should they murder Jessie, Faraaz or Matt?
The twist that might be hiding in plain sight
12:30 , Jacob StolworthyOur chief film & TV correspondent breaks down what could be a final week revelation:
The Traitors star ‘not proud’ of ‘awful’ breakfast table outburst
12:00 , Jacob StolworthyBanished contestant Harriet was left mortified by her actions while watching The Traitors the other night – and even text her fellow Faithful Roxy to apologise for shouting at her.
More here:
The Traitors star says she’s ‘not proud’ of ‘awful’ outburst on BBC series
Sam's 'biggest regret' after banishment
11:29 , Jacob StolworthySam has questioned his decision to take a shield rather than banking money for the prize pot during a creepy challenge in a cabin.
Appearing on Lorraine the morning after his banishment aired, the contestant described this moment as his downfall.
“I wish I could just talk to myself in that moment and go, ‘Don't grab it. It looks weird. Take a breath.’”
The Traitors’ Sam reveals biggest regret after tense roundtable banishment
Sam's wife's reaction to his banishment
11:00 , Jacob Stolworthy
Sam stunned to discover Rachel is a Traitor
10:37 , Jacob StolworthySam stunned to discover Rachel is a Traitor
“That blew my mind – I was never suspicious of her,” he said on aftershow Uncloaked, stating she “deserves to win”.
Adam said he spotted ghost in the castle
10:00 , Jacob StolworthyThe ghosthunting builder dropped the bombshell on Traitors Uncloaked, where he said: “As I was walking up the stairwell, somebody followed me up.”
This is where The Traitors is filmed:
Inside the Traitors castle: A wedding venue once owned by an opium trader
Theory: Two more contestants are connected
09:31 , Jacob StolworthyBanished Judy was revealed to be Roxy’s mum, while banished Ross was revealed to be Ellie’s boyfriend – but a mounting theory is that Jessie and James are linked.
The pair have struck up a close bond, with Jessie refusing to entertain the notion that James is a Traitor – and in last night’s episode, in a private conversation, they used the phrase “our game”.
Could that take on new light with a revelation further down the line?
playing siblings or dating with James and Jessie every episode #TraitorsUK pic.twitter.com/g4jPCDxBAZ
Let's hear it for Sam
09:00 , Jacob StolworthyOh, Sam. He didn’t have the easiest time in the castle. Not only was he routinely picked last for teams, he was voted “the most arrogant” by his fellow contestants and was routinely accused of being a Traitor. All this led him to declare after his banishment: “I just want to go and see my wife.”
Top marks too for the last-minute “i guess persistence is key” comment, having them all convinced they’d caught a Traitor.
Good gameplay for Stephen
08:30 , Jacob StolworthyHowever, his only choice at this stage would be Jade – who would probably see it coming...
Surely Stephen should recruit one of the faithfuls that was in a cage, go along with Jessie’s cage theory, throw the recruited traitor under the bus, and then put an end to that suspicion on himself #TheTraitors #TheTraitorsUK
— Matt Seabridge (@ilikeyoumatt) January 15, 2026
Adam 'wanted to slap' James after shield theft
08:00 , Jacob StolworthyAdam didn’t hold back when asked how he felt about James quietly taking the shield for himself – a decision that inadvertently led to Adam’s murdering and Sam’s banishment.
“I wanted to slap him. I don’t like being lied to face-to-face. I asked him a few times when I came into the castle. I was bubbling.”
Watch: Sam stuns Faithfuls by revealing true identity
08:00 , Jacob StolworthyRelive the moment Sam momentarily tricked his fellow Faithful into thinking he was a Traitor.
The latest Traitors drama exposes the show’s central flaw
07:00 , Jacob StolworthyUntil her dramatic explosion at the breakfast table, Harriet was perhaps the best player we’ve seen on The Traitors far. But that’s why she could never win.
The latest Traitors drama exposes the show’s central flaw
Why Claudia Winkleman is at the riskiest point in her career
06:00 , 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
Steal Claudia's style
04:00 , Jacob StolworthyThe shopping experts on our IndyBest team have got you covered. Thanks us later.
Claudia Winkleman just wore these custom Traitors loafers – here’s where to shop
Claudia Winkleman praised for off-screen behaviour
02:00 , Jacob StolworthyShe’s an outlier when it comes to other game show presenters, according to a past Traitors contestant.
Traitors star reveals Claudia Winkleman’s true off-camera personality
Traitors icon backs shock contestant for victory
01:00 , Jacob StolworthyBut after the latest episode, we’re not so sure.
Traitors icon Amanda backs shock contestant for victory: ‘Don’t underestimate them’
Matt, Sam, who?
Thursday 15 January 2026 23:30 , Jacob StolworthyThe latest season of The Traitors is teeming with twenty and thirtysomething men who all look pretty similar, and it’s making the backstabbing and double-crossing in the castle even more impenetrable than usual, says Katie Rosseinsky.
Matt, Sam, who? The Traitors’ ‘man-merge’ is the real problem with the latest series
ICYMI: Adam is murdered by Traitors
Thursday 15 January 2026 23:00 , Jacob StolworthyThe Traitors’ risky strategy to murder, despite not knowing who had a shield, paid off.
'Second envelope' theory
Thursday 15 January 2026 22:30 , Jacob StolworthyThere’s a theory doing the rounds based on the second envelope next to the banished contestants when they discover who the traitors are on aftershow Uncloaked.
One sleuth has suggested it might bear the name of someone Claudia secretly appointed as a Soothsayer at the start of the show.
The theory goes that the Soothsayer has been able to correctly identify their fellow contestants’ true identities – and has been quietly influencing the game ever since.
So who could it be? If true, the sleuth believes the Soothsayer is Ellie.
Adam said he spotted ghost in the castle
Thursday 15 January 2026 22:00 , Jacob StolworthyThe ghosthunting builder dropped the bombshell on Traitors Uncloaked, where he said: “As I was walking up the stairwell, somebody followed me up.”
This is where The Traitors is filmed:
Inside the Traitors castle: A wedding venue once owned by an opium trader
Recap of tonight's episode
Thursday 15 January 2026 21:09 , Jacob Stolworthy- Traitors Rachel and Stephen successfully murdered Adam despite being unsure whether he had a shield.
- Sam was banished after a tense rountable, which also saw Jessie reignite her suspicions of Stephen
- Rachel and Sam faced what they branded their most “pivotal” decision yet: should they murder Jessie, Faraaz or Matt?
The Traitors narrow down their choices
Thursday 15 January 2026 21:00 , Jacob StolworthyIt’s either Matt, Jessie or Faraaz in what is clearly the most pivotal decision yet.
If they vote for Jessie, it could point back to Stephen – but would it be too obvious for him to get rid of her?
We won’t find out until tomorrow!
The Traitors decide to murder
Thursday 15 January 2026 20:59 , Jacob StolworthyNot only are they not seducing, but it sounds like they’re not going to follow through with their plans to recruit Matt. Bold!
Rachel throws out a random theory
Thursday 15 January 2026 20:55 , Jacob Stolworthy“To cause a ruckus,” she says, before targeting... Faraaz. “Are you getting rid of all the older people in the castle?”
She could be about to lose some fans...
HOW DARE YOU RACHEL LEAVE FARAAZ ALONE HES HAD NO TRAITORY BEHAVIOUR AT ALL #TraitorsUK
— Helen (@t0thelake13) January 15, 2026
The contestants are UPSET
Thursday 15 January 2026 20:52 , Jacob StolworthyStunned silence greets Sam’s announcement that he is, in fact, a Faithful. Their response is best summed up by this:
Sam is banished!
Thursday 15 January 2026 20:49 , Jacob StolworthyAnd just when I thought he was starting to be a dark horse. He looks gutted, bless him.
