The Traitors fans have been left furious ahead of tomorrow night’s final, with many accusing BBC producers of interfering with the game at the very last hurdle.
The penultimate episode saw the group push themselves to their physical limits in the second-from-last mission, but viewers were quick to claim that a key decision from the BBC crossed a line.
Roxy was murdered by the Traitors, and right up until her final moments in the castle she firmly believed Rachel and Stephen were Faithfuls – leaving many viewers wishing they could have seen her reaction once the truth was revealed.
Brutal mission
Tensions were already high as Traitor Stephen appeared to slowly turn his back on fellow Traitor Rachel. That atmosphere only intensified during the gruelling mission, which required the group to carry heavy gold rocks in backpacks up a steep incline to the top of a peak.
Once there, they had to place their gold rocks onto a shield in order to block the Traitors from carrying out the final murder of the series. Along the route, contestants could smash urns with their gold rocks to collect more – a twist that left many viewers confused.
James rushed back down the hill to gather extra gold, but after pushing himself too far he began vomiting and collapsed on the grassy verge. Faraaz ran to collect the gold, while Jack and Stephen stayed with James to make sure he was okay.
BBC producers accused of ‘interfering’ by The Traitors fans
Despite the drama, the group completed the mission successfully, meaning Rachel and Stephen were unable to murder that night. While this initially appeared to benefit the Faithfuls, it also prevented the Traitors from making a final decisive move in the game – something fans weren’t happy when it came to the BBC producers’ decision.
That twist didn’t sit well with fans at home. Many argued that allowing the mission to stop the final murder altogether went against the core nature of The Traitors, especially so close to the end.
One BBC viewer wrote: “I really dislike when the producers interfere because it looks like the Traitors will win (the seer last year, stopping the final murder this year). If they deserve it and the Faithfuls don’t, just let the Traitors win.”
Another added: “Letting them prevent the last murder is awful producer interference? Like what is going on? Such an unfair advantage and we know Rachel is going now. This is heading for the most boring end ever.”
A third fan commented: “Season 4 of The Traitors has had the worst group of Faithfuls. Yet, production has swayed this for the Faithfuls to win. I will be fuming if a Traitor doesn’t win – Rachel and Stephen have worked hard.”
Entertainment Daily has approached the BBC for comment.
Stephen vs Rachel
In Wednesday’s episode, Rachel warned Stephen that he might hear her name come up in castle discussions – a moment that immediately worried fans that the two remaining Traitors were about to turn on each other.
The following morning at breakfast, Stephen began subtly sowing seeds of doubt. He told Jack that Faraaz had entered the library claiming he believed Rachel was a Traitor. Jade and James later joined the conversation, discussing how Rachel had ignored Harriet’s warnings before Harriet’s explosive exit from the castle.
Stephen continued his efforts in the kitchen with Jade and Jack, reminding them how Rachel had previously helped get Fiona banished as a Traitor in a similar fashion to how Harriet had targeted Rachel.
Meanwhile, Rachel attempted to redirect suspicion onto James. After branding him an “evil genius” at breakfast, she compared him to Columbo while chatting with Faraaz before the mission. James was quick to respond that Columbo was the detective, not the murderer – a remark that didn’t go unnoticed.
Chests of chance cliffhanger
At the Round Table, Jack, James and Jade questioned Rachel on several points, including why she voted for Matt after claiming she wanted to reach the final with him. Stephen also opened the floor against James, despite spending much of the day casting doubt on Rachel.
James faced questions over why he frequently voted the same way as Jack – an issue previously raised by banished Faithful Matt.
The atmosphere became increasingly tense as Stephen and Rachel directly challenged one another. Rachel raised the cage mission, where Stephen had been imprisoned, before Stephen fired back. Despite everything, Stephen ultimately voted for James, staying true to his earlier stance.
The vote ended in a deadlock, with three votes for Rachel and three for James. A second round of pleas and voting produced the same result.
Host Claudia Winkleman then introduced the chests of chance, and in classic Traitors fashion, the episode ended on a cliffhanger – leaving fans to wait until the final to discover who would be banished and whether the Traitors’ fate has already been sealed.
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