> At a Glance
> – Alan Cumming chooses a hidden “secret Traitor” in front of the entire cast
> – Donna Kelce revealed as that undercover agent in episode 3
> – Three public Traitors-Candiace, Lisa Rinna, Rob Rausch-also picked
> – Why it matters: adds a covert layer that even the other Traitors don’t know about
Peacock’s The Traitors returned Jan. 9 with an immediate shake-up: host Alan Cumming drafted a covert fourth Traitor whose identity stayed hidden until episode 3.
How the Twist Works
Right after the 23 contestants opened their chests, Cumming told them one box contained a Traitor card-Donna Kelce found it. The public trio of Candiace Dillard Bassett, Lisa Rinna and Rob Rausch were selected later at the roundtable, unaware their new ally was among the Faithful.
Key roles:
- Secret Traitor works alone and remains unknown to the group
- Provides nightly short-list of potential “murder” targets
- Public Traitors must kill only from that list until a future reunion
First Victims and Mission
The cast’s debut challenge split them into boat crews racing to retrieve 12 gold-filled coffins from 100 scattered on the loch. After 45 minutes, nine players had coffins in their graves, putting them at risk.
Short-list:
- Night 1: Rob Rausch, Ian Terry, Mark Ballas, Eric Nam
- Night 2: Rob Cesternino, Monét X Change, Tara Lipinski, Kristen Kish
Ian and then Rob C. were “murdered,” and at the second roundtable Donna was voted out-revealing her secret role to cheers.
What Donna Said
> “You got yourself a Traitor!” she told the group, adding her plan was “to be this sweet mom on the side, and then at night be this devious Traitor.”
Key Takeaways
- Secret Traitor twist keeps even other Traitors guessing
- Donna Kelce embraced the villain role before her early exit
- $250,000 prize fund grows as Faithful try to banish all Traitors
- New episodes stream every Thursday on Peacock
