Morgan Cook: Age, Career, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Episode 4 Update

Morgan Cook entered The Traitors: New Blood as a 30-year-old content creator from Midland, Michigan, with an established online audience and a clear preference for playing as a Faithful. She wanted to test whether her habit of observing people, asking questions and occasionally overthinking situations would help her identify the Traitors.

Four episodes into the civilian season, Morgan is still in the castle and is confirmed as an active Faithful. Her most visible gameplay moment so far came in Episode 3, when she entered the first crypt with Arisa Thomas and helped bank $5,000 for the prize pot. She then survived the wrong Faithful banishment in Episode 4 and remains among the 17 contestants heading into Episode 5.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update: Morgan Survives Episode 4

Morgan's Episode 4 story was more about survival than accusation. The Death Parade forced the players to decide who would stay behind as the gates closed, and Morgan was among the group left at the first gate.

The major game consequence came at the Round Table, where the Faithfuls once again missed a Traitor and instead banished Arisa Thomas. Logan Smith was then murdered, leaving Morgan among the 17 contestants still competing. The current cast tracker lists her as a Faithful who is still in the game.

That means Morgan enters the next episode without having become one of the castle's main public targets. Her challenge is now to turn her observational style into useful information before the Faithfuls continue losing players to the Traitors.

Morgan Cook Quick Facts

Who Is Morgan Cook?

Morgan Cook is a Chicago-based digital content creator who grew up in Midland, Michigan. Her online work centers on personality-driven humor, relatable everyday situations and videos about life changes, anxiety and ordinary moments that many viewers recognize from their own lives.

Before becoming a full-time creator, Morgan spent about eight years working in human resources. In an interview with Midland Daily News, she explained that her HR experience involved interviewing people from different backgrounds and learning how to ask the right questions. She said that experience turned out to be useful in the castle.

Morgan Cook's Human Resources Background

Morgan did not enter The Traitors with only a social-media career behind her. She spent years in recruiting and human resources before moving away from that work.

Her professional background gives her a direct connection to one of the game's central skills: getting people to talk. Morgan has said that interviewing people of different ages and backgrounds taught her how to ask questions, listen for useful information and understand how people communicate.

That connection is particularly relevant now that her role as a Faithful is confirmed. Rather than inventing a new identity or managing secret Traitor information, Morgan can use the same people-reading and questioning habits she developed professionally while trying to work out who is lying.

Why Morgan Wanted to Join The Traitors

Morgan was already a fan of the series before being cast. She told Midland Daily News that the opportunity appealed to her partly because it would push her outside her comfort zone. The chance to stay in a Scottish castle was another obvious attraction.

She also entered the game with a strong preference for playing as a Faithful. In her cast interview, Morgan said she wanted to see whether she could solve the mystery and specifically joked that she did not have the nervous system for adding constant lying about her identity to her life.

That preference is now significant because the show did place her on the Faithful side. Her pre-show plan and her actual role therefore align.

Morgan's “Right Amount of Paranoid” Strategy

Morgan has described herself as being “the right amount of paranoid.” Her idea was not to accuse everyone immediately, but to pay attention to behavior, ask questions and use her tendency to overthink as a source of clues rather than simply as a problem.

Her preferred approach was to start relatively quietly, study the group and become more vocal once she had enough information to contribute something meaningful. That approach fits the social environment of The Traitors, where speaking too early can create unnecessary attention but staying silent for too long can also make a player difficult for others to read.

Her Actual Gameplay Through Episode 4

Morgan's gameplay has been relatively low-profile compared with contestants such as Victor Vollbrechthausen, Jay Vinnedge or Kriste Lewis, whose names have repeatedly appeared in suspicion conversations.

Her clearest individual contribution so far came in Episode 3, when she entered the first crypt with Arisa and helped secure $5,000. The next episode put her behind the first Death Parade gate, but she was not among the players eliminated afterward.

Episode 3: Morgan and Arisa's Crypt Run

Episode 3 provided Morgan with her most concrete challenge moment to date. She and Arisa Thomas entered the first crypt and found $5,000, but no Shield or additional advantage.

The moment did not create a major new suspicion around Morgan, but it did place her inside one of the episode's first important decision points. The money helped grow the prize pot while the other crypt teams dealt with a Shield and a clue connected to the Traitor recruitment twist.

Episode 4: The Death Parade

Episode 4 introduced the Death Parade challenge, in which contestants carried barrels of gold while trying to reach the finish before a group of masked figures caught up with them.

Morgan stayed behind at the first gate with Victor, Niyyah and Mark. Her group therefore sacrificed forward progress and exposure in the challenge, but Morgan ultimately remained in the castle as the round ended.

The evening continued the season's pattern of Faithful losses. Arisa was banished and Logan was murdered, leaving Morgan among the 17 players still competing.

Morgan's Content Creator Career

Morgan built her audience through humorous, conversational videos that often turn everyday frustrations, anxiety and life changes into relatable entertainment. TV Insider notes that she has also used YouTube to document major changes in her life and to add humor to everyday experiences.

Her public creator profile has continued to grow alongside her television appearance. Reporting before the premiere noted more than one million Instagram followers, while her public TikTok presence has also built a large audience.

That online experience gives Morgan a familiar setting for reading audience reactions and managing how she presents herself, but the castle is a very different environment. Inside the game, she cannot simply edit or reshoot a moment. Every conversation is happening around people who are actively trying to detect deception.

Morgan's Personality in the Castle

Morgan has described herself as an introvert, and she said the constant social interaction inside the castle could be draining. She also said that being an introvert has advantages in a game where observing people carefully can matter as much as being the loudest voice in the room.

Her public content is built around humor and relatable observations, while her game plan is more analytical. That combination creates a contrast between the Morgan audiences know online and the Morgan who has to process an increasingly suspicious group in the castle.

Morgan Cook and Her Chicago Life

Morgan now lives in Chicago. She told Midland Daily News that she chose not to move when her longtime partner David relocated for a new job, saying she still had opportunities and friendships in Chicago that she wanted to continue pursuing.

She has also said that she does not plan to completely reinvent her online content because of the show. Her goal is to keep the personality-driven style her audience already knows while adding more Traitors-related material around the season when appropriate.

Current Role & Status

Morgan Cook on Social Media

Related Traitors: New Blood Profiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Morgan Cook a Traitor or Faithful?

Morgan Cook is a Faithful.

Is Morgan Cook still on The Traitors: New Blood?

Yes. Morgan survived Episode 4 and remains an active contestant heading into Episode 5.

How old is Morgan Cook?

Morgan Cook is 30 years old.

Where is Morgan Cook from?

Morgan is from Midland, Michigan, and now lives in Chicago.

What does Morgan Cook do for a living?

Morgan is a content creator. Before making content her primary career, she spent about eight years working in human resources and recruiting.

What was Morgan Cook's preferred role before the season?

Morgan said she preferred being a Faithful because she wanted to solve the mystery rather than spend the game lying about her identity.

What happened to Morgan Cook in Episode 3?

Morgan entered the first crypt challenge with Arisa Thomas. They found $5,000 for the prize pot and did not find a Shield.

What happened to Morgan Cook in Episode 4?

Morgan stayed behind at the first Death Parade gate with Victor Vollbrechthausen, Niyyah Hayes and Mark Zgoda. She survived the episode as Arisa Thomas was banished and Logan Smith was murdered.

Sources

NBCUniversal: Morgan's official cast listing, occupation and role in the first U.S. all-civilian edition of The Traitors: NBCUniversal.

Midland Daily News: Morgan's Midland background, current life in Chicago, eight-year human-resources career, reasons for joining the show, introverted personality and comments about how HR skills helped her in the game: Midland Daily News.

TV Insider: Morgan's content-creator background, YouTube activity, previous recruiting work, mental-health advocacy and personal background: TV Insider.

The A.V. Club: Episode 1–2 coverage noting Morgan's popularity as a content creator and her explanation for preferring the Faithful role: A.V. Club.

Metro Weekly: Episodes 3–4 coverage documenting Morgan's first-crypt pairing with Arisa, the $5,000 find and her position at the first Death Parade gate with Victor, Niyyah and Mark: Metro Weekly.

Cosmopolitan: Current contestant listing identifying Morgan as a Faithful, age 30, content creator from Midland, Michigan: Cosmopolitan.

The Tab: Morgan's public Instagram handle, @morganevelyncook: The Tab.

Morgan's existing TraitorsNewBlood profile: Original biography, content-creator background, social links and pre-season strategy information retained and updated for the live season: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Full Cast & Live Statistics: Current roster, Faithful and Traitor roles, remaining contestant count and Episode 4 status: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Article updated: September 28, 2026

Profile status: Live season profile. Update after future episodes when Morgan's role, suspicion level, relationships, challenge performance or survival status materially changes.

Abby Lee: Age, Astrophysics Career, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Episode 4 Update

Abby Lee entered The Traitors: New Blood as a 29-year-old astrophysicist from Saint Paul, Minnesota, bringing a research-heavy mindset to the first all-civilian U.S. season. Her professional background is built around working with incomplete information, testing ideas and looking for patterns, and she entered the castle hoping those habits would help her expose the hidden Traitors.

Four episodes into the season, Abby remains an active Faithful. She has already become part of two mistaken suspicion chains: first around Arisa Thomas, and later around Sherry Kuehl. She was also among the contestants left behind late in the Death Parade challenge and was one of the names considered by the Traitors when they chose their next murder target.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update: Abby Survives a Dangerous Night

Abby finished Episode 4 in a more exposed position than her relatively quiet early-game profile might suggest. Her decision to question Sherry's statement put her into an active suspicion network, while the Death Parade left her among the players who could have been vulnerable to a murder.

That danger became explicit during the Traitors' private discussion. FilmiFeed's Episode 4 recap reports that Logan, Abby and Mark Zgoda were the three names being considered before Katie Fites chose Logan. Abby therefore survived a moment in which the Traitors were already thinking about her as a possible obstacle.

At the same time, Abby's own theory about Arisa produced the opposite result: Arisa was banished as a Faithful. That leaves Abby heading into Episode 5 with a mixed game record so far. She has shown a willingness to build theories and share information, but her most visible recent suspicions have not yet produced a correct Traitor identification.

Abby Lee Quick Facts

Who Is Abby Lee?

Abby Lee is a 29-year-old astrophysicist from Saint Paul, Minnesota and one of the 22 civilians cast for The Traitors: New Blood. Official cast listings identify her occupation as astrophysicist and give her self-declared superlative as “Most Likely to Actually Read One of the Books in the Castle Library.”

Her professional identity is closely tied to research. MIT's AeroAstro Communication Lab describes an Abigail Lee as a graduate student in the Space Telecommunications, Astronomy and Radiation Laboratory, working on satellite laser communications and a laser communications payload intended for a 3U CubeSat.

Abby Lee's Astrophysics and MIT Research

MIT's public profile describes Abby as working on satellite laser communications, with research aimed at developing a laser communications payload for a small CubeSat. The profile also notes earlier research experience involving star-tracker algorithms and computational-fluid-dynamics simulation work, as well as her involvement with a university rocketry team.

MIT's 2026 Graduate Students of Excellence program also recognized Abigail Lee for leadership within the graduate community. The recognition highlights her work as a co-president of the graduate association, her role as a Communications Lab Fellow, mentorship of undergraduate students and participation in the MIT Triathlon Club.

Those details add useful context to the version of Abby that viewers see in the castle. Her background is not simply “science”; it involves technical research, communication, teamwork and leadership within an academic environment.

Abby Lee's Strategy Before Entering the Castle

Before the season began, Abby explained that she wanted to translate her research mindset into the social-deduction game. She described astrophysics as working with limited information to understand larger mysteries and said she believed those analytical skills could help her uncover Traitors systematically.

Her social strategy was more deliberately low-key than her occupation might suggest. Abby said she wanted to build alliances early, especially during the opening days, and then work behind the scenes rather than becoming the most obvious leader.

She compared that approach to Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones: someone influential without always being the person standing at the center of attention. Her stated goal was to understand the people around her while building enough relationships to influence the game when necessary.

Was Abby Lee Always Planning to Be a Faithful?

Yes. Abby publicly said she would prefer the Faithful role. Her reasoning connected naturally to her scientific background: she wanted to question assumptions, work from incomplete information and look for evidence rather than simply accept the first convincing theory.

That preference matched her actual assignment. Abby entered the game as a Faithful and remains one after Episode 4.

Abby Lee's Actual Strategy in the Game

Abby's first four episodes show that she is willing to turn observations into theories and bring those theories to other players. The Arisa storyline is the clearest example. Abby had personally seen Arisa take a Shield, and that observation later became part of a wider argument that incorrectly connected Arisa to the Accomplice clue.

Her Episode 4 conversation with Sherry followed the same pattern. Abby heard a statement about the number of female Traitors, interpreted it as potentially revealing more knowledge than a Faithful should have and then circulated the concern to several other contestants.

The important distinction is that Abby has shown the analytical behavior she promised before the season, but her most visible theories through Episode 4 have not yet identified one of the three active Traitors: Joe Vanella, Tomica Adams and Katie Fites.

Abby Lee and Arisa Thomas

Arisa became one of Abby's most important early-game storylines. Abby saw Arisa obtain a Shield during the crypt challenge, and the observation later became one part of the case against her.

The theory became tied to the clue about two players battling in plain sight for the chance to become a Traitor. The Faithfuls were actually missing the key information needed to understand that clue correctly, so the suspicion fell on the wrong contestants. Arisa was banished with 13 votes and then revealed herself to be a Faithful.

Abby Lee and Sherry Kuehl

Immediately after Arisa's banishment, Abby's attention moved to Sherry. Sherry's statement that there could not be three female Traitors sounded to Abby like confidence about a fact that a Faithful should not know.

Abby shared that interpretation with Logan Smith, Kriste Lewis, Abbey Benjamin and Clyde Moser, putting Sherry into a new suspicion group. It was another example of Abby's tendency to treat unusual wording as a potential clue rather than simply letting the comment pass.

Why the Traitors Have Reason to Notice Abby

Abby Lee's Death Parade Story

The Episode 4 Death Parade was the first challenge in which Abby's position became directly relevant to the murder decision. She was among the contestants left behind at the final gate, alongside Joe Vanella, Clyde Moser and Sherry Kuehl.

The mission ultimately left several Faithfuls exposed, and the Traitors used the resulting shortlist to consider their next victim. Abby survived that process and remained in the game, while Logan was selected instead.

Abby Lee's "Most Likely To" Superlative

Abby introduced herself with the playful superlative: “Most Likely to Actually Read One of the Books in the Castle Library.” It fits both her scientific background and the quieter, research-oriented image she brought into the game.

Current Role & Status

Abby Lee on Social Media

Related Traitors: New Blood Profiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Abby Lee a Traitor or Faithful?

Abby Lee is a Faithful.

Is Abby Lee still on The Traitors: New Blood?

Yes. Abby survived Episode 4 and remains an active contestant heading into Episode 5.

What does Abby Lee do for a living?

Abby Lee is an astrophysicist. Public MIT material also connects an Abigail Lee to graduate research in satellite laser communications within MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics.

What was Abby Lee's strategy before the season?

She planned to use analytical thinking, build alliances early and work more quietly behind the scenes while looking for patterns and inconsistencies.

Did Abby Lee suspect Arisa Thomas?

Yes. Abby's observation that Arisa had obtained a Shield became part of the suspicion that ultimately contributed to Arisa's Episode 4 banishment. Arisa was revealed to be a Faithful.

Did Abby Lee become a target of the Traitors?

Abby was among the names considered during the Episode 4 murder discussion, alongside Logan Smith and Mark Zgoda. The Traitors ultimately selected Logan.

What happened to Abby Lee in the Death Parade?

Abby was one of the contestants left behind at the final gate of the Episode 4 challenge, which placed her among the players exposed to the Traitors' next murder decision.

Sources

TV Insider: Episode 1 coverage documenting Abby Lee's Shield in the opening treasure mission and the early game setup: TV Insider.

FilmiFeed: Episode 4 recap documenting Abby's responsibility for the Arisa suspicion, her conversation with Sherry, the Death Parade result and the murder discussion that included Abby, Logan Smith and Mark Zgoda: FilmiFeed.

Metro Weekly: Episodes 3–4 recap documenting Abby's observation of Arisa's Shield, the incorrect recruitment theory, Abby's Sherry suspicion and the Death Parade: Metro Weekly.

EntertainmentNow: Abby's pre-season strategy, including her plan to use analytical skills, build alliances early and model her social approach on Tyrion Lannister: EntertainmentNow.

MIT AeroAstro Communication Lab: Public graduate-student profile describing Abby/Abigail Lee's satellite laser communications research, CubeSat work, engineering background, rocketry involvement and community activities: MIT AeroAstro Communication Lab.

MIT Office of Graduate Education: 2026 Graduate Students of Excellence recognition for Abigail Lee and her leadership within the graduate community: MIT Office of Graduate Education.

TheWrap: Official-style cast information confirming Abby Lee's Saint Paul hometown, astrophysicist occupation and “Most Likely to Actually Read One of the Books in the Castle Library” superlative: TheWrap.

The Tab: Cast Instagram guide identifying Abby Lee's public Instagram account as @abbylee_.7: The Tab.

Abby Lee's existing TraitorsNewBlood profile: Original profile containing the pre-season biography, astrophysics background, strategy information and existing cast image reused in this update: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Full Cast & Live Statistics: Current roster, roles, status and elimination information for The Traitors: New Blood: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Article updated: September 28, 2026

Profile status: Live season profile. Update after future episodes when Abby's role, suspicion level, relationships or survival status materially changes.

Abbey Benjamin: Age, Nurse Career, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Episode 4 Update

Abbey Benjamin entered The Traitors: New Blood as a 37-year-old nurse from Mangham, Louisiana. She is part of the show's first all-civilian U.S. cast, and her pre-season game plan was built around something simple: being herself, building trust and getting to know the people around her.

Four episodes into the season, Abbey is confirmed as a Faithful and remains in the game. She has survived the first five eliminations without becoming the season's central accusation target, giving her a quieter but clearly social path through the castle so far.

Her life outside the show also gives the profile more depth. Along with nursing, Abbey has worked as a dance teacher and has written and self-published children's books through Benjamin Books, including projects centered on inclusion and disability awareness.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update

After Episode 4, Abbey is still an active Faithful with 17 contestants left. The game has already removed five players, and all five eliminated contestants so far were Faithfuls. Abbey has therefore reached the point in the season where social trust becomes increasingly important, while the Faithfuls still have to identify a Traitor group led by Joe Vanella, Tomica Adams and Katie Fites.

Abbey Benjamin Quick Facts

Who Is Abbey Benjamin?

Abbey Benjamin is a nurse from Mangham, Louisiana, who joined The Traitors: New Blood as one of 22 civilian contestants. Unlike earlier U.S. seasons built around established reality personalities, this season brought together people from ordinary professional and community backgrounds.

Abbey's public cast biography presents her as someone who naturally enjoys meeting people and building connections. That matters in a social-deception game where information often travels through relationships rather than formal evidence.

Her official cast materials also identify her as the contestant most likely to be “Smiling 24/7,” a description that fits the positive, approachable personality she has presented publicly.

Abbey Benjamin's Nursing Career

Abbey's main profession is nursing. Her pre-season comments connected that work with the kind of decision-making she expected to face in the castle: staying composed, dealing with incomplete information and continuing to make decisions under pressure.

It is important not to overstate that connection. Nursing does not automatically make someone better at detecting deception. What we can say is that Abbey herself sees those professional experiences as useful preparation for the game.

Abbey Benjamin's Career Beyond Nursing

Abbey's professional life extends beyond her nursing work. Public professional material also connects her with dance teaching and children's writing, giving her a creative and education-focused side that the short cast description does not show.

Her LinkedIn activity identifies her work with Benjamin Books, where she has promoted children's titles including In My Sissy's Wheelchair, When You See a Child Who's Different, A Mother's Love and Dance from the Heart. Her public posts emphasize inclusion, learning and disability awareness.

Abbey Benjamin's Game Plan Before The Traitors

Before the season began, Abbey made her preferred approach very clear: be herself and earn trust.

In her cast interview, she described trust as a kind of currency in the game and said she wanted to build relationships with both the Faithfuls and the Traitors so that she could stay in the competition as long as possible. That is a deliberately social strategy rather than an accusation-heavy one.

Abbey also preferred the Faithful role. Her reasoning was tied to the way she approaches difficult real-life situations, where she is comfortable making decisions even when she does not have every piece of information.

Why Abbey Wanted to Be a Faithful

Abbey did not enter the season hoping to become a Traitor. Her public pre-season preference was to play as a Faithful, a role that fit the way she described her natural approach to people and problem-solving.

She also described the opportunity as something she wanted to pursue for herself and her family. After years of placing family responsibilities first, Abbey viewed the experience as a chance to take on a personal challenge of her own.

Abbey Benjamin's Actual Gameplay So Far

Through four episodes, Abbey's gameplay has been more social than confrontational. The major published episode recaps do not establish her as the leader of one of the season's biggest accusations, and it would be misleading to invent a signature theory that has not been documented.

What the episodes do show is a Faithful who has consistently survived as the game moves quickly around her. She has remained out of the main elimination spotlight while several other contestants became focal points of suspicion.

That creates an interesting contrast with some of the louder players. Abbey's pre-show plan was to build trust without changing her personality, and so far her survival path is consistent with a low-drama, relationship-first approach.

Abbey Benjamin and the Social Game

Abbey's own game plan makes social relationships central to her strategy. Her goal is not simply to collect names; it is to become someone other contestants feel comfortable talking to.

That tension is likely to matter more as the player count falls. A social game can create access to valuable information, but the same relationships can make it emotionally harder to change your mind when a trusted player becomes suspicious.

Abbey Benjamin's Strengths

Authenticity: Abbey has consistently said she plans to be herself rather than create a television persona.

Relationship building: Her stated strategy is based on earning trust and getting to know people.

Composure: Abbey has connected her nursing experience with staying calm while working with incomplete information.

Positive personality: Her “Smiling 24/7” superlative and pre-season comments point to a naturally approachable presentation.

Potential Challenges for Abbey

The main challenge for a relationship-first player is knowing when trust has become too comfortable. In The Traitors, friendliness is not proof of innocence, and the people closest to a contestant can sometimes be the ones with the strongest reasons to deceive them.

Abbey's challenge will therefore be balancing her natural warmth with the skepticism required of a Faithful. Her ability to change her mind when new evidence appears may become increasingly important as the game gets smaller.

Abbey Benjamin's Personality

Abbey's official cast superlative is “Most Likely to be Smiling 24/7.” That lighthearted description matches the personality she presented before entering the castle: friendly, open and strongly focused on people.

She has also said that being completely herself is her secret weapon. That approach gives the article a consistent through-line from her real life into her gameplay rather than forcing a dramatic character onto her.

Abbey's Most Traitorous Real-Life Story

Before the season premiered, the cast was asked to reveal something deceptive or mischievous they had done in real life. Abbey shared a relatively harmless teenage story: she secretly took her sister's car one night, returned it the next morning and did not tell her sister.

It is a small detail, but it gives readers a more personal glimpse at the person behind the castle competition.

Current Role & Status

Abbey Benjamin on Social Media

Related Articles

Abbey Benjamin FAQ

Is Abbey Benjamin a Traitor or Faithful?

Abbey Benjamin is a Faithful on The Traitors: New Blood.

Is Abbey Benjamin still on The Traitors: New Blood?

Yes. Abbey is still competing after Episode 4, with 17 contestants remaining.

How old is Abbey Benjamin?

Abbey Benjamin is 37 years old.

Where is Abbey Benjamin from?

She is from Mangham, Louisiana.

What does Abbey Benjamin do for a living?

Abbey is a nurse. Public professional material also connects her with dance teaching and children's book publishing.

What is Abbey Benjamin's Instagram?

Her publicly identified Instagram account is @abbeybenj.

What was Abbey Benjamin's strategy before the show?

She said she planned to be herself, build trust, get to know the other contestants and use those relationships to stay in the game.

Sources

Marie Claire: Abbey's cast biography, age, hometown, nursing profession, pre-show Faithful preference, relationship-focused game plan, personality and Instagram account: Marie Claire.

TV Insider: Cast coverage and interview material supporting Abbey's “Smiling 24/7” superlative, personality and approach to being herself in the game: TV Insider.

Parade: Post-Episode 4 elimination coverage documenting the contestants remaining after the latest banishment and murder, including Abbey's continued place in the 17-player field: Parade.

Cosmopolitan: Season cast and elimination coverage used to cross-check Abbey's active status, Faithful role and the season's evolving roster: Cosmopolitan.

NBCUniversal: Official cast announcement and season information establishing Abbey as part of the civilian cast of The Traitors: New Blood: NBCUniversal.

LinkedIn: Abbey's public professional profile and posts covering Benjamin Books, children's writing and inclusion/disability-awareness work: LinkedIn.

Entertainment Weekly: Abbey's pre-season answer about the most traitorous or deceptive thing she had done in real life, including the story about secretly taking her sister's car as a teenager: Entertainment Weekly.

Last updated: September 28, 2026. This article is intended to be updated as new episodes reveal changes to Abbey Benjamin's role, alliances, suspicions, challenge performance or elimination status.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update

Episode 4 ended with Shane still in the castle and the Faithful group no closer to a successful Traitor banishment. The episode's biggest developments were Arisa Thomas's banishment and Logan Smith's murder, which also mattered to Shane because Logan had been one of the players publicly watching Katie Fites.

That connection has become one of the most interesting threads in Shane's game. A recap of Episodes 3 and 4 specifically noted that Shane was connecting Katie with both Logan and Xavier. In other words, his suspicion was not simply based on a single argument at the Round Table. He was tracking a pattern involving multiple players and Katie's position in the game.

That does not mean Shane has solved the Traitor mystery. Katie remains active and Shane's theory has not yet produced a successful banishment. For now, the useful part of his game is that he appears to be building his own case rather than simply repeating the loudest theory in the room.

Shane Beatty Quick Facts

Who Is Shane Beatty?

Shane Beatty is a 32-year-old ironworker from Staten Island, New York, and one of the civilian contestants competing for a potential $250,000 prize on The Traitors: New Blood. Unlike earlier U.S. seasons that mixed reality personalities and celebrities, this edition brought together a cast of people from ordinary careers and introduced them to the game with no established reality-show reputations.

Shane's trade background immediately gives him a distinctive identity inside the castle. Public cast listings identify him as an ironworker, while a recent Staten Island-area profile reported that he spent the previous 13 years working as a union ironworker and welder with Local 580. That career detail adds useful context to the image viewers see on the show: Shane is coming into the game with a long hands-on working background rather than a television or entertainment career.

Shane Beatty's Ironworker Career

Shane's profession is more than a one-line cast descriptor. SILive reported in September 2026 that he had spent about 13 years as a union ironworker and welder with Local 580 before taking part in the show's casting process.

That kind of long-running skilled-trade career gives Shane a very different starting point from contestants whose public backgrounds are in medicine, law, education, business or media. It also helps explain why his physical presence is such a visible part of his identity on the cast.

His official cast superlative is “Tallest in the Castle,” a playful description that quickly became one of the easiest ways for viewers to recognize him. Physical size alone cannot solve a social deduction game, of course, but it does make Shane naturally noticeable during missions and group scenes.

Why Shane Wanted to Be a Traitor

Before the season started, Shane said he wanted to be a Traitor. His explanation was straightforward: he liked the idea of having more information about the other contestants and more control over what happened during the game.

TV Insider captured Shane's preference in a very Shane-like way: he joked that he wanted the role because “the name of the game is The Traitors.” He also brought a sense of humor to his preseason introduction, saying he was bringing tissues because someone in the castle was going to cry and it might even be him.

Of course, wanting the Traitor role and actually receiving it are two different things. Shane entered the game as a confirmed Faithful.

Shane's Pre-Game Strategy

Shane's pre-show plan was not to manufacture a fake personality. Instead, he talked about introducing new names into conversations, playing his own game and avoiding reliance on another contestant's theory.

That idea is important now because it gives us something concrete to compare with his actual gameplay. By Episode 3, Shane was indeed developing a separate connection between Katie Fites, Xavier Scruggs and Logan Smith instead of simply becoming part of the loudest anti-Victor or anti-Jay conversation.

Shane Beatty as a Faithful

Shane's actual role is now confirmed as Faithful. That puts him in the central problem of the game: he has to identify the hidden Traitors without having access to their private conversations or their nightly murder decisions.

His strongest visible move so far is his growing suspicion of Katie Fites. The connection is particularly notable because Katie's role changed after Xavier's death, while Logan had already been keeping an eye on her. Shane's theory therefore developed around a sequence of events rather than a single awkward conversation.

The challenge ahead is turning suspicion into evidence that other Faithfuls can trust. A correct theory that never gains enough support at the Round Table can remain only a theory.

Episode 3: Shane Connects Katie to Xavier and Logan

Episode 3 was the first point where Shane's gameplay became especially relevant to the wider Traitor mystery. Xavier Scruggs had been actively putting Katie's name into conversations before his death, and Logan Smith had also been watching Katie.

After Logan was later murdered, coverage of the episode specifically highlighted Shane as one of the Faithfuls connecting Katie to both men. That matters because the Traitors had effectively removed two players who had reasons to focus on Katie, while Shane continued examining the same connection.

Shane's observation still needed broader support inside the castle, but it marked a clear shift from simply surviving to developing a live theory about one of the season's confirmed Traitors.

Episode 4: The Death Parade and a New Phase of the Game

Episode 4 introduced the Death Parade mission, in which players had to move barrels of gold through the grounds while avoiding a group of masked pursuers. Several contestants were forced to stay behind at different gates and became more exposed to possible murder.

Shane survived that stage and remained active after the episode's banishment and murder. Arisa Thomas was banished as a Faithful, while Logan Smith was murdered. For Shane, Logan's elimination was especially relevant because Logan had previously been suspicious of Katie.

By the end of Episode 4, Shane was still in the game as a Faithful and had not abandoned the Katie connection.

Current Strategy and Social Position

Shane's current game is built around observation rather than constant visibility. He has not dominated every conversation, and that has allowed him to stay in the castle while some louder contestants have attracted more attention.

That does not mean he is completely passive. His most notable current thread is Katie. He has also been willing to share information, including discussing Xavier's earlier theory with Sherry before the Round Table, according to post-Episode 4 coverage.

The key question heading into the next episode is whether Shane can turn that private observation into a group-supported case without becoming the person the castle suddenly starts watching.

Shane Beatty's Strengths in the Game

Independent observation

Shane entered the season saying he wanted to develop his own theories instead of simply following someone else's lead. His Episode 3 connection between Katie, Logan and Xavier gives that plan a real example.

Low-profile survival

Four episodes in, Shane has avoided both banishment and murder. He has not become the main target of the castle's chaos, which has helped him reach the current 17-player stage.

A distinctive presence

His ironworker background and physical size make him memorable, while his more measured game can help him avoid looking like the loudest player in the room.

Potential Weaknesses

Shane's biggest challenge is converting a good observation into a convincing group argument. In The Traitors, being privately correct is not enough. A Faithful needs to persuade other players to vote the same way.

There is also a natural risk in being confident about reading people. A theory can look convincing when several clues appear to line up, but one wrong assumption can send the Round Table in the wrong direction. Shane's next move will show whether he can keep his suspicion focused without overcommitting too early.

Shane Beatty's Personality and Sense of Humor

Shane has presented himself as someone who would rather be authentic than play an exaggerated character. His preseason comments also showed a self-aware sense of humor, especially around the pressure of entering a castle where people are actively trying to deceive one another.

That combination of a physically imposing appearance and a lighter personality is one of the more recognizable parts of his casting profile.

Current Role & Status

Who Is Shane Watching?

The clearest current thread is Katie Fites. Shane's suspicion developed around Katie's connections with both Xavier and Logan, and both men had reasons to look more closely at her before their exits.

Xavier Scruggs was murdered after putting Katie's name into conversations, while Logan Smith was later selected for murder after openly watching Katie. Shane's continued attention to that pattern is now one of the more important details in his personal game record.

Shane's ability to keep testing that theory against new evidence may become more important than simply being the first Faithful to mention Katie.

Shane Beatty and the Other Contestants

The strongest documented relationships for Shane so far are strategic rather than personal. His game has intersected with Xavier Scruggs through Xavier's anti-Katie theory and with Logan Smith through Logan's own suspicion of Katie.

Shane also discussed the Katie-related theory with Sherry Kuehl before the Round Table, creating a small but useful strategic link between two Faithful players.

Shane Beatty on Instagram

Shane Beatty is publicly listed on Instagram as @shanebeatty_. Current cast-following coverage also lists that account as Shane's Instagram profile.

Related Articles

FAQs About Shane Beatty

Is Shane Beatty a Traitor or Faithful?

Shane Beatty is a confirmed Faithful in The Traitors: New Blood.

How old is Shane Beatty?

Shane Beatty is 32 years old.

Where is Shane Beatty from?

He is from Staten Island, New York.

What does Shane Beatty do for a living?

Shane is an ironworker. A September 2026 profile reported that he had spent about 13 years as a union ironworker and welder with Local 580.

Did Shane Beatty want to be a Traitor?

Yes. Before the season began, Shane said he preferred the Traitor role because of the information and control that come with it.

Has Shane Beatty been eliminated?

No. Shane is still competing after Episode 4.

Who is Shane Beatty suspicious of?

His clearest documented suspicion is Katie Fites. By Episode 4, coverage noted that Shane was connecting Katie to both Xavier Scruggs and Logan Smith.

Sources

• Traitors New Blood — Shane Beatty profile
• NBCUniversal — The Traitors: New Blood cast
• TV Insider — Meet the Cast of The Traitors: New Blood
• Metro Weekly — Episodes 3 and 4 recap
• SILive via Yahoo — Shane Beatty interview/profile
• DraftKings Network — Episodes 3 and 4 analysis
• Parade — Current remaining cast after Episode 4
• The Tab — The Traitors: New Blood cast Instagram guide

Last updated: September 28, 2026. This article is intended to be updated as new episodes reveal changes to Shane Beatty's role, alliances, suspicions, challenge performance or elimination status.

Clyde Moser: Age, Career, Theatre Background, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Episode 4 Update

Clyde Moser entered The Traitors: New Blood as a 32-year-old teacher from Charleston, South Carolina, but teaching is only one part of his professional story. He is also a theatre director, actor, singer and educator whose career has moved between performance, music and the classroom.

Clyde said before the season that he wanted to be a Traitor. Instead, he entered the castle as a Faithful and has remained active through Episode 4. His game so far has involved reading social behavior, questioning Jay Vinnedge's approach, accepting a Shield during the Episode 3 crypt challenge and surviving the Episode 4 Death Parade.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update: Clyde Survives the Death Parade

Clyde's biggest Episode 4 development was the Death Parade challenge. The contestants had to move gold through a sequence of gates while a parade of cloaked figures chased them, creating a running test of who could advance and who would be left behind.

Clyde ended the challenge among the players who were exposed to possible murder. He survived that danger, and the Traitors later chose Logan Smith instead.

Clyde therefore heads into Episode 5 as an active Faithful whose most notable current relationships are tied to the players he has been observing rather than to a formal alliance.

Clyde Moser Quick Facts

Who Is Clyde Moser?

Clyde Moser is a Charleston-based theatre educator, director and performer. The College of Charleston has profiled Clyde as an educator and theatre professional whose work combines performance with teaching.

His current professional identity is closely connected to Charleston County School District, where he works in theatre education. That career gives him experience managing groups, resolving interpersonal problems and understanding how different personalities respond in a shared environment.

Clyde at Wando High School

Clyde works at Wando High School in Charleston County, where he serves as theatre director. Charleston County School District has highlighted the school's theatre program and Clyde's role in building productions and student opportunities.

The College of Charleston Alumni Association also recognized Clyde as Wando's Rookie Teacher of the Year for 2023–24. His work has included directing students in musical theatre and building a program that has received broader recognition.

For Clyde, teaching theatre is not simply an academic job. It combines classroom leadership with rehearsal management, performance coaching and the ability to keep a large group working toward one shared outcome.

Education at the College of Charleston

Clyde graduated from the College of Charleston in 2017 with a B.S. in Middle Grades Education and a B.A. in Theatre, Performance Concentration.

He later returned to the college for graduate study and completed a Master of Arts in Teaching in Performing Arts Education, graduating in 2023. His graduate work also earned recognition for service and engagement.

The combination of education and theatre explains the unusual shape of Clyde's career: he is trained both to teach and to perform, with each side supporting the other.

Clyde's Theatre Career

Before and alongside teaching, Clyde built a serious theatre career. College of Charleston records describe him as an actor, dancer, vocalist and educator.

His theatre credits include productions such as Rent, The Addams Family, Spring Awakening, A Chorus Line, The Prom, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Wild Party, The Full Monty and Once on This Island.

He has also worked behind the scenes as an assistant director. His performance work received recognition from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region IV, which cited him for a distinguished performance in Violet.

Clyde's New York Chapter

After finishing his first College of Charleston degree, Clyde moved to New York City and worked in the music industry. The experience gave him a chance to pursue entertainment professionally outside the academic theatre setting.

The COVID-19 shutdown later changed his direction. As he watched young people lose access to creative outlets during the pandemic, Clyde decided to return to Charleston and move more fully into teaching. He has described the change as a decision to combine theatre with helping students.

That return is one of the more personal parts of his biography and helps explain why his work at Wando High School became central to his professional identity.

Why Clyde Wanted to Be a Traitor

Clyde said before entering the castle that he wanted the Traitor role. He liked the control attached to knowing who was actually on the hidden team and wanted to use his theatre skills to remain believable while playing both sides of the social game.

He also believed humor could help him stay under the radar. His idea was to make people comfortable around him and use that positive social identity as cover.

His actual role became Faithful instead, so the same social and performance skills have been applied to reading the other contestants rather than concealing a Traitor identity.

Clyde's Actual Faithful Strategy

Clyde's game through Episode 4 has been less about making constant accusations and more about evaluating how people communicate.

The clearest example is his reaction to Jay Vinnedge. When Jay repeatedly hinted that he had names but would not explain his information, Clyde questioned whether that behavior made sense for someone genuinely trying to help the Faithfuls.

That does not mean Clyde identified Jay as a Traitor. Instead, he was evaluating whether Jay's stated strategy was consistent with the way a Faithful should behave.

Clyde and Jay Vinnedge

Jay Vinnedge became one of Clyde's most interesting early social reads.

Jay presented himself as a contestant who could read body language and who had important names but was not ready to reveal them. Clyde questioned that decision and became skeptical of Jay's approach before Jay later explained that part of the behavior was deliberately designed to make him a human shield.

The relationship therefore gives us a useful contrast: Jay deliberately creates uncertainty, while Clyde is trying to determine whether the uncertainty itself is meaningful.

Clyde and Tomica Adams

Clyde's Episode 3 Shield came directly through his interaction with Tomica Adams.

The pair entered the second crypt and were given a choice between more money or less money plus a Shield. Tomica encouraged Clyde to choose the Shield, and he did.

At the time, Clyde had no idea that Tomica was one of the two original Traitors. The decision therefore created one of the season's more interesting pieces of dramatic irony: a Faithful received important protection after taking strategic advice from a hidden Traitor.

Clyde and Kriste Lewis

Kriste Lewis questioned Clyde's decision to take the Shield instead of more cash. Her concern was largely about the financial logic of the choice.

Clyde did not leave the Episode 3 challenge with a major accusation against him, but the decision became part of the wider collection of behaviors that Faithfuls could examine when deciding who looked suspicious.

The Episode 3 Shield Decision

The Death Parade Challenge

Episode 4 placed Clyde in another potentially dangerous situation when the contestants had to move gold through the Death Parade course.

Players who were left behind became vulnerable to possible murder. Clyde was among those who did not complete the full run and therefore entered the final episode stretch with the possibility that the Traitors might select him.

They ultimately chose Logan Smith instead. Clyde therefore survived another episode without knowing how close he may have been to becoming the next murder victim.

Current Role & Status

Clyde Moser on Social Media

Related Traitors: New Blood Profiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clyde Moser a Traitor or Faithful?

Clyde Moser is a Faithful.

Is Clyde still on The Traitors: New Blood?

Yes. Clyde survived Episode 4 and remains active heading into Episode 5.

Did Clyde want to be a Traitor?

Yes. Before the season, Clyde said he preferred the Traitor role and wanted to use his theatre background and humor to remain under the radar.

What did Clyde get from the Episode 3 crypt?

Clyde chose the Shield option when he and Tomica Adams entered the second crypt, accepting less money in exchange for protection.

Why was Clyde's Shield decision discussed?

Kriste Lewis questioned why Clyde would take less money for a Shield rather than maximize the cash added to the prize pot. The decision therefore became something other Faithfuls could examine.

What does Clyde Moser do for a living?

Clyde is a theatre educator and director at Wando High School in Charleston County. He also has a professional background as an actor, singer and theatre performer.

Where did Clyde Moser go to college?

He attended the College of Charleston, where he earned degrees in Middle Grades Education and Theatre and later completed a Master of Arts in Teaching in Performing Arts Education.

Sources

A.V. Club: Episode 3–4 coverage of Clyde's Jay observations, crypt decision and Death Parade developments: A.V. Club.

TV Insider: Episode 4 recap and Death Parade coverage: TV Insider.

College of Charleston: Clyde's teaching, theatre and professional background: College of Charleston.

College of Charleston Theatre & Dance: Clyde's performance credits and theatre work: CofC Theatre & Dance.

Charleston County School District: Wando High School theatre program and Clyde's role as theatre director: CCSD.

Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival: Recognition of Clyde's performance work: KCACTF Region IV.

Alumni Association: Clyde's recognition as Wando's Rookie Teacher of the Year: College of Charleston Alumni.

NBCUniversal: Official The Traitors: New Blood cast announcement: NBCUniversal.

Clyde's existing TraitorsNewBlood profile: Original profile and season background: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Full Cast & Live Statistics: Current cast, roles, status and elimination information: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Article updated: September 28, 2026

Profile status: Live season profile. Update after future episodes when Clyde's role, relationships, strategy, suspicions or survival status materially changes.

Ben McDonnell: Age, Career, Barrel Racing, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Episode 4 Update

Ben McDonnell entered The Traitors: New Blood as a 34-year-old barrel racer, actor and podcast host from Texas. Before the season, he said he wanted the Traitor role and planned to use humor, social connections and his ability to move between different groups.

Instead, Ben became a Faithful. Through Episode 4, his most important contribution has been his decision with Michael Foote to choose secret information over extra prize money during the crypt challenge. The clue they received was real, but it ultimately sent the Faithfuls toward the wrong theory.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update: Ben Remains a Faithful After Episode 4

Ben's current storyline is tied closely to the crypt clue he discovered with Michael. The information was one of the most valuable pieces of evidence the Faithfuls had received, but the group did not immediately understand what it referred to.

The clue pointed toward the Katie-Xavier Accomplice competition, while the Faithfuls instead connected it to the unusual interaction between Arisa and Victor. That misunderstanding helped create the theory that ultimately contributed to Arisa's banishment.

Ben therefore enters Episode 5 as an active Faithful with an important piece of the season's puzzle already in his hands, even though the connection has not yet been correctly made.

Ben McDonnell Quick Facts

Who Is Ben McDonnell?

Ben McDonnell is a Texas-based entertainer and competitor whose public career combines acting, barrel racing, podcasting and photography. His official website describes him as a SAG-AFTRA actor working between Los Angeles and Dallas while maintaining his life in Texas.

That combination gives Ben a distinctly different profile from many of the other contestants. He has experience performing for cameras, competing on horseback and speaking publicly, while also presenting himself as someone who is comfortable moving between very different groups.

Ben's Acting Career

Ben's acting career includes film and television work as well as independent projects. His professional biography lists credits including Concussion, Amazon's Class Act, Blind Love, What Would You Do? and The Ellen Show.

His official site also describes work behind the camera. Ben has produced and directed independent projects, including the documentary I. His acting background is useful context for The Traitors because the show asks contestants to manage both what they know and what they present to everyone else.

Ben's Barrel Racing Career

Barrel racing is a substantial part of Ben's real-life identity rather than a one-line reality-show label. His public biography says he has ridden horses since childhood and competed on barrel-racing circuits including the National Barrel Horse Association.

Competition records also show Ben riding the horse One Out Of The Kash at barrel-racing events in Texas. His experience in the sport adds a physical and competitive side to his otherwise entertainment-focused career.

Podcast: It's Ben a Week

Ben also hosts It's Ben a Week, a weekly podcast that combines his Texas background with his entertainment work. The show's public description presents it as a conversational program covering relationships, Hollywood, personal stories and unusual experiences.

The podcast is another part of Ben's public-facing career. Like his acting work, it requires him to communicate with an audience and switch comfortably between humor and personal storytelling.

Ben and Photography

Photography is another creative field listed in Ben's public biography. Alongside acting and podcasting, he has developed work behind the camera and uses photography as part of his wider creative identity.

That makes Ben less of a single-profession contestant and more of a multi-disciplinary entertainer whose public work already involves performance, visual storytelling and communication.

Why Ben Wanted to Be a Traitor

Ben said before the season that he wanted the Traitor role. He described the position as appealing because the objective would be clear: build relationships, remain trusted and secretly remove the Faithfuls.

He also joked about the contrast between his friendly public persona and the role's requirements, describing the Traitor job as an opportunity to make friends and then betray them when the game demanded it.

His official cast material identified him as the “Social Butterfly”, a description that matches the broad social approach he planned to bring into the castle.

Ben's Pre-Show Social Strategy

Ben wanted to be useful to different groups inside the castle. He described a plan to become close to the women in the cast while also making the men see him as someone worth keeping around.

Humor was another central part of his plan. Ben said making people laugh was his natural response to tension and that he expected comedy to help him lower the temperature when discussions became uncomfortable.

He also believed his physical experience with horses could make him valuable during challenges, giving other contestants another reason to want him around.

Ben's Actual Game Strategy Through Episode 4

Ben's actual game has remained relatively social, but his biggest strategic moment has been his willingness to trade immediate cash for information.

In the Episode 3 crypt, Ben and Michael rejected the larger money option and chose confidential information instead. That decision shows that Ben was willing to make a long-term information play rather than simply maximize the visible prize pot.

The information turned out to be difficult to interpret. The clue was accurate, but the Faithfuls connected it to the wrong players.

Ben and Michael Foote

Michael Foote is central to Ben's Episode 3 story. The pair entered the crypt together and jointly chose the confidential clue.

They then returned to the castle and shared the information with the group. That made Ben and Michael the two Faithfuls most closely associated with the clue that later shaped the Arisa-Victor theory.

The partnership also fits Ben's preseason emphasis on social connections. Rather than working completely alone, he had another contestant with whom he could compare observations and make a shared decision.

Ben and the Arisa-Victor Theory

The clue Ben and Michael found said that two players had battled in plain sight for a Traitor opportunity. The actual players were Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs, but the Faithfuls did not know that.

Instead, the clue became connected to Arisa and Victor after the group considered Arisa's unusual interaction with Victor. That theory continued into Episode 4 and contributed to the Round Table that sent Arisa home as a Faithful.

Ben's role in the storyline is therefore best described factually: he and Michael found the clue, shared it, and became part of the investigation built around its incorrect interpretation.

Ben's Most “Traitorous” Story Before the Show

In preseason material, Ben shared a story about deceiving his parents after college. He said he told them that he had landed a major Los Angeles advertising internship and even staged photographs outside an office so the story looked real. He said the deception helped him secure financial support while he moved toward an entertainment career.

It was presented as a playful example of his ability to commit to a story, not as evidence about his real-life character. The anecdote is useful in the profile because it came directly from Ben and gives readers a glimpse of the humor he brought into the casting process.

Current Role & Status

Ben McDonnell on Social Media

Related Traitors: New Blood Profiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ben McDonnell a Traitor or Faithful?

Ben McDonnell is a Faithful.

Is Ben still on The Traitors: New Blood?

Yes. Ben survived Episode 4 and remains active heading into Episode 5.

What did Ben and Michael find in the crypt?

They chose confidential information instead of the larger cash option and received a clue about two contestants who had recently battled in plain sight for a Traitor opportunity.

Did Ben and Michael interpret the clue correctly?

No. The clue referred to the Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs Accomplice competition, but the Faithfuls connected it to Arisa Thomas and Victor Vollbrechthausen.

What does Ben McDonnell do for work?

Ben is a barrel racer, actor, podcast host and photographer. His acting career is associated with SAG-AFTRA, and he maintains a professional presence between Texas and Los Angeles.

Did Ben want to be a Traitor?

Yes. Before the season, Ben said he preferred the Traitor role and planned to use humor and broad social connections as part of his game.

What podcast does Ben McDonnell host?

Ben hosts It's Ben a Week, a conversational podcast covering entertainment, personal stories, relationships and other topics.

What is Ben McDonnell known for besides The Traitors?

His public work includes acting, barrel racing, podcasting and photography. His acting credits include film and television projects, while his barrel-racing career includes professional competition.

Sources

A.V. Club: Episode coverage documenting the crypt decision, the clue and its role in the Arisa-Victor theory: A.V. Club.

Entertainment Weekly: Preseason cast material and Ben's own “most traitorous” story: Entertainment Weekly.

NBCUniversal: Official cast announcement for The Traitors: New Blood: NBCUniversal.

Ben McDonnell official website: Acting career, biography and creative work: BenMcDonnell.com.

It's Ben a Week: Ben's official podcast and media work: It's Ben a Week.

National Barrel Horse Association: Barrel-racing organization and competition information: NBHA.

Barrel Bash: Competition records showing Ben's barrel-racing participation: Barrel Bash.

Ben's existing TraitorsNewBlood profile: Original profile information and season background: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Full Cast & Live Statistics: Current cast, roles, status and elimination information: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Article updated: September 28, 2026

Profile status: Live season profile. Update after future episodes when Ben's role, relationships, strategy, suspicions or survival status materially changes.

Jay Vinnedge: Age, Physician Career, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Episode 4 Update

Jay Vinnedge entered The Traitors: New Blood as a 36-year-old physician from Oklahoma City with a medical career, military background and a strong competitive streak. He wanted the Traitor role before entering the castle, but Alan Cumming ultimately placed him among the Faithfuls.

Four episodes into the season, Jay remains active and has become one of the more outspoken Faithfuls. His game now revolves around a deliberate mixture of observation, unpredictability and public accusations, with Katie Fites becoming his most important current suspicion.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update: Jay Directly Accuses Katie Fites

Jay's game changed substantially in Episode 4 when he moved from discussing possibilities to making a direct public accusation. After the Faithfuls spent much of the episode trying to interpret the clue about contestants competing in plain sight for a Traitor opportunity, Jay concluded that Katie Fites was the person he wanted to name.

His accusation is significant because Katie is actually the third Traitor, recruited by Joe Vanella and Tomica Adams in Episode 3. Jay does not know that, but his suspicion has independently reached the correct player.

The episode ended before another banishment vote could determine whether the wider Faithful group would follow Jay's theory. Jay therefore remains an active Faithful heading into the next episode.

Jay Vinnedge Quick Facts

Who Is Jay Vinnedge?

Jay Vinnedge is an Oklahoma City family-medicine physician with a military medical background and a growing public profile in direct primary care and physician education. His professional website, Jay Vinnedge MD, highlights his medical work, speaking and health-education interests.

He is also associated with The Little DPC, a direct-primary-care practice in Oklahoma City. His professional work sits at the intersection of traditional family medicine, entrepreneurial healthcare and physician education.

Jay Vinnedge's Medical Career

Jay's medical training began after an undergraduate education in biochemistry. His public professional biography says he graduated with highest honors in 2015 before earning his MD from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 2019.

He then completed a Family Medicine residency at SSM Health St. Anthony, completing residency training in 2022. His public NPI record lists him as an active family-medicine physician in Oklahoma City.

His clinical work has since expanded into direct primary care through The Little DPC, where he works with his wife, Danielle, in a practice model designed around direct access between physician and patient.

Military Medical Background

Jay's professional story also includes military medicine. His biography says he joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard after high school and served as a USAF flight medic, including work caring for patients aboard aircraft.

He later continued that connection to military medicine as a Flight Surgeon. The experience exposed him to high-pressure medical situations and emergency decision-making, which he has said shaped how he approaches competition and difficult situations.

The Little DPC

The Little DPC is Jay's direct-primary-care practice in Oklahoma City. The practice emphasizes a more direct physician-patient relationship rather than relying solely on the traditional insurance-driven structure.

Jay's involvement with the practice adds an entrepreneurial side to his profile. He is not only a practicing physician but also works on communicating the direct-primary-care model to other doctors and patients.

The Well-Rounded Physician

Jay has also developed a professional education identity through The Well-Rounded Physician. The project is designed around helping physicians learn about direct primary care and the business side of running an independent practice.

This public-facing education work gives Jay another professional skill that has appeared inside the castle: presenting ideas to an audience and trying to persuade people to see a situation from his perspective.

Why Jay Wanted to Be a Traitor

Before the season began, Jay said he wanted to be a Traitor. His reasoning was connected to his competitive personality, his experience performing under pressure and his interest in reality-competition formats.

He has publicly discussed being a fan of competition shows and said he applied without expecting to get very far in the casting process. His application ultimately made it through a field reported to be around 60,000 applicants.

His official cast superlative was “Most Likely to Organize a Flashmob,” a playful detail that reflects the energetic personality he has shown in the castle.

Jay's Pre-Show Strategy

Jay entered the castle with a nuanced idea about how much a contestant should talk. He believed someone who dominates every conversation can make themselves a target, but someone who refuses to name any suspects can look equally suspicious.

His plan was therefore to listen early, gather information and then speak when he had something useful to contribute. The later episodes show how difficult that balance became once he decided to put his own body-language theory and player names into the discussion.

Jay's Actual Strategy in the Castle

Jay has increasingly used unpredictability as part of his public game. During Episode 4, he explained that he was intentionally making himself a target because he believed the Traitors might keep him around as a human shield.

That strategy meant he could afford to appear somewhat chaotic while still trying to advance his own theories. He has therefore mixed serious suspicion with deliberately attention-grabbing behavior instead of presenting himself as a quiet investigator.

The result is a game in which Jay is highly visible. He has publicly accused multiple contestants, but he has also remained alive through four episodes.

Jay and Katie Fites

Katie is now Jay's most important live-game storyline.

Jay first kept Katie's name in the conversation after Xavier Scruggs' murder because Xavier had previously expressed suspicion of her. Logan Smith also supported that line of thinking.

By Episode 4, Jay had moved beyond mentioning Katie as a possibility. He explicitly said that he believed Katie was a Traitor.

That accusation happens to point toward one of the actual Traitors, although Jay does not know that Katie was recruited by Joe and Tomica after the Accomplice challenge.

Jay and Logan Smith

Logan Smith and Jay were among the Faithfuls discussing Katie after Xavier's elimination. Their shared suspicion became more important after Katie joined the Traitor team.

Logan was later murdered by the Traitors. Jay therefore remains one of the Faithfuls who had publicly been looking in the same direction before Logan's elimination.

Jay and Kriste Lewis

Jay's relationship with Kriste Lewis became much more confrontational during the Episode 4 Death Parade challenge.

Jay publicly accused Kriste of being a Traitor while the challenge was still underway. The accusation added another name to Jay's growing list of suspects, but Kriste was not banished during the episode.

For the updated profile, it is useful to separate this challenge accusation from Jay's later Katie theory because the two suspicions arose from different parts of the episode.

Jay's Body-Language Strategy

Jay told the group that he considered himself good at reading body language and that he had been watching for changes in people's behavior.

When the group pressed him in Episode 4, however, he acknowledged that he did not have a concrete body-language conclusion to share. That did not end his strategy, but it did change how the other contestants could interpret his earlier claim.

Rather than treating the moment as evidence that Jay was right or wrong about people's behavior in general, the episode simply established that he had not produced a reliable body-language clue at that point in the game.

The Death Parade Challenge

Episode 4's Death Parade challenge was one of Jay's most visible moments in the castle. While the contestants worked to move the gold cart through a series of gates, Jay repeatedly pushed for players to discuss their suspicions.

He became increasingly vocal and eventually accused Kriste during the mission. The challenge also left several contestants behind, creating a pool of players who could potentially be targeted later.

Jay survived the challenge and continued into the Round Table portion of the episode.

The Episode 4 Katie Accusation

Current Role & Status

Jay Vinnedge on Social Media

Related Traitors: New Blood Profiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jay Vinnedge a Traitor or Faithful?

Jay Vinnedge is a Faithful.

Is Jay still on The Traitors: New Blood?

Yes. Jay survived Episode 4 and remains active heading into Episode 5.

Who does Jay Vinnedge think is a Traitor?

Jay ended Episode 4 by publicly saying that he believed Katie Fites was a Traitor.

Was Jay's Katie accusation correct?

Katie is in fact one of the active Traitors. Jay does not know her hidden role, so his accusation is based on his own interpretation of the game rather than inside information.

What happened between Jay and Kriste?

Jay accused Kriste Lewis of being a Traitor during the Episode 4 Death Parade challenge. Kriste remained in the game after the episode.

What does Jay Vinnedge do for work?

Jay is a family-medicine physician in Oklahoma City and also works in direct primary care through The Little DPC.

Did Jay want to be a Traitor?

Yes. Before the season, Jay said he wanted the Traitor role and planned to use his competitive mindset and experience under pressure.

What is Jay's body-language strategy?

Jay said he was paying close attention to body language and behavioral changes. He later admitted that he had not developed a concrete body-language clue at the point when the other contestants pressed him for one.

Sources

TV Insider: Episode 3–4 recap covering Jay's current game position, the Katie accusation and Episode 4 developments: TV Insider.

A.V. Club: Episode coverage discussing Jay's body-language claim and his self-described human-shield strategy: A.V. Club.

NBCUniversal: Official The Traitors: New Blood cast announcement and Jay's contestant information: NBCUniversal.

Jay Vinnedge MD: Professional biography, physician background and public information about his medical and military career: Jay Vinnedge MD.

The Little DPC: Practice information and Jay's role as a direct-primary-care physician: The Little DPC.

University of Oklahoma: Medical education and College of Medicine information: University of Oklahoma.

LinkedIn: Jay's public professional profile and career information: LinkedIn.

Skool: The Well-Rounded Physician professional community: The Well-Rounded Physician.

Jay's existing TraitorsNewBlood profile: Original profile information and season background: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Full Cast & Live Statistics: Current cast, roles, game status and elimination information: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Article updated: September 28, 2026

Profile status: Live season profile. Update after future episodes when Jay's suspicions, relationships, strategy, role or survival status materially changes.

Niyyah Hayes: Age, Therapist Career, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Episode 4 Update

Niyyah Hayes entered The Traitors: New Blood as a 29-year-old therapist from Indianapolis with a professional background built around listening, observation and understanding how people behave under pressure. Before entering the castle, she had also worked in clinical and forensic settings and was pursuing doctoral training in clinical psychology.

She said before the season that she would rather be a Traitor, but that is not the role she received. Niyyah is a Faithful who remains active after Episode 4, and her biggest storyline so far has been the mistaken theory surrounding Arisa Thomas and Victor Vollbrechthausen.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update: Niyyah Remains a Faithful After Episode 4

Niyyah enters the next stage of the season with her Faithful identity intact. Her most important contribution so far has been interpretive rather than physical: she helped connect an unusual conversation between Arisa and Victor to a clue that was genuinely about Traitor recruitment.

The clue's real target was the earlier Accomplice competition between Katie and Xavier. Because that connection was not obvious, the Faithfuls spent valuable time investigating the wrong contestants. Arisa eventually received 13 votes at the Round Table and was revealed as a Faithful.

Niyyah Hayes Quick Facts

Who Is Niyyah Hayes?

Niyyah Hayes is a therapist and clinical social-work professional whose work has included clinical assessment, psychotherapy and forensic settings. Her public professional profile identifies her as Niyyah Bilal Hayes, LCSW and documents experience connected with clinical and psychological services.

Her background is particularly relevant to her Traitors profile because much of her professional life has required careful listening and attention to behavior. That does not make every in-game interpretation correct, but it explains why she entered the castle expecting her ability to read people to be one of her biggest tools.

Niyyah's Clinical and Forensic Career

Niyyah's professional history includes work as a clinical social worker at the Orlando VA Medical Center, where her work involved clinical assessment and case-management responsibilities.

Her later training expanded into forensic assessment and clinical psychology. Her public professional profile lists experience involving family-court assessment and other clinical placements, showing a career that extends beyond general therapy work.

She has also described professional interests involving justice-involved and military populations, health-focused clinical settings and improving access to mental-health care in underserved communities.

Doctoral Training in Clinical Psychology

Niyyah's current academic path includes doctoral study in clinical psychology at the University of Indianapolis. Her professional profile lists the PsyD program as beginning in 2023.

The doctoral work builds on her earlier social-work training and gives her a broader clinical foundation. Her experience includes psychotherapy, assessment and research-oriented work, making her professional background unusually varied for a reality-TV cast member.

Education: Florida Southern College and UCF

Niyyah's undergraduate background includes Florida Southern College, where published academic material identifies her study of psychology and criminology.

She later completed a Master of Social Work at the University of Central Florida. UCF's graduate records identify her among the 2021 MSW graduates.

Her academic interests also included research involving race, aggression and jury decision-making. That work gives additional context to her interest in behavior and how people evaluate information when making judgments about others.

Niyyah's Research Background

Niyyah's academic work has extended beyond classroom study. Publicly indexed research records identify projects examining psychological and social factors in decision-making, including work related to race ideology, aggression and jury judgments.

That research experience makes the investigative side of The Traitors especially relevant to her. Her game strategy is not simply about talking to people; she has repeatedly focused on interpreting behavior and figuring out why a contestant acted a certain way.

Why Niyyah Wanted to Be a Traitor

Before entering the castle, Niyyah said she would prefer to be a Traitor. Her reasoning centered on the information advantage: a Traitor knows more about the hidden structure of the game while the Faithfuls have to work from partial evidence.

She also described a deliberate personality adjustment. Because she talks frequently in professional settings, she wanted to do more listening and observing in the castle. She described herself as a chameleon who could adapt to different people rather than locking herself into one rigid social group.

She ultimately entered as a Faithful, which meant the observational strategy became a tool for identifying Traitors rather than hiding as one.

Niyyah's Actual Strategy in the Castle

Niyyah's early game has been built around reading interactions and trying to make sense of the information available to the Faithful group.

The Arisa-Victor storyline is the clearest example. She noticed an unusual body-language test, listened to the interpretation of a crypt clue and tried to connect the two. The connection was wrong, but the process itself shows the kind of information-gathering strategy she described before the season.

The show has therefore given viewers a real-time test of the strategy Niyyah said she would use: observe first, interpret second and adapt as new information appears.

Niyyah and Arisa Thomas

Arisa Thomas became one of the most important people in Niyyah's Episode 3–4 storyline.

Arisa's interaction with Victor looked unusual enough to attract Niyyah's attention. When combined with the crypt clue, it created a theory that Arisa and Victor might somehow have been involved in a secret Traitor recruitment.

The theory was incorrect. Arisa was a Faithful, and her elimination in Episode 4 became another example of how an innocent interaction can be interpreted as evidence in a game built around hidden information.

Niyyah and Victor Vollbrechthausen

Victor Vollbrechthausen was the other half of the theory.

Niyyah's attention focused on Victor because he was the person being tested by Arisa. The combination of their interaction and the recruitment clue made him look like a possible participant in something the Faithfuls did not understand.

Victor survived the Episode 4 Round Table with six votes, while Arisa received 13. The result confirmed that the theory did not reveal an actual Traitor recruitment.

Niyyah and the Death Parade Challenge

Episode 4 also gave Niyyah a more direct competitive storyline. During the Death Parade challenge, she was among the contestants left behind with Victor, Morgan Cook and Mark Zgoda as other players advanced the gold cart.

The challenge mattered because contestants caught by the Death Parade could become possible murder targets. Niyyah survived that stage and remained in the castle after the Traitors later chose Logan Smith instead.

Niyyah's Current Game Position

Current Role & Status

Niyyah Hayes on Social Media

Related Traitors: New Blood Profiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Niyyah Hayes a Traitor or Faithful?

Niyyah Hayes is a Faithful.

Is Niyyah still on The Traitors: New Blood?

Yes. Niyyah survived Episode 4 and remains an active Faithful heading into Episode 5.

What did Niyyah think about Arisa and Victor?

Niyyah connected their unusual interaction to a clue about two contestants competing in plain sight for a Traitor opportunity. The theory was incorrect because the clue actually referred to the Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs Accomplice competition.

What does Niyyah Hayes do for work?

Niyyah is a therapist and clinical social-work professional with experience in clinical and forensic settings. Her academic path also includes doctoral training in clinical psychology.

Where did Niyyah go to school?

Her education includes Florida Southern College, a Master of Social Work from the University of Central Florida and current PsyD training at the University of Indianapolis.

Did Niyyah want to be a Traitor?

Yes. Before the season, she said she preferred the Traitor role and planned to rely on observation, listening and adaptability.

What happened to Niyyah in Episode 4?

She remained in the game and participated in the Death Parade challenge. She was not eliminated at the Episode 4 Round Table and remains a Faithful.

Sources

TV Insider: Episode recaps covering the crypt clue, Niyyah's involvement in the Arisa-Victor theory and Episode 4's game developments: TV Insider.

NBCUniversal: Official The Traitors: New Blood cast announcement and Niyyah's role as a therapist: NBCUniversal.

TV Insider cast guide: Preseason cast details, role preferences and superlatives: TV Insider.

University of Indianapolis: Graduate psychology program and academic information: University of Indianapolis.

University of Central Florida: Graduate education and MSW background: University of Central Florida.

Florida Southern College: Undergraduate academic background: Florida Southern College.

Niyyah's public LinkedIn profile: Current professional, clinical, academic and research background: LinkedIn.

Niyyah's existing TraitorsNewBlood profile: Original profile information and social details: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Full Cast & Live Statistics: Current roster, roles, status and eliminations: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Article updated: September 27, 2026

Profile status: Live season profile. Update after future episodes when Niyyah's role, suspicions, relationships, strategy or survival status materially changes.