The Traitors offed their first two Faithfuls of the 2026 series tonight (January 2), as episode two delivered another dramatic hour inside the castle. And, while the series may be racing ahead, for Netty and Judy, the game came to a brutal end.
The episode opened in the turret before the contestants gathered for their first breakfast, where the remaining Faithfuls were told that Netty had been murdered overnight.
Ross – who knows Netty in the real world – was quick to admit that her departure felt like a “huge weight” off his shoulders. That confession immediately raised eyebrows, with fellow players soon questioning whether he had something to hide.
“Poor Ross, I feel so sorry for him but he’s doomed I fear,” one viewer commented.
Time for a mission… and the first banishment
After Claudia Winkleman dramatically removed Netty’s portrait and tossed it to the floor, the group headed out to face their first mission of the series.
The challenge saw the contestants add £8,750 to the prize pot, while Amanda, Faraaz and Jade secured immunity from murder. That protection, however, didn’t extend to the roundtable. In the first banishment of the series, Judy was voted out of the castle. She then confirmed she was a Faithful – and not the Secret Traitor.
With that revelation, the mystery deepened. The hunt for the Secret Traitor is now fully underway, with both viewers and players scrutinising every detail. And it seems the show itself may be quietly offering some clues.
The race to find the Secret Traitor hots up
Sharp-eyed fans noticed something intriguing during tonight’s episode. While Traitors are clearly labelled when they speak directly to camera in the diary room, some Faithfuls are now being identified too – once their status is fully confirmed.
One viewer wrote: “I don’t know if it’s an editing mistake or not but one of the dude’s had Faithful by his name when he was giving his interview but some of the others had nothing? Was that on purpose or just an error?”
Another echoed the confusion: “Why do only some of the names have Faithful next to them?”
“Have you noticed that on their VTs some of them say ‘Faithful’ and ‘Traitors’ but some of them don’t say anything?? Are we getting some hints?” another asked.
Other fans were quick to join the dots. “We know he’s defo a Faithful now because he was on the list for murder.” “They were the ones put up for murder last night so can’t be the Secret Traitor,” another confirmed.
As more players are ruled out, it appears producers may be subtly narrowing the field when it comes to the identity of the Secret Traitor.
Tonight’s murder shortlist
Once again, the Secret Traitor was tasked with creating the murder shortlist tonight.
Named on the list – and therefore confirmed as Faithfuls – were Ben, Reece and Maz. One of those names had already appeared the night before, further reducing the pool of suspects.
So who will the Traitors choose to strike next? Viewers won’t have to wait long to find out.
Read more: Can you stay at Ardross Castle where The Traitors is filmed?
The Traitors continues on BBC One on Saturday (January 3) at 7.45pm.
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