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.

Michael Foote: Age, Lawyer Career, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Episode 4 Update

Michael Foote entered The Traitors: New Blood as a 38-year-old criminal-defense lawyer and trial attorney from New York. He arrived with a professional habit that fits the castle unusually well: asking questions, testing explanations and watching how people react when their stories are challenged.

He also wanted the Traitor role before the season began. Instead, Michael became a Faithful and has spent the first four episodes applying his courtroom instincts to a game where the evidence is incomplete and innocent players can look suspicious.

Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Latest Episode Update: Michael Survives the Episode 4 Round Table

Michael entered the Episode 4 Round Table carrying one of the season's most important pieces of information: the clue he and Ben had taken from the crypt. The clue was genuine, but its meaning remained unclear to the Faithfuls.

Michael's interpretation connected the clue to Arisa and Victor. That theory contributed to a wider discussion around the pair, but the actual explanation involved the earlier Accomplice competition between Xavier Scruggs and Katie Fites.

The Round Table ultimately produced 13 votes for Arisa, six for Victor and one for Michael. Arisa was revealed as a Faithful. Michael therefore heads into Episode 5 with very little direct suspicion on him, even though his clue helped shape the mistaken theory.

Michael Foote Quick Facts

Who Is Michael Foote?

Michael Foote is a New York criminal-defense lawyer and trial attorney whose professional work centers on arguments, evidence and credibility. Before appearing on television, he spent years working in an environment where small inconsistencies in a person's story can matter.

His professional background has become a natural part of his identity inside the castle. Michael has openly talked about using courtroom skills on the show, particularly his experience questioning people and evaluating how confidently they tell a story.

He also works in legal media through Brief Recess, a podcast he co-hosts with Mélissa Malebranche through Exactly Right Media.

Michael Foote's Legal Career

Michael's background is in criminal defense and trial work. The official cast material describes him as a criminal-defense lawyer and trial attorney, and he has repeatedly explained that courtroom questioning is one of the skills he hoped to transfer into The Traitors.

A courtroom requires more than simply listening to what someone says. Lawyers also pay attention to how a person answers, where the explanation changes and which details do not fit. Michael entered the game with that same mindset, although the castle's incomplete information makes it much harder to separate a misleading answer from an innocent misunderstanding.

His legal career also explains why other contestants may treat him as a natural investigator. At the same time, his own decisions in Episodes 3 and 4 show how even structured reasoning can lead toward the wrong person when the underlying information is incomplete.

Brief Recess: Michael's Legal Podcast

Outside television, Michael co-hosts Brief Recess, a legal podcast with Mélissa Malebranche. The show focuses on high-profile legal cases, media coverage and the way courtroom stories are discussed outside the courtroom.

The podcast became part of Michael's public profile around the time his Traitors: New Blood casting was announced. Episodes around the premiere openly discussed his appearance on the show after the months-long casting process had been kept private.

That media background gives Michael another communication skill beyond his courtroom work: he is used to explaining complicated events to a general audience.

Why Michael Wanted to Be a Traitor

Michael said before the season that he wanted the Traitor role. His reasoning was closely tied to his legal career. He believed that questioning witnesses, identifying inconsistencies and managing a room would translate naturally into a game built around deception.

He also liked the idea of having more control over the direction of the game. Rather than simply waiting for the Traitors to attack the Faithfuls, he wanted the ability to influence who stayed, who left and how the castle's theories developed.

Michael's Pre-Show Strategy

Michael's preseason plan was not entirely solitary. He said he wanted to find a person he could trust and operate as a close two-person partnership. That idea reflected the value he placed on having another person who could compare observations and help test conclusions.

Once the season began, the closest practical version of that strategy became his working relationship with Ben McDonnell during the crypt challenge.

Michael and Ben McDonnell's Crypt Decision

Episode 3 gave Michael and Ben a direct choice between more money and information. They chose the information. The clue said that two players had recently battled in plain sight for the opportunity to become a Traitor.

The choice showed that the two Faithfuls were prepared to sacrifice some immediate prize money for information they believed could help solve the game. The clue itself was accurate, but its meaning was not obvious.

The actual players involved were Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs, who had competed for the third Traitor position through the Accomplice twist.

Michael's Biggest Misread So Far

After receiving the clue, Michael and Ben connected it to the visible interaction between Arisa and Victor. Arisa had held Victor's hands and asked him whether he was a Traitor while studying his reaction.

Because the clue referred to a recruitment or competition that had happened in plain sight, the pair considered whether Arisa and Victor had somehow been involved. The theory was understandable within the information available to them, but it was incorrect.

The important distinction for Michael's profile is that the clue was real; the interpretation was wrong. That is more useful than simply labeling the episode as a mistake because it explains exactly how the Faithfuls became focused on the wrong contestants.

Michael and Victor Vollbrechthausen

Victor Vollbrechthausen became one of Michael's main subjects during the Episode 3–4 investigation. Victor's earlier connection with Madeline and the unusual Arisa truth test made him a natural target for questions.

Michael's legal background was visible here. He was willing to challenge Victor's explanation rather than simply accept it, but the theory eventually helped steer the Round Table toward another Faithful.

Victor survived with six votes while Arisa received 13.

Michael and Arisa Thomas

Arisa Thomas was not secretly recruited as a Traitor. She was a Faithful whose interaction with Victor happened to resemble the clue Michael and Ben had received.

The result was one of the season's clearest examples of how incomplete information can distort an otherwise genuine investigation. Michael was acting on a real clue, but the available context led him toward the wrong explanation.

Michael and Joe Vanella

Joe Vanella is one of the most important relationships in Michael's current game because Joe is secretly an original Traitor.

Michael does not know that Joe is working for the Traitor side. The two have nevertheless developed a level of trust that has allowed Joe to remain inside the wider Faithful social network while Michael continues searching for hidden Traitors.

That creates a particularly important storyline for future episodes: Michael is trying to identify the people secretly manipulating the game while one of the people around whom he has built trust is part of that manipulation.

Michael's Actual Strategy in the Castle

Current Role & Status

Michael Foote on Social Media

Related Traitors: New Blood Profiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Michael Foote a Traitor or Faithful?

Michael Foote is a Faithful.

Is Michael still on The Traitors: New Blood?

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

How many votes did Michael receive in Episode 4?

Michael received one vote at the Episode 4 Round Table.

What clue did Michael receive in Episode 3?

Michael and Ben McDonnell chose information from the crypt and received a clue about two players who had recently battled in plain sight for the opportunity to become a Traitor.

Did Michael correctly identify the meaning of the clue?

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

What does Michael Foote do for work?

Michael is a criminal-defense lawyer and trial attorney. He also co-hosts the legal podcast Brief Recess.

Did Michael want to be a Traitor?

Yes. Before the season began, Michael said he wanted the Traitor role and planned to use his courtroom questioning and people-reading experience.

Who is Michael Foote closest to in the game?

His relationships have included Ben McDonnell in the crypt storyline and Joe Vanella within the broader social game. Joe is secretly a Traitor, although Michael does not know that.

Sources

TV Insider: Episode 3–4 coverage, including the crypt clue, Arisa's banishment, Victor's vote total and Michael's Episode 4 result: TV Insider.

Entertainment Weekly: Official civilian-cast coverage and Michael's preseason background: Entertainment Weekly.

Exactly Right Media: Michael Foote's legal podcast, Brief Recess: Exactly Right Media.

Brief Recess: Michael's own public podcast episodes and professional media work: Brief Recess.

AOL / Entertainment coverage: Episode 3 and Episode 4 developments surrounding the crypt clue and the Arisa-Victor theory: Episode coverage.

Michael's existing TraitorsNewBlood profile: Original profile information and public social links: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

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

Article updated: September 27, 2026

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

Joe Vanella: Age, Funeral Director Career, The Traitors: New Blood Status & Game Update

Joe Vanella entered The Traitors: New Blood with a background that is unusually well suited to a game built around trust, deception and reading people. The 44-year-old funeral director from Long Island is a fourth-generation member of his family business, and he arrived at the castle wanting to use his experience dealing with people in emotional situations to become the person everyone trusted.

That plan became especially valuable because Alan Cumming chose Joe as one of the original Traitors. Through Episode 4, Joe has helped control the murders, recruited Katie Fites as the third Traitor and worked to keep suspicion away from the Traitor team.

Latest Episode Update: Joe Helps Remove Logan

After Arisa Thomas was banished as a Faithful at the Episode 4 Round Table, Joe joined Tomica and Katie in the turret to decide their next murder. Logan Smith was eventually selected as the target.

The choice mattered because Logan had begun paying attention to the Xavier-Katie connection. After Xavier Scruggs was murdered and Katie became the third Traitor, Logan continued to mention Xavier's earlier concerns about Katie. The Traitor team therefore removed a Faithful who was starting to keep the new Traitor under observation.

Logan's murder was discovered at breakfast, leaving Joe, Tomica and Katie as the active Traitor team heading into Episode 5.

Joe Vanella Quick Facts

Who Is Joe Vanella?

Joe Vanella is a fourth-generation funeral director from Long Island, New York. His family's connection to the funeral business stretches back several generations, and his professional experience has centered on helping families through difficult and highly emotional moments.

That background became one of the most interesting parts of his casting. Joe entered a reality game where contestants constantly study tone, body language, relationships and emotional reactions. He had already spent years interacting with people in situations where calm communication and careful observation matter.

Joe Vanella's Funeral Director Career

Joe's family has operated funeral businesses on Long Island for generations. According to his public interviews, his great-grandfather immigrated to the United States from Italy during Prohibition and established a funeral parlor in Manhattan. Joe's father later operated funeral homes in Manhattan and Oceanside, and Joe continued the family profession.

Joe has described funeral directing as work that requires much more than handling arrangements. He deals directly with families during periods of grief, which has given him experience listening carefully, maintaining composure and communicating with people under emotional pressure.

He has said that his professional life helped him understand how people react and that he planned to use that experience inside the castle.

Why Joe Wanted to Be a Traitor

Joe openly preferred the Traitor role before entering the game. His strategy was not to become the loudest contestant in the room. Instead, he wanted to become someone everybody liked and trusted.

In preseason interviews, Joe described himself as someone who would make friends across the castle while quietly evaluating how people behaved. His goal was to remain socially visible without becoming suspicious and then use the relationships he had built when the Traitor side needed them.

That plan became reality when Alan Cumming selected Joe and Tomica Adams as the two original Traitors.

Joe's Actual Traitor Strategy

Joe's game through Episode 4 has closely followed the social strategy he described before the season. He has spent time building genuine relationships while keeping his Traitor decisions separate from the public conversations around him.

One of his most important relationships has been with Michael Foote. The two developed a close bond during the early episodes, and their friendship became especially visible after the Episode 4 Round Table. For Joe, that relationship has given him a trusted connection inside the Faithful group while Michael remains unaware that Joe is working against him.

At the same time, Joe has been involved in the central strategic decisions made by the Traitors: the first murder, the Accomplice selection and the later decision to remove Logan.

Episode 1: Joe Becomes an Original Traitor

Alan Cumming selected Joe Vanella and Tomica Adams as the original Traitors. Their first task was to begin shaping the game before the rest of the cast fully understood how the new format worked.

The pair also had to identify two contestants who could compete for the third Traitor position. They selected Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs as the Accomplice candidates.

Joe and Tomica then selected Kim Daily as their first murder victim. Kim's professional and interpersonal background had made her a contestant they did not want to leave in the game for long.

Episode 2: The Accomplice Competition Continues

While the Faithfuls dealt with Kim's murder and Madeline Kostopulos' banishment, Joe and Tomica continued watching the Accomplice candidates.

Joe's position was already different from that of the other contestants. He could participate in the public discussion while knowing that the actual danger came from decisions being made privately by the Traitor team.

At this stage, Joe also benefited from the trust he had built with other contestants. Kim later said she had started to wonder about Joe before her murder, but there was not enough support around that suspicion to turn it into a public case.

Episode 3: Joe Chooses Katie Over Xavier

Episode 3 delivered the biggest strategic decision of Joe's game to that point. Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs both completed the Accomplice challenge, meaning Joe and Tomica had to choose which one would join them as the third Traitor.

Xavier tried to improve his own chances by putting Katie's name into conversations. Instead, Joe and Tomica came to see that approach as a possible liability. They wanted someone they believed could operate more quietly within the wider group.

They selected Katie Fites.

Xavier was murdered and Katie officially joined Joe and Tomica, creating the three-person Traitor team that remains active after Episode 4.

Joe's Relationship With Katie

Katie's recruitment changed the balance of the game. Joe went from working with one Traitor partner to managing a three-person team where each player had a different public identity.

One of Joe's jobs became protecting Katie from the Faithfuls' early suspicions. When questions began to form around her, Joe was able to support her publicly without making the defense look like an obvious Traitor intervention.

That relationship became more important after Xavier's murder because Xavier had already left behind suspicions that could eventually point toward Katie.

Episode 4: Arisa Is Banished

Episode 4 brought a new wave of uncertainty after Michael Foote and Ben McDonnell received a clue connected to the Accomplice twist. The clue suggested that contestants had recently competed in plain sight for a Traitor opportunity, but the Faithfuls did not have enough information to identify exactly what had happened.

The resulting theories centered partly on Arisa Thomas and Victor Vollbrechthausen. Joe was able to remain outside the main accusation while quietly watching the Faithful group turn on another Faithful.

Arisa received 13 votes and was revealed as a Faithful.

Episode 4: Joe and the Logan Murder

After Arisa's banishment, Joe, Tomica and Katie returned to the turret to decide who should be murdered next.

Logan Smith became the eventual target. Logan had been keeping Katie on his radar after remembering Xavier's earlier suspicions. From the Traitors' perspective, leaving that line of thinking alive carried a risk.

Logan was murdered, and the Faithfuls discovered his absence at breakfast. Joe therefore entered the period after Episode 4 with his Traitor identity still hidden and the three-person Traitor team intact.

Joe and Michael Foote

Joe's relationship with Michael Foote is one of the most important pieces of his current game. The two have developed enough trust that Michael has treated Joe as one of his closest connections.

The relationship gives Joe something strategically valuable: a trusted voice inside the Faithful group who is not currently treating him as a threat.

It also creates a future point of tension. Joe must continue to protect the friendship while participating in decisions that could eventually place Michael in danger.

What Makes Joe's Game Different

Joe Vanella: Episode-by-Episode Timeline

Joe Vanella on Social Media

Related Traitors: New Blood Profiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Joe Vanella a Traitor?

Yes. Joe was selected as one of the two original Traitors by Alan Cumming and remains an active Traitor after Episode 4.

Who are the current Traitors?

The active Traitors after Episode 4 are Joe Vanella, Tomica Adams and Katie Fites.

How did Joe become a Traitor?

Alan Cumming selected Joe as an original Traitor alongside Tomica Adams at the beginning of the season.

Who did Joe and Tomica choose as Accomplice candidates?

They selected Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs. Both completed the challenge, and Joe and Tomica ultimately recruited Katie.

Who was Joe's first murder victim?

Joe and Tomica selected Kim Daily as their first murder victim.

Who did Joe help eliminate after Episode 4?

Joe worked with Tomica and Katie to select Logan Smith as the next murder victim after Arisa Thomas was banished.

What does Joe Vanella do for a living?

Joe is a fourth-generation funeral director from Long Island, New York.

Why did Joe want to be a Traitor?

Joe wanted the role because he believed his ability to build trust, read people and stay calm around emotional situations would translate well to the Traitor game.

Sources

Newsday: Joe Vanella's Long Island background, family history, funeral-director career and preseason comments: Newsday.

Entertainment Weekly: Official cast announcement and Joe's introduction as part of the civilian season: Entertainment Weekly.

TV Insider: Episode recaps covering Kim's murder, the first Round Table, the Accomplice storyline and Episode 4 developments: TV Insider.

TVLine: Coverage of the Katie-Xavier decision, Katie's recruitment and Logan's murder: TVLine.

Parade: Kim Daily's post-elimination comments about Joe and the early game: Parade.

Joe Vanella's existing profile: Current public profile and social links: TraitorsNewBlood.digital.

Article updated: September 26, 2026

Profile status: Live season profile. This page should be updated after future episodes when Joe's role, strategy, alliances, murders or survival status materially changes.