Meet the Welsh contestants from series 4 of The Traitors

The hugely-anticipated new series of The Traitors returns this evening and makers of the hit TV show have told viewers to expect even more twists, turns, secrets, epic missions, deception, banishments and, of course, murders aplenty.

Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, The Traitors series 4 sees 22 people from across the UK descend on a Scottish Castle to try and win up to £120k.

The latest series of The Traitors sees two Welsh contestants taking part.

Meet Fiona and Hugo…

Fiona

Age: 62

Occupation: Local Government Officer

Location: Swansea

Why did you apply to be on The Traitors?

I’ve never applied for anything like this before, but I really enjoy the show. I think it’s the most authentic reality TV show, and I’m not big into reality TV. I think because it’s a game which requires a lot of tact and a lot of psychological manoeuvres, it just appealed to me.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you think you’ll bring to the show?

I’m a chatty person by nature. My job involves getting people to trust in me so that they can move forward with their lives. I’m a trustworthy person, and people naturally warm to that. I think I’m a good judge of character as well, although that remains to be seen in the next few weeks!

I think I’ll bring a little bit of humour and a lot of integrity, whether or not that integrity is towards the Traitors or towards the Faithfuls remains to be seen. I’m a great team player. I was brought up in a house full of boys. I’ve only got brothers, so I think I became competitive then. We were and still are a family that enjoy all sorts of games, whether that’s cards or board games, we still get a lot of enjoyment out of them.

What do you think you’ll bring to the game?

I think I’m able to see through people’s strategies and ascertain whether or not they’re truthful. I’m really setting myself up for failure here! But also, I’m a warm person that enjoys chatting to people and getting to know them. I think that’s one of my strengths, I can bring the best and the worst out of people as well. I’m very much a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ type of person, but I don’t come from a vindictive point of view. I’m really good at keeping things confidential, I hold a lot of information about a lot of people including family and friends.

Do you have a game plan at all?

Yes, I do. I just want to get to know people, warts and all. I’m not afraid to confront or challenge people, but not in a bullying or harassing way. I wouldn’t dream of doing that to anybody. I would definitely be somebody that wouldn’t be afraid to speak their mind. However, if I am a Faithful I’d be very wary to be as formidable and confrontational. I’d keep it in a bit.

What are you like when playing games with friends and family? Would you say you’re competitive?

My eldest brother says he can never tell what hand I’ve got, because I’ve just constantly got a smile whether I have the losing hand or not.

Do you think you’ll be good at the Missions? What strengths do you think you might bring to them?

I’m very much a team player, I do like to be with a group, because I just think it’s more interesting when there’s a team of you and you can play to each other’s strengths. I will do my very best with anything, but I know I can’t run.

If you’re a Traitor, how do you think you’ll feel?

I would be thrilled to be a Traitor, and the reason for that is quite straightforward. I’ve always taken control of my own destiny, my own decisions, whether I’ve changed jobs, homes, cars.

If you’re a Traitor, how far are you prepared to go to win the game?

As far as I can, I want to retire in comfort. Although money is not a huge motivator for me, I’m happy to do whatever it takes to get to the end. It is a game.

If you’re a Faithful, what do you think your game plan might be?

I won’t be so forthcoming with opinions unless I’m absolutely convinced. I don’t think I’d be as relaxed as I would be as a Traitor.

How good are you at spotting a liar?

I’m really good at spotting a liar, because it’s part of my job. You can look for the body language, but sometimes people are very good at hiding body language. Eye contact is really important, and I tend to use a lot of that in my work to assess people. You’ve also got to be aware that in this process, people are naturally going to be nervous, so it may appear they’re fibbing just because they’re uncomfortable and twitchy, whereas actually they are truthful. It’s going to be a lot harder to spot a liar.

If you’re a Faithful, what qualities do you think you’re going to need to make it through to the final?

I’m the most Faithful of Faithful people, and I think all my friends and family would say the same. I am Faithful by nature. I don’t like anything underhand in my personal life, I really don’t like talking behind people’s backs which is why I think being a Traitor would be so much more fun than anything else as it’s completely out of my character.

If you win the prize money, what do you think you’ll spend it on?

It will definitely go towards some of my pension. I would also like to give money to people who are caring for loved ones with dementia at home and don’t have the benefit of a large family.

Hugo

Age: 51

Occupation: Barrister

Location: London (Born in Cardiff)

Why did you apply to be on The Traitors?

I really love the show. I’m obsessed with The Traitors – I think I’ve seen every episode in the English language, UK, US, Australia and New Zealand. It’s such a fascinating game, and what really gets me is watching people around the Round Table and how wrong they get it. I’m a barrister so I talk to juries, but they go off and make the decisions in a quiet room so I never get to see it, but this, you just think, how could you be so wrong? I can’t take my eyes off it, I love it.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you think you’ll bring to the show?

I’m hopeful to at some stage be a Traitor. I just think they’ve got all the information, all the power, and it must be such good fun to see everything, whereas the Faithful are kind of waiting around to be murdered. If someone’s going to come for you at the Round Table, you’ve also got the chance of arguing back or trying to distract them or deflect, whereas if you’re murdered, it’s just you and you’ve gone. So, I’d like to be a Traitor, but if I was a Faithful, I think I’ve got skills to find the Traitors.

Do you have a game plan?

Well, that will depend on whether I get a tap on the shoulder and whether I’m a Traitor or not. Because it’s series four, I think everyone tries to hide in the middle of the pack and everyone tries to keep a low profile. I thought ‘do people like lawyers? Should I perhaps pretend to be something else?’, but that’s been done, and I think everyone’s smart, we’ve all seen the show. So, I’m going to hide in plain sight. I’m going to be myself and I’m going to be quite out there telling stories, telling jokes and singing. I suppose I’ll be one of the older ones at 51, so I’m going to be very positive and try keep things upbeat and happy.

What are you like when playing games with friends and family? Would you say you’re competitive?

Oh, I’m super competitive. I don’t mind being on a team if I am the captain of the team. I love all sorts of board games from Monopoly, to Risk and Diplomacy.

Would you say you’ve got a good poker face?

I think so, I mean I’m a barrister and I have to stand up in front of a jury and be a kind of big cuddly teddy bear, so you have to believe what you’re saying because people can pick up if you’re all fidgety. So yes, I hope so, because it’s important for my job.

Do you think you’ll be good at the Missions? What strengths do you think you might bring to them?

I’m quite logical, and I love it when contestants think outside the box and don’t always accept the parameters of the challenge. I think there’s scope for challenging the premise of what you’ve been given and just thinking a little bit differently. So, I think I’ll be good at that.

If you are a Traitor, how do you think you’ll feel?

I’d be absolutely delighted. I think you’ve got to go into instant ‘Well, I’m a Faithful!’ mode, and I do think they make mistakes. You have to think like a Faithful. I’d be thinking, ‘Who looks suspicious around here? Who’s not looking at Claudia this time? And who’s pretending to be a badger?’ They always overdo it and they kind of blink when they come out.

If you are a Traitor, how far are you prepared to go to win the game?

I’m very, very competitive. I think you’ve got to be charming and befriend people and if I was a Traitor, I’d use all the positive skills of trying to befriend, and I’d use all the logical skills of, well, this person voted this way, this person did that. I wouldn’t go full forensic barrister on people because you have to remember that it’s a game, and to win the game is actually to have fun and to be fun.

If you’re a Faithful, what do you think your game plan would be?

If I’m a Faithful, I’ll try and take it to the next level of being logical because Faithfuls get it wrong, when they just go with their guts.

If you are a Faithful, what qualities do you think you’re going to need to make it through to the final?

The reality is, I don’t understand what the winning strategy is as a Faithful. I think you have to loudly name who you think is a Traitor, and in doing that, you’ve kind of got a double win. You’re either right and you catch a Traitor, or you’re wrong but the Traitors think ‘well, he’s completely wrong so we’re not going to murder him’. The best one of all, if you can do it, is to name a Traitor that nobody else believes is a Traitor, like Jake named Linda for days on end, and the Faithful won’t banish you because you’re being helpful, and the Traitors won’t murder you because you found one of them.

How good are you at spotting a liar?

I think I’m really good. People have tells, and they give it away. Because we’re all basically good human beings, subconsciously, if you lie, you have an itch on your face sometimes, and you try to get rid of it because you’ve just lied. So, touching the face is a classic one, not looking people straight in the eye is another. In The Traitors, if confronted, a Faithful will say, ‘I’m a Faithful’, whereas the Traitors will say, ‘I’m a Faithful. I couldn’t be a Traitor’, and they kind of answer the wrong question. I think there’s a way of telling when people over elaborate or get defensive and I think I can spot the subconscious things, and the way that people use their language.

If you win the prize money, what do you think you’ll spend it on?

Whilst the game is enormous camp fun my real motivation to win would be to support a human rights charity that’s very dear to my heart which is Amnesty International. They do fantastic work and if ever I get the chance to support them, I do. In fact, I am going to be running the London Marathon later this year for them!

MEET ALL THE TRAITORS SERIES 4 CONTESTANTS

When is The Traitors series 4 on TV and BBC iPlayer?

Faithful viewers will once again be treated to the ultimate reality game of trust and treachery with the first few episodes airing as follows:

Episode 1 – 8pm on Thursday 1 January 2026
Episode 2 – 8pm on Friday 2 January 2026
Episode 3 – 7.45pm on Saturday 3 January 2026

Each episode will become available on BBC iPlayer after they have aired on BBC One.