Massive spoilers ahead for The Traitors Season 4. If you haven't seen the three-episode premiere, beware!
In just a few years, The Traitors has become wildly popular and is arguably one of the best reality shows on the air. Those with a Peacock subscription were recently treated to the three-episode premiere of Season 4, which introduced a wild new twist: The Secret Traitor. I need to talk about that change, as well as what went down with Momma Kelce.
The Traitors Season 4 cast list is stacked, full of iconic Housewives I've wanted to see on the show, Survivor icons, and RuPaul's Drag Race winner Monét X Change. Emmy-winning host Alan Cumming chose a Secret Traitor in plain sight before the Round Table, later revealing that their identity was kept from the other Traitors, and that they had the ability to make a short list for murder each evening. It was a game-changing twist, but unfortunately it came and went pretty early.
Throughout the first two and half episodes of the season, both the audience and the other three traitors were left in the dark about the identity of the Secret Traitor. But when Donna Kelce was voted off in the second Round Table, it was revealed that it was her the whole time. And just like that, the Secret Traitor twist ended, and we were back to the regular Traitors format.
From the jump, Donna Kelce was seen as a threat on The Traitors, specifically related to her proximity to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Cast members like Dorinda Medley spoke about being scared of the Swifties' wrath, but eventually she was voted out and exiled from Alan Cumming's castle.
I have to assume that production on The Traitors was super bummed about this. The Secret Traitor twist had the potential to be a game-changer for the beloved series, but Donna's early departure meant that she only got to make that secret short list once. What's more, she never got to meet the rest of her fellow Traitors in the turret.
It's unclear if Alan Cumming will end up choosing another Secret Traitor this season, or if the rest of the game will play out with the original rules in play. I have faith that we're still going to get some great gameplay (the fact that two Real Housewives were chosen as Traitors is such a gag), but it's definitely a bummer that Momma Kelce's elimination got rid of that huge twist.
Luckily, it seems the Secret Traitor is also being used on The Traitors UK, so fans will get another chance to see how that change in format plays out. Because unfortunately that twist ended up fizzling out in the American version.
The Traitors airs new episodes on Thursdays on Peacock as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
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