The Traitors fans ‘work out’ which Faithful will be murdered first

The Traitors viewers reckon they have already ‘worked out’ which Faithful will be murdered first – after spotting two ‘giveaway clues’. 

The hit BBC show returned last night (January 1), with Claudia Winkleman welcoming a new crop of players to the iconic castle.

Episode one ended with James, Netty and Maz in the firing line, with fans convinced they know who is going first.

Taking to Reddit, one person shared: ‘Maz is the most likely to get murdered IMO – James is far too valuable for creating chaotic narratives, and [Netty] has heat on her already.’

Another remarked: ‘Maz is going. James and Nettie both got a lot more screentime.’

A third commented: ‘Maz going first? James would be silly to remove because he is so untactful.’ 

While a fourth said: ‘Got to be Maz then, James and Netty have more potential to disrupt things.’

Meanwhile, Claudia chose Stephen, 32, Rachel, 42, and Hugo, 51, as this year’s Traitors – but it came with a twist.

A fourth, secret Traitor is in the mix – who is wearing a red cloak rather than the show’s traditional green.

In a true shake-up, their identity is unknown to not only Faithfuls, but also fellow Traitors and viewers.

Each night, this anonymous person provides a shortlist of three players for the other Traitors to murder. 

By being put up for murder, it means James, Nettie and Maz are all ruled out as being the secret Traitor.

However, fans also think they’ve sussed out who the mystery person is, after picking up on an interesting comment.

They zeroed in on Sam, 34, after revealing following the first challenge that he was glad he wasn’t up for murder and wanted to stay ‘under the radar.’

In reaction one penned on X: ‘Why would Sam be worried about a ‘radar’ #TheTraitors.’

Another said: ‘The secret traitor is Sam. so many clues have been given #TheTraitors.’

A third chimed in: ‘I am convinced Sam is the secret traitor in locking that in now #TheTraitors.’

‘Thinking Sam might be the secret traitor #TheTraitors’, a fourth shared.

A fifth theorised: ‘I think Sam is the secret traitor… #TheTraitors.’

A sixth offered: ‘The secret traitor is Sam, you heard it here first, I don’t know why I’m so convinced but I am #TheTraitorsUK #TheTraitors.’

While a seventh suggested: ‘Three people who I think are potentially the secret traitor: Amanda, Sam or Fiona #TheTraitors.’

Speaking on the decision to change the format this year, Mike Cotton, the Creative Director at Studio Lambert, explained: ‘Each series is like its own murder mystery. We never change the core game, but we always work in twists. 

‘We thought it would be interesting if you didn’t know who one of the Traitors was.

‘As Claudia says in the show, the secret Traitors reign will go on until the others earn the power back. 

‘The Traitors are used to having all of the power, so it will be interesting to see how they navigate that and if they can use it to their advantage.’

Claudia told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s nerve-racking, but I don’t choose them alone. I interview all the players and some are absolutely desperate to be faithful. Anyone who convinces me otherwise is in contention.

‘I then go into a small room with the bosses and an enormous tin of biscuits and we pick.

‘We picked someone who wanted it. Someone who sat in front of the fire and said, ‘I need to be a Traitor’. They have some fun’. She added that the game gets ‘brutal’ and the contestants play with their hearts.

During their first meeting, she told them: ‘I have a small confession. You are not the only Traitors in this castle. At the round table, I picked one other Traitor, the secret Traitor. You still have power, but not quite as much.

‘That secret Traitor will work alone. Each night, they will provide you with a murder shortlist. You can only murder one of the people who is on the murder short list. Because they are a Traitor, they won’t put themselves on it, and of course they won’t put you on it.

‘Let me add this, you don’t know who they are, but they know exactly who you are.

To which Stephen responds: ‘This is twisted,’ with Claudia smirking and adding, ‘Just the way I like it.’

The Traitors continues Friday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.