Everybody Wants to Rule the World | Traitors 2026 | Thread 8 | Spoiler Free!

[CaveMum]

Link to previous thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5475802-tell-me-lies-tell-me-sweet-little-lies-traitors-2026-thread-7-spoiler-free?page=1

Welcome to Thread 8 of Traitors 2026.

This thread runs at TV pace so do not read any further if you are not up to date with the live broadcast. Whilst most discussion will be on the current series, inevitably people will refer to previous series/players/winners so reader beware if you’ve not seen the 3 previous editions, or the celebrity version.

While we welcome posters discussing their theories and speculating on relationships/connections between players, please don’t post spoilers from elsewhere that may ruin things for those of us who like to see things unfold over the course of the series.

The story so far (as at end of Ep 6):

Traitors
Hugo
Rachel
Stephen
Fiona (Secret Traitor)

Murdered
Netty
Ben
Maz
Reece

Banished
Judy (Faithful)
Hugo (Traitor)
Ross (Faithful)
Amanda (Faithful)
Fiona (Traitor)
Harriet (Faithful)

Jessie, James and Adam are the potential murder candidates, but both Jessie and James have shields.

The floor is yours…

really gone of Roxy now.

I think what's difficult to see from the edit we are given is who is and who isn't "popular" with the group based on social interactions - because of the tasks etc we just don't see much of them chatting about stuff other than the game, which they must do for hours each day. I feel like this has decreased over time because in Series 1 I remember lots of discussion about the clique and the boy who was in love with Alex before the boyfriend reveal happened. I suppose it's also like how every reality tv programme changes over time though - you did get the sense in the first series that some of them were just there to hang out in a castle and make friends/have an experience rather than the game/money/exposure which has increased over time.

So, when Rachel and Stephen murdered Adam they said "I can't read him/influence him/I'm not friendly with him" which implied that they are both well liked by others in the group and have influence with them. I can really see how this would be the case with Stephen particularly as he is very sweet. Also, there are clearly some cliques as they've consistently voted people out who are over the age of 30!

With Jessie, I thought it was interesting she's friendly with James who clearly no one likes/listens to either. I'd like more of the social dynamics in the edit to make the whole thing make more sense.

E.g. the final of the celebrity traitors was bizarre. Something clearly happened between David and Nick we didn't see/they are best Pals and that influenced what happened.

Sam and Rachel have the absolute least "we are married" vibe than almost anyone on the show!!

Someone ssid way up the thread that they don't want anyone to win and saud it's not possible (I did bookmark it, but seems i fat fingered an accidental bookmarking of a later post!)

Anyway no one can win sort of - if both traitors make the final and they both chose ''steal" then no one wins the prize money.

It wouldn't shock me if Rachel did steal should she make the final with Steven (Stephen?). If I'm remembering right, whilst she said they should go to the final together she didn't say they should share the prize. Plus she's a self-ccnfesses proud liar!!

Also just to add im wondering if they'll murder James - leaving Jessie open to suspicion that she's the Traitor who was in the Secret Sheild Group, all while settimg in the idea on Faraaz is the other Traitor.

I've now rralises i can't recall if Jane's was on the shortlist 🤔

I love Stephen's outfits, they're fabulous.
I would never have clocked Jade's cardigans if it hadn't been for these threads. I thought she'd made it herself, TBF at that price it probably is hand made.

I usually want the faithfuls to win, but I'd be happy if Rachel, Stephen or Jessie won.

I am irritated that they aren't using the huge clues from Harriet and Fiona, so if they're going to ignore that then actually the faithfuls don't deserve the win at all.
Apart from Jessie, who's onto Stephen but no one will listen to her. It must be so frustrating!

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen his wife on TikTok.

He wears it well. No VPL when he leant over the island in the kitchen

In reality, they only seem like huge clues because we know Rachel is a Traitor.
Inside the castle, the players don’t have that information. Every behaviour is therefore a potential “clue”, and it’s largely down to chance whether the one they latch onto actually leads to identifying a Traitor.

As viewers, we tend to think the players are “stupid” for focusing on the wrong behaviour or for not concentrating on the right one. But in truth, it’s mostly just luck.

It’s not as though we’re given the same clueless experience when trying to identify the Traitors. We have the to-camera confessional (or whatever they are called) and Fiona all but told us herself with her “for the moment I’ll just continue to play the best Faithful” comment (paraphrased).

But they think she’s a faithful, so maybe they think they are working together.

I’m hoping they murder Matt if only because the lok on his face when he realised the envelope was murder not recruitment. TV gold 🤣. I’m team traitor now. They’ve played a blinder. Ideal scenario Roxy and traitor left. Roxy’s beginning to grate on me a bit.

@HoratioBum If someone is 'bland' or has managed to stay under the radar all that time, why are they 'not deserving' to win? That seems very unfair to me!

Me too, Matt going in all excited to be recruited then finding out they have murdered him would be brilliant.

I wish we saw them doing normal things and having fun. So they really do no chess, word games, charades, dancing, silliness, talking about their friends and family? They are all spending so much time together, they must have lots of light hearted moments. I saw Jessie springing down the stairs last episode, and thought she must have fun sometimes.

I know someone who was on a previous Traitors and he’s never been on Uncloaked (he’s a friend of a close relative).

Agree & exactly what Harriet should’ve done!

I honestly can’t see Rachel not getting to the final & winning. She’s playing the game well.

With her little clique running around after her listening to her every word...
There are people outside that clique but they don’t seem to see how much influence Rachel has in the castle.
Twice now people have tried to take her on & lost. Anyone with any sense would stick with her & turn on her at the end.
Unfortunately, I do not believe anyone in her clique is planning on doing that & they genuinely think she is a faithful.

I'd trust everyone. I believe everything I'm told. I'd either be useless at this or get through to the final just by being the one who just muddles along.

It’ll be fascinating to see what happens to Rachel post-Traitors. She’s a Head of Communications so you might expect her to PR the shit out of the experience. But she’s not exactly a cuddly media personality…

Do we know who she’s Head of Comms for btw?

Yep same what an irritating self righteous person.
Who does she think she is. James was desperate for a shield, he came clean to his team…it’s not for her to get on her high horse.
Wasn’t keen on her before now I cannot stand her.
Rachel seems untouchable it seems like it was forgotten about that Harriet was gunning for her.
Jessie spot on about Stephen but no one listening.

Could you translate this into non knitting for this non knitter please?

I’m gobsmacked at paying those sums for a cardigan which can’t even be worn like a normal cardigan.

They're knitted roving - it's how dyed combed wool is before it's spun - with no twist

Agreed. Fiona was the obvious Secret Traitor, but we had the to-camera bits which were fairly telling. None of Jessie's clues against Stephen, alone, is watertight, they could all be argued against, but there are a lot of them. And the Fiona stuff makes more sense if Rachel is a traitor and it was a power play. But she could also argue she'd been set up by a traitor to be banished. There's no smoking gun.

Season 1 US, season 2 UK traitors had traitors go all the way through and win.

And each of the people on Uncloaked said they had no clue and Rachel was one of the people everyone listened to. It makes perfect sense to me that traitor Fiona’s accusation would be taken as a lie. Harriet ruined any chance of being taken seriously by going slightly bonkers. Nobody else has even suggested Rachel at the RT and neither Fiona nor Harriet gained much support.

Rachel has also been very good at remembering her own stories and being consistent in the conversations we see - always quite a convincing behaviour. Honestly she is the most deserving of the win in the game, having carried Stephen through the early rounds. Their team is certainly the more deserving team.

Is Stephen camping up his style as a cover for his over reactions? Dramatic over reacting worked well for Alan Carr and he described using it as a tactic because he knew he couldn’t control his reactions tightly.

God, I know. I'd have permanent indigestion if I ate dinner hunched over my plate like that. I'd definitely have to be in the kitchen crew and sit at a proper(ish) table.
Everything about life in the castle makes me really anxious, actually; people wandering about with their food, perched on chairs balancing plates on their knee, someone always coming in or out of a room when others are mid-conversation, wandering past doorways, circling round looking for people...

Faraaz could the the one to turn things. Hints last night he's looking at Rachel. Hopefully not a editing red herring