The Traitors has become one of the most beloved reality competitions on television, with its new version featuring civilian cast members currently airing on the 2026 TV schedule. One of the best things about the American version of the show is its host Alan Cumming, and he’s got the Primetime Emmy Awards to prove it. Between that ridiculous accent and his iconic fashion choices, there’s simply no one who does it like him, and I just found out that Cumming also came up with one of the best parts of the game.
Alan Cumming stopped by Late Night with Seth Meyers to talk all things The Traitors — which just announced a dream celebrity cast for episodes coming in 2027 — and revealed the part of the show that he contributed. While pretending to banish the talk show host from his castle, Cumming said:
Seth, you have received the most votes and are banished from the game. Please come forward into the Circle of Truth. I love ‘Circle of Truth.’ I made that up.
Wait, what?! Alan Cumming is the one who came up with the name of the “Circle of Truth”? That’s baffling to me. The Traitors UK came before the U.S. version, and I know that the games are the same in that following the roundtable ceremony, the banished cast member stands in a circle to reveal to everyone whether they’re a Traitor or Faithful. However, I never considered that other countries’ versions of the show might not call it the “Circle of Truth.”
Now I’m curious about another of my favorite aspects of the show — when Alan Cumming nonchalantly slams the portrait of the murdered cast member to the ground after the big breakfast reveal. It’s so deliciously cruel, so please, a raise for whoever came up with that idea.
That definitely seems like the kind of thing Alan Cumming might contribute to the show, simply because he’s having so much fun. He described the show perfectly to Seth Meyers, saying:
It’s the Lord of the Flies with Botox. But it’s just hilarious, and I’m so loving it.
It’s delightful just to hear how much Alan Cumming is enjoying himself. You can see the full clip below:
I agree it’s fun to see celebrities from different corners of the entertainment world face off against each other, with Bravo’s Housewives pitted against gamers from Survivor and Big Brother, reality dating show contestants and now even actors, with Dominic Monaghan and Kristin Chenoweth among the upcoming contestants.
However, I’ve been thoroughly entertained by the non-celebrities on The Traitors: New Blood. I mean, when you’ve got a host as theatrical as Alan Cumming inviting guests into his Circle of Truth, the drama is practically baked in. The first four episodes are currently available to stream with a Peacock subscription, and new episodes resume at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, October 8, on NBC.
