At a glance…
- The Traitors is back with a new host, Gretel Killeen, and a star-studded cast in 2026.
- A fan favourite was removed from the show in the first five minutes of episode one!
- Find out who was “murdered” or “banished” and left The Traitors here.
- WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!
I’m going to be honest (and very biased): Siobhán McSweeney is my number one host of The Traitors franchise. But Gretel Killeen is making the case for a very close second. She had the perfect blend of camp, drama, theatricality, and a touch of comedy to land the allure that we’ve come to expect from a host of The Traitors.
The first episode of the rebooted season started strong. It boasts a star-studded cast with Real Housewives, Australian Survivor, and MasterChef Australia alums in the mix.
Read on to find out who is the latest person to have left, been murdered, or banished on The Traitors 2026.
Episode Eleven: Dwindling Faithfuls
Tully’s unquestioned status as a Faithful was an advantage to Kirby, earning her trust and therefore the trust of the other Faithfuls. It was a mutual relationship as Tully, who knew Kirby was a Traitor, received Kirby’s protection – until her influence was deemed too powerful and was murdered.
And according to Keira’s rational thinking: why would Kirby murder one of her closest friends? So that must mean she’s a Faithful! It’s a nice sentiment, and one Kirby plays into the entire episode.
Unfortunately, Keira’s an unreliable alliance. Before the round table, Kirby, Keira and Krissy agree to vote out Rhys – harsh Kirbs! But after stumbling over a few words, Keira and Krissy are convinced Josh is the Traitor. Leaving Kirby in hot water when she still writes down her fellow Traitor.
Unfortunately, Josh – an obvious Faithful – was banished from the game. But with Rhys’ head on the chopping block, will they go down quietly or drag Kirby with him?
Episode Ten: Follow the wrong leader
After a murder-free sleep, the Faithfuls feel rejuvenated at this morning’s breakfast.
Walking in with a new mindset, set on hunting down Traitors after his brush with elimination, was Lawson. First on his agenda was getting the numbers to vote out Kirby.
“Kirby’s got evidence: AJ died saying her name, [and] Henry banished saying her name. Many have suspected her the entire time. I just need four votes. If I pull this off, there’s a very good chance I’m going to win The Traitors,” he said.
If only the Faithfuls followed his lead…
Lawson was ultimately betrayed by those he described as his “closest friends,” Tully and Josh, who convinced everyone to banish him. The only person not convinced was Krissy, who seems to be the only one thinking outside of the majority.
Ultimately, the “charming” Lawson was banished.
Episode Nine: Death Match
After a nailbiting death match between the twins, it was Josh who ultimately pulled the life card, meaning his brother Luke was sent home. With the number of Faithfuls dwindling, they are completely rattled by Luke’s sudden murder.
Many of them jumped at the assumption that Josh’s involvement in the death match meant he was a guaranteed Faithful. But Rhys is quickly learning how to be a Traitor, as he asks the group, did the match truly happen?
However, Josh is certain he’s nailed down the Traitors identity: Lawson and Krissy. But he doesn’t want them gone, instead he is playing a long game. Unfortunately, after going against the team and failing the days challenge, all eyes are on Lawson…
That is until Keira causes a little chaos, shifting focus to Rachael who is later banished at the round table. And, as we well know, Rachael is a Faithful.
Another win for the Traitors.
Episode Eight: A Traitors seduction
A sleepless night for the Faithfuls was for all for nothing, because Kirby has seduced a new Traitor.
It was a risky move enlisting Rhys as a Traitor, given some are already suspicious of them. But now, confidence is growing among the Faithfuls, and twin Luke is assured he has identified the third Traitor.
After building anticipation all episode, we thought Kirby would be in the firing line once again. But Claudia was actually the one scrambling for a reasonable defence.
“The Traitors have won, you’re all silly. I’m telling you, someone is leading you astray and you need to focus,” Claudia explained.
“I really did like you all, but of course, everyone chooses to listen to the man. Screw you all! I’m a Faithful!”
But the night isn’t over yet. Twins Josh and Luke face a deadly card game, where the loser will be murdered. We’re yet to discover who survived.
Episode Seven: On the hunt
Just like Icarus flew too close to the sun, AJ came too close with the Traitors. The former Survivor contestant, and probably one of the smartest Faithful, was murdered by Kirby and Alex.
AJ’s departure strengthens the trust between Alex and Kirby, but little do they know, Josh has his sights set firmly on Alex – and he’s searching for supporters to banish her.
But rather than defend herself, Alex subtly confirms the group’s suspicions at the round table. “I’m ready to show you who I am,” Alex said tearfully.
“This has been both exhilarating and absolutely exhausting. I love you all so much, and you’re doing a brilliant job. I’m a Traitor.”
The room erupts with applause and cheers, as the group finally catches another Traitor.
Episode Six: “A cooking show is nothing like this”
We find out that the traitors decide to murder Rob, as he was second to Dicko in the LSD alliance and was seen as the group’s stability.
At breakfast, Alex can’t hold back her frustration with AJ putting her name out. He shared his suspicions of her with Alvin, Claudia and the twins Josh and Luke. He believes her outburst proves that she and Alvin are traitors.
AJ pulls Alex aside and, through tears, tells her that he knows that she’s a traitor. She is immediately floundering and decides to align with him and vote for Alvin.
“Being in a cooking show is nothing like this,” Alvin said as AJ targets him at the roundtable. In the end, he gets one more vote than AJ (who many of the faithful consider to be “coercive” and “manipulative”) and is banished.
“I have felt like an imposter all my life, but you know the best thing about having an imposter syndrome and what to do with it is immersion therapy…I’m a traitor.”
And the room ERUPTS with cheers.
“AJ’s a pain in my arse; he’s just a snake,” Kirby says, furstated at his influence over Alex. “I don’t think he knows who I am. I’m the black mamba.”
At the conclave, Kirby and Alex can choose to murder someone or “seduce” someone (aka make them a traitor). They land on AJ, but will they murder or seduce him?
Episode Five: Division in the ranks
We’re holding a funeral for the fallen faithful today, after the traitors chose to take out Gamble. They don’t see her as a threat, making her more of a “wild card”, while most contestants remain suspicious of Rachael.
The faithful have fallen for Alex’s move against Dicko at the last roundtable. It made her appear to be a brave faithful. It’s good for her, but Kirby doesn’t love it. Later on, Alvin and Kirby have a separate chat and agree that she’s a risk to them and would consider putting her name out there.
While most contestants attend Gamble’s “memorial service”, Claudia, Luke, AJ, Josh, and Alvin take on a challenge based on the seven deadly sins. They must choose contestants they believe represent each sin, with money on the line if they match the traitors’ choices. Unsurprisingly, being labelled deceitful, greedy, and fake doesn’t go down well — and they don’t get a single match.
Back at the church, Kiera receives a shield left to her by Gamble. Rachael, meanwhile, is devastated by being called fake and confronts Alvin through tears, while Kiera clashes repeatedly with Claudia.
By the roundtable, LSD has fractured, and Rhys appears to be in danger. Josh, however, spots Alvin’s traitorous behaviour during the challenge and calls him out. With suspicion spread across the group, Alvin receives just one vote from Josh. Instead, Dicko is banished.
“I wouldn’t trust you guys to find my car keys. I’m a faithful,” Dicko says before storming off.
At the conclave, the traitors consider whether to murder Josh, Rob, or Luke…
Episode Four: The traitors put four on Death Row
The traitors put Rhys, Gamble, Claudia, and Rachael on death row. The four have to go through a succession of challenges, and the winner scores a shield. In the end, Rhys wins! So, Rhys is safe, but one of the other three will be murdered by the end of the episode…
At the round table, Gamble announces that she feels like the three on the beach with her today are all traitors. Wild. Alex also goes against the grain and tells Dicko he’s a bad faithful. In the process, the LSD group is revealed. Those who weren’t in the know are annoyed that they weren’t included. And so the roundtable devolves into chaos after Rachael points the finger at Krissy. It splits the vote and puts the focus on Rachael, Dicko, and Henry – nice for actual traitors.
In the end, they banish Henry, who is overcome with emotion as he reveals he is, of course, a Faithful!
Episode Three: A twist to the format
In Episode Two, ahead of Shane’s banishment, Manaaki called out the traitors at the round table, saying that only six people were aware of a clash between him and Kiera. Because of that, the traitors decide at their coven to take him out before they can expose them further.
“They took out a threat,” he says on his “murder”.
However, the next morning at breakfast, Cosima points out that it has to be one of the six who murdered him. All three of the traitors were in that group…risky business for them. Sadly, the rest of the group doesn’t really engage. In fact, it appears to kind of annoy them.
The challenge tonight calls for teamwork and strength. They have to carry a heavy wooden board across a course and, at various intervals, tie up two contestants and take a bag of silver. Whoever is left at the end gets a shield. At the final stage, they have a choice to take in a returning banished member who is under a cloak and $10,000. This decision causes massive division in the remaining group. Henry is adamant that they don’t take in the person (whom they correctly deduce is Cam Merchant, who never got the chance to really play). The twins are all for him joining and getting more money. But Kirby isn’t keen on having another person to fool. However, she hangs back a bit and lets Henry make the call. When the challenge is over, the group is confused by Henry’s decision, and even though it was a majority vote, he gets blamed for less money in the pot and for not bringing Cam back.
At the episode’s round table, Henry decides to present his evidence that Kirby and the twins are traitors. He is unwavering in his conviction, and the group does not like how sure he is. It really backfires, not because of Kirby, but because of the twins who are offended that he’s accusing them (it’s a game, guys).
But it turns out that his rant was worthless as Cosmia accidentally put the target on herself by saying that it would be difficult to be a traitor. Dicko tried to save her by saying that she’s loud and “Italian” and passionate and doesn’t always think about what she’s saying (not sure if that’s a compliment, Dicko). However, the “evidence” was too strong. Sadly, the contestants voted her out. Another faithful banished. Dicko takes it really hard. Rob Farnham totally believes that Kirby is a faithful. So Henry is really in trouble.
At that night’s conclave, Gretel reveals a twist to the format. Instead of murdering anyone, the traitors have to put four people up on “Death Row”… and one of those people will be murdered tomorrow night…
Episode Two: A murder and a banishment
The first official “murder” takes place in episode two. At the end of the first episode, the traitors – Kirby, Alvin, and Alex – were tasked to “kill” the first faithful. During their deliberations, Alvin tells Kirby that Kween was telling a lot of people that she could swear that she heard Kirby – who was sitting next to her during the traitor selection – get chosen. However, Alvin tells her that if they pick Kween, it might be obvious that Kirby is a traitor. However, Kirby points out that no one other than Alvin told her that Kween suspected her, so is there really a risk?
The choice was between Rob, Dicko, and Kween, but they decided to murder Kween. Classic survivor strategy there.
“These people got rid of competition before it even started; how cowardly of you?” Kween says after receiving the official notice of murder.
Later on in the episode, Dicko solidified his LSD (Loyalty, Secrecy, and Discipline) alliance and instructed them to vote out Shane Gould. When Dicko first arrived, he told Rhys that “no one wants an old man to win” (so Dicko hasn’t seen the Irish version of The Traitors). So, could this be anxiety about having another person of more mature years around?
Some other contestants, like AJ, watched Shane on Survivor and were therefore suspicious of her anyway. Plus, there was the whole Cam Merchant situation. Shane became the easy vote, and even though some contestants were starting to suspect Kirby, they went down the easy route.
Shane is the first person banished in the season.
“I don’t apologise for my bigness,” Shane said after her banishment. “I’m a Faithful.”
Immediately afterwards, the contestants start in-fighting. Looks like we’re in for a dramatic season…
Episode One: An unexpected twist and exit before the game even begins
Before the cast of The Traitors gets to meet each other properly, they have to send someone home!
As is standard with the franchise, the contestants all arrive in groups of four in very nondescript black SVU jeeps. They greet each other in front of The Traitors‘ manor. There’s a sweet Australian Idol reunion moment with Ian Dicko Dickinson and Cosima de Vito. However, Olympian and Australian Survivor winner Shane Gould goes about unnoticed by the gathered contestants. This strategy helped in her Survivor and could be of benefit in this arena.
Then Gretel emerges from a black coffin carried by four people in black cloaks and gold masks. To complete the macabre image, Gretel is dressed in a “blood-soaked” wedding dress.
She tasks them with choosing the “most virtuous” among them for a challenge. They chose Cam, aka a professional nice person. The former cricketer met and fell in love with Jules Robinson during season six of Nine’s Married at First Sight. However, the group changes their minds and chooses Shane Gould, whom AJ Antonios calls a “sly, cute little kitten…they definitely haven’t seen her season [of Survivor].”
Gretel tells Shane to hand out room keys to each of the contestants. She does…until she hands out the last one…and there’s none for herself.
“Are we one key short or one player too many?” Gretel asks, revealing the challenge. Will Shane take someone’s key, or will she take someone’s spot and their chance at winning $250,000?
She decides to take someone’s key, but does give them a chance to sacrifice themselves. No one does, and she lands on Cam!
“It’s virtue on virtue violence,” one of the cast says.
He has to leave immediately, and we have our first victim.
Watch The Traitors at 7.30 pm on weeknights on Channel 10 and 10 Play on demand.
