The Traitors fans claim the BBC may have accidentally given away the identity of the Secret Traitor in an iPlayer slip-up.
Eagle-eyed fans allege the mystery figure in the red cloak was mistakenly revealed after, what they believe, was a brief blunder on the BBC’s streaming platform.
According to multiple viewers, the much-anticipated fourth episode of The Traitors appeared on iPlayer on Sunday night – three days earlier than planned.
Fans insist it vanished just as quickly, but not before some had already pressed play.
ED! has chosen not to name the Secret Traitor so as not to spoil the twist for viewers set to watch tonight.
The Traitors: Secret Traitor identity ‘leaked’
The alleged spoiler surfaced in a Facebook group dedicated to The Traitors UK.
One viewer told the group she’d fallen asleep watching episode 3 on BBC iPlayer, only to wake up midway through episode 4.
She wrote to the group’s 28,000 members: “I fell asleep watching The Traitors (episode 3) on catch up on Sunday night. I woke up during the 4th episode when the Secret Traitor was being revealed.
“Went back to sleep and went to watch the full episode yesterday only to find it hasn’t been released yet. I’m now so confused as to whether it was a glitch on BBC iPlayer and I watched episode 4 earlier or if it was a VERY vivid dream.”
Several other fans claimed they’d spotted the same thing.
“No, you’re right. There was 4 episodes of The Traitors on and then the 4th disappeared. I thought I was the only one who had seen this,” one person replied.
Another added: “I saw it too. Not the episode, just that there were 4 on the app. Then about half an hour later, there were 3.”
And a third chimed in: “Ahhh, I knew I had seen 4 eps on the iPlayer menu. I thought I had imagined it!”
The original poster then wrote: “Edit, so three other people have confirmed that episode 4 was available for a short period on the app before it disappeared. Mystery solved!”
ED! has contacted the BBC for comment.
The Secret Traitor reveal
The Secret Traitor has been the main subject of discussion among fans since series 4 launched last week.
Host Claudia Winkleman kicked things off by unveiling the dramatic twist in episode one. She selected Rachel, Hugo and Stephen as Traitors before tapping a fourth contestant on the shoulder – with their identity deliberately hidden from view.
While Rachel and Stephen were told another Traitor was among them, they still have no idea who it is. Hugo, meanwhile, has since been banished.
As a result, fans have been poring over every clue, with suspicions landing on crime author Harriet, psychologist Ellie and even Claudia herself.
For everyone else watching at home, the guessing game will finally end tonight (Wednesday January 7, 2026) when episode four airs on BBC One at 8pm.
Read more: The Traitors returns to BBC One tonight and here’s what time it is on amid schedule shake up
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