Niyyah Hayes is one of the 22 contestants entering the castle for The Traitors: New Blood. The 29-year-old therapist from Indianapolis, Indiana, brings a background in clinical social work and doctoral-level psychology training to a game that depends heavily on trust, deception, relationships, and reading other people.
That background could make Niyyah one of the more naturally interesting players in the new civilian cast. Her professional life has involved building rapport with people, listening carefully, and learning how people communicate. Those are exactly the kinds of skills that can become valuable when a group of strangers is trying to work out who among them is lying.
Niyyah has also been open about the way she wants to approach the game. Rather than inventing an entirely different personality for television, she says she wants to be herself. For her, being too quiet, too aggressive, or too obviously strategic could all attract unwanted attention.
Niyyah Hayes Quick Facts
| Full Name | Niyyah Bilal Hayes |
| Professional Name | Niyyah Bilal Hayes, LCSW |
| Age | 29 |
| Hometown | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Profession | Therapist |
| Professional Credential | LCSW |
| Doctoral Field | Clinical Psychology |
| Show | The Traitors: New Blood |
| Season | New Blood |
| @niyyahx |
Who Is Niyyah Hayes?
Niyyah Hayes is a therapist and one of the civilian contestants competing on The Traitors: New Blood.
Her professional identity is closely connected to psychology and human behavior. She is an independently licensed clinician and is currently pursuing doctoral training in clinical psychology.
That combination gives Niyyah an unusual background for a reality competition. She spends her professional life listening to people, building rapport, and working with information that people choose to share with her. Inside the castle, however, everyone has a reason to be careful about what they reveal.
That makes her casting particularly interesting. The same ability to make people comfortable enough to talk could help her gather information in the game, but it could also make other contestants wonder how much she is actually noticing.
Niyyah Hayes Age
Niyyah Hayes is 29 years old.
She is one of the younger contestants in the first all-civilian U.S. season of The Traitors, which brings together 22 people from a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds.
Where Is Niyyah Hayes From?
Niyyah Hayes is from Indianapolis, Indiana.
Her professional LinkedIn profile also identifies Indianapolis as her current professional base, where she is associated with Indy Forensic and Psychological Services.
What Does Niyyah Hayes Do?
Niyyah Hayes is a therapist and licensed clinical social worker. Her professional profile identifies her as Niyyah Bilal Hayes, LCSW.
Her background includes clinical social work and psychology, and she has continued her education through doctoral training in clinical psychology.
Her professional experience has included clinical work and psychological research, giving her experience that goes beyond simply studying psychology in a classroom.
Niyyah Hayes' Clinical Psychology Background
Niyyah is currently pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology. Her professional and academic history shows a long-standing interest in psychology, human behavior, and research.
Her LinkedIn profile lists the University of Indianapolis among her current educational affiliations, with doctoral studies beginning in 2023.
Earlier in her academic career, she studied psychology and social work, building the foundation for her later clinical work.
Her academic background also includes research. One of her listed projects examined the effects of race and aggression in jury decision-making. She has also been associated with research into undergraduate perceptions of race ideology groups.
That combination of clinical work and research gives Niyyah a particularly interesting background for a social strategy game.
Niyyah Hayes' Social Work Career
Niyyah's professional career has developed through clinical social work and mental-health services.
Her professional profile identifies her as an independently licensed clinician and lists experience with Indy Forensic and Psychological Services. Her earlier professional history includes clinical and social-work roles in Florida.
Before reaching her current stage of doctoral training, Niyyah built experience working with people in different settings. That background required communication, patience, observation, and the ability to establish professional relationships.
Niyyah Hayes' Education
Niyyah's education has centered on psychology, social work, and clinical practice.
Her professional profile lists the University of Indianapolis as her current doctoral institution, where she is pursuing clinical psychology training.
She also studied at Florida Southern College, where she developed an early academic foundation in psychology. Her academic record includes recognition from the Psi Chi Psychology Honors Association and President's List honors.
Her academic work has included research presentations and projects involving psychology and social behavior.
Niyyah Hayes and The Traitors: New Blood
Niyyah Hayes is one of the 22 civilians selected for The Traitors: New Blood.
The new season is different from previous U.S. editions because the cast is made up entirely of non-celebrity contestants. Instead of entering the game with established reality-TV reputations, the players are introduced through their everyday careers and personal backgrounds.
Niyyah enters as a therapist, making her one of the contestants whose professional skills have an obvious connection to the psychological side of the game.
The season is scheduled to premiere on September 17, 2026, on NBC, with episodes available to stream through Peacock.
Would Niyyah Hayes Rather Be a Traitor or Faithful?
Niyyah has said that she would prefer to play as a Traitor.
Her reasoning is interesting because she sees the Traitor role as providing more information. As a Traitor, she would know who is on her team and would have a clearer understanding of the hidden structure of the game.
She also believes that playing as a Faithful can actually be more difficult because a Faithful has to question almost everyone around them without knowing who can genuinely be trusted.
Current status: Niyyah Hayes is a confirmed contestant on The Traitors: New Blood. She has said she would prefer to play as a Traitor, but her pre-show preference should not be treated as confirmation of her actual role. Her official Traitor or Faithful status will be updated when the show reveals it.
Niyyah Hayes' Strategy for The Traitors
Niyyah's pre-season strategy is surprisingly simple: she wants to be herself.
She considered whether she should be extremely quiet or deliberately aggressive, but she recognized that either extreme could make her stand out. A contestant who is unusually quiet may appear suspicious, while someone who is constantly pushing theories can attract attention just as quickly.
Instead, Niyyah plans to behave naturally and allow the game to develop around her.
That approach could be particularly useful for someone with a psychology background. Rather than trying to force every interaction into a particular strategy, she can pay attention to how people behave and adjust as new information becomes available.
Why Niyyah Hayes Could Be Dangerous in the Game
Niyyah's professional experience gives her one obvious potential advantage: she is accustomed to listening to people.
In her own description of her work, she talks about getting a lot of information from people without necessarily revealing a great deal about herself. She also says she is used to building rapport quickly.
Those skills could be extremely valuable in The Traitors. Contestants who feel comfortable around someone are often more willing to share their suspicions, alliances, and theories.
If Niyyah can become the person other contestants naturally talk to, she could gather a considerable amount of information without needing to be the loudest person in the room.
Could Being a Therapist Hurt Niyyah Hayes?
Her profession could also create a problem.
Once the other contestants know that Niyyah is a therapist and doctoral student in clinical psychology, they may become more cautious around her. People could start wondering whether she is analyzing every conversation or trying to understand their behavior.
That means Niyyah may have to strike a balance between using her natural strengths and making sure everyone feels that she is simply being herself.
The more successful she becomes at reading people, the more important it may be for her not to make everyone else aware of exactly how much she has noticed.
Niyyah Hayes' Self-Declared Superlative
Niyyah's official cast profile gives her the superlative "Most Likely to Say What Everyone's Thinking."
It is an appropriate description for someone entering the castle with a background in therapy and a personality that appears comfortable with speaking openly.
It could also become interesting during the round table. The ability to say what other people are thinking can make someone influential, but it can also put a target on their back if they become too vocal.
Niyyah Hayes' Research Background
Niyyah's academic history includes research into social behavior and decision-making.
One listed research project examined the effects of race and aggression in jury decision-making. The work was presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association conference and also appeared as a poster presentation.
She has also been associated with academic work examining undergraduate perceptions of race ideology groups.
That research experience adds another layer to her profile. Her interest in human behavior is not limited to her clinical work; it has also been part of her academic career.
Niyyah Hayes Official Social Media
Niyyah Hayes is active on Instagram under the username @niyyahx. Her profile identifies her as a The Traitors: New Blood cast member and therapist.
Her Instagram also links to a personal links page and currently features content connected to her appearance on the show.
Fans can follow her official Instagram profile here:
Follow Niyyah Hayes on Instagram @niyyahx
Niyyah Hayes Quick Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Niyyah Bilal Hayes |
| Professional Name | Niyyah Bilal Hayes, LCSW |
| Age | 29 |
| Hometown | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Profession | Therapist |
| Professional Credential | LCSW |
| Doctoral Studies | Clinical Psychology |
| Show | The Traitors: New Blood |
| Pre-show Preferred Role | Traitor |
| @niyyahx |
Niyyah Hayes: The Traitors New Blood Status
| Category | Current Status |
|---|---|
| Contestant | Niyyah Hayes |
| Game Status | Competing |
| Pre-show Preferred Role | Traitor |
| Actual Role | To be updated when officially revealed |
| Elimination | Not yet determined |
| Final Placement | To be determined |
What to Watch for From Niyyah Hayes
Niyyah Hayes enters The Traitors: New Blood with one of the most directly relevant professional backgrounds in the cast. Her work as a therapist and her training in clinical psychology have given her experience with communication, rapport, observation, and human behavior.
The question will be whether those skills remain an advantage once everyone knows what she does for a living.
If Niyyah can build trust without making the rest of the cast feel like they are being psychologically analyzed, she could become a valuable ally and an excellent source of information. If people become too conscious of her background, however, they may start wondering whether every conversation with her has another layer.
Either way, Niyyah is one of the contestants worth watching closely when the first all-civilian U.S. season of The Traitors begins.
Related The Traitors: New Blood Coverage
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- The Traitors: New Blood Episodes
- The Traitors: New Blood Eliminations
- The Traitors & Faithfuls
- The Traitors: New Blood News & Updates
Editorial note: TraitorsNewBlood.digital is an independent entertainment and information website. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially connected to NBC, Peacock, Universal Television, the producers of The Traitors, or Niyyah Hayes.
Information in this article is based on publicly available professional information, published contestant material, and information released about The Traitors: New Blood. Contestant roles and game status may change during the season, and this page will be updated as new information becomes officially available.
