The latest banishment may have just proved viewers’ theory right
Kimberly Nhundu Under 35s Screen Time reporter
18:32, 15 Jan 2026
BBC’s The Traitors may have just confirmed a major fan theory that could potentially unravel the entire show.
Since its New Year’s Day premiere, viewers have been avidly following the gameshow which is now nearing its conclusion. Up to this point, the team of Faithfuls have ousted Traitor Hugo Lodge and Secret Traitor Fiona Hughes.
In the episode aired on January 14, the players had the opportunity to unmask fellow Traitor Rachel Duffy, but they disregarded the warnings issued by former barrister Harriet Tyce.
In an attempt to affirm her status as a Faithful and cast suspicion on Rachel’s true identity, Harriet implored her co-stars to vote her out during the roundtable discussion, a request they honoured.
Fans believe they can predict who will leave the show next by checking the Traitors: Uncloaked guestlist(Image: BBC)
However, even before her departure, fans had already speculated about the next banishment, and their predictions were nearly accurate, reports Wales Online.
Dino Joe Reviews, a content creator on TikTok, shared their seemingly infallible strategy for predicting upcoming banishments and murders.
Joe suggested that the guest list on The Traitors’ spin-off show, Uncloaked, could provide clues to viewers about who will be eliminated each night.
Joe explained: “It seems like Ed Gamble doesn’t just invite random celebrities or former players onto Traitors Uncloaked but they are deliberately matched to the player who has just been banished or murdered.”
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The video further proposed that simply checking the celebrity line-up, typically teased ahead of new episodes, could help fans deduce the next elimination.
The TikTok sensation used this theory to predict that Jessie Stride would be the next contestant to leave the show last night, but their prediction was incorrect.
They arrived at this conclusion based on Maddie Smedley’s scheduled appearance on Uncloaked. Fans of the first season will recall that Maddie successfully identified a Traitor, much like Jessie has done with Stephen Libby.
Viewers correctly guessed that last night’s banished contestant would have a similar story to season one’s Maddie Smedley (right)(Image: BBC)
Although the TikTok star incorrectly predicted Jessie’s departure, they weren’t entirely off track as Harriet had also deduced that Rachel was a Traitor, but her suspicions were not backed by the other contestants.
This suggests that the theory holds some merit, even though it may sometimes point to multiple contestants rather than just one.
Tonight’s (January 15) episode of Uncloaked is set to feature last year’s Traitor Linda Rands and celebrity guest La Voix. Given the theory, Linda’s appearance could indicate that either Stephen or Rachel might be the ones departing from the castle tonight.
The Traitors continues tonight at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer