Viewers of BBC's hit reality show The Traitors were left utterly exasperated on Wednesday evening, witnessing what many are calling the most catastrophic memory lapse in the programme's history.
A Clue in Plain Sight
During the episode that aired on Saturday, January 8, 2026, the secret Traitors, Rachel and Stephen, were given a critical task. They had to use a pot of red ink to place fingerprints on a family tree picture of the contestants, marking their potential murder targets.
The pair deliberated in clear view of others, with their behaviour reaching peak suspicion when they even asked fellow contestant Reece for a moment alone by the picture. Astonishingly, when the doctored image was discovered by the group the next morning, Reece had completely failed to connect the dots and recall the Traitors' suspicious activity.
Viewer Outrage on Social Media
The audience's frustration boiled over on social media platform X, where fans lambasted Reece's oversight. One viewer, Andrew, quipped: 'If Reece doesn’t bring this up, he deserves to be murdered.'
Another, Rich, expressed dismay, tweeting: 'Reece might be the worst faithful in history! How has he forgotten about this?' User Bex summed up the collective disbelief: 'Reece witnessed first hand the most suspicious behaviour ever recorded by a Traitor at the scene of the crime, at the time the crime was committed and is still like this Christ alive.'
While some attempted to mount a defence, suggesting the marking may have happened later, the consensus was clear: a monumental opportunity to unmask the Traitors had been missed.
Twists, Turns and a Secret Revealed
Reece's memory fail was just one part of a dramatic episode. The roundtable saw another banishment, with sales executive Ross leaving the castle. In a personal revelation, psychologist Ellie disclosed her secret relationship with Ross.
Most significantly, the episode featured the grand reveal of another secret Traitor: Fiona. This leaves the game's dynamics severely altered as it heads towards another tense murder.
The stakes are now high for three Faithfuls. With Stephen currently in an outside cage, the next murder will be a face-to-face decision between Reece, Maz, and Sam.
The Traitors continues on BBC One and iPlayer.
