You’re sitting there, staring at the screen, shouting at a group of people who can’t hear you. We’ve all been there. It’s the magic of the show. Whether it’s the Scottish Highlands or a manor in Australia, the question of who won The Traitors usually comes down to one single moment of pure, unadulterated betrayal. Or, if the Faithful are lucky, a rare moment of actual logic.
Let’s be real for a second. The Traitors isn't actually a game about finding lies. It’s a game about popularity. If people like you, you’re "Faithful." If they don't, you’re banished. This weird social experiment has produced some of the most cold-blooded TV moments in the last decade, leaving winners with life-changing money and losers with a lot of therapy bills.
From Harry Clark’s masterclass in the UK to the chaotic dominance of Cirie Fields in the US, the winners’ circle is a mix of strategic geniuses and people who basically just survived by being invisible.
The Greatest Game Ever Played? Who Won The Traitors US
When the US version launched on Peacock, everyone wondered if the "celebrity" element would ruin the tension. It didn't. In fact, it probably made it more cutthroat because these people already knew how to work a camera.
Cirie Fields didn't just win Season 1; she dismantled it.
If you’re looking for the blueprint of how to win this show, Cirie is the gold standard. She entered as a Traitor and stayed a Traitor until the very last second. She didn't just hide; she manipulated the emotions of the Faithful so deeply that they felt guilty for even questioning her. The finale was brutal. Watching her turn on Arie Luyendyk Jr. at the Fire of Truth was a "holy crap" moment for reality TV. By forcing Arie to quit or be outed, she ensured she didn't have to share the grand prize. She walked away with $250,000. Alone.
Then came Season 2. The dynamic shifted. We had "The Challenge" legends, "Housewives," and even a former UK Parliament member.
Trishelle Cannatella and CT Tamburello took the prize.
👉 See also: Questions From Black Card Revoked: The Culture Test That Might Just Get You Roasted
This win was different. It wasn't a Traitor victory. It was a victory for the "Castle Daddy" alliance. They managed to sniff out Andrew Jenkins and the incredibly savvy Phaedra Parks, eventually cornering MJ Javid in a finale that felt more like a high school breakup than a game show. Trishelle and CT proved that if you have a ride-or-die bond, you can actually beat the system. But man, it was awkward to watch MJ realize she was the odd one out at the finish line.
Harry Clark and the UK’s Obsession with the Banished
Across the pond, the BBC version of The Traitors became a literal cultural phenomenon. It’s hard to overstate how much the UK loves this show.
In Season 1, the Faithful actually pulled it off. Hannah Byczkowski, Meryl Williams, and Aaron Evans shared the pot. They managed to get rid of Wilf Webster at the eleventh hour. Wilf was this close. He had played a near-perfect game, but a last-minute betrayal of his fellow Traitor, Kieran Tompsett, led to the iconic "parting gift" line that clued the Faithful in. It was messy. It was emotional. Aaron was basically vibrating with anxiety for three weeks straight, but it paid off.
Then Season 2 happened. And Harry Clark happened.
If you want to know who won The Traitors UK Season 2, the answer is a 22-year-old British Army engineer who might be the most charming sociopath (in a game sense!) to ever grace a TV screen. Harry Clark was untouchable. He used a "shield" gambit that was so clever it made the Faithful look like toddlers. He convinced everyone he’d been targeted for a murder that couldn't happen, effectively clearing his name for the rest of the game.
Watching him stand next to Mollie Pearce at the end was genuinely tough to watch. Mollie genuinely loved him as a friend. She couldn't bring herself to write his name down, even when the evidence was staring her in the face. Harry took the whole £95,150. He didn't blink. That’s the game.
International Winners and the Traitor Meta-Game
The show started in the Netherlands as De Verraders, but it has spread like wildfire to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and beyond. Each version has a slightly different "vibe."
✨ Don't miss: The Reality of Sex Movies From Africa: Censorship, Nollywood, and the Digital Underground
- Australia Season 1: Alex Duggan, a hidden Traitor, managed to snatch the win from the Faithful in a gripping finale.
- Australia Season 2: This was a train wreck. In the best way. For the first time ever, the Traitors were so greedy that they ended up with nothing. Sam De Koning tried to play the "Sheriff" role, but he was so brazen that in the final standoff, the Traitors couldn't agree on how to split the money, resulting in a $0 prize.
- New Zealand Season 1: Anna Reeve and Sam Smith (the Faithful) took the win. It was a refreshing change to see a group of people actually use logic rather than just "vibes."
Why Some People Win and Others Get "Murdered"
Why do some players thrive while others are gone by night two? It isn't luck. Well, it’s about 30% luck, but the rest is social engineering.
The winners usually fall into two camps. There’s the "Shield Strategy," where you play so honestly and loudly that people think a Traitor would never be that annoying. Then there’s the "Quiet Observer" strategy. Look at Meryl from UK Season 1. She didn't lead the charge on any votes. She stayed out of the line of fire. She survived.
To win as a Traitor, you need a lack of empathy—at least during filming hours. You have to be able to look someone in the eye, listen to them talk about their kids or their struggling business, and then sign their death warrant an hour later. Harry Clark and Cirie Fields were masters of this. They weren't "villains" in their daily lives; they were just better at compartmentalizing the game.
The Logic Gap: Why the Faithful Usually Lose
The math is always against the Faithful. Every time they banish a Faithful, the Traitors get a free kill. It’s a war of attrition. Most people who ask who won The Traitors are surprised to find out how often the Traitors actually win.
The primary reason? Confirmation bias. Once a group decides someone is "suspicious," they stop looking at the actual evidence. They look for reasons to justify their gut feeling. A Traitor just has to nudge that feeling in the right direction.
What to Watch Next: The 2025/2026 Landscape
As we move into 2026, the meta is changing. Players are coming into the castle having watched every international version. They know the tricks. They know the "Shield" play. They know about the recruitment offers.
If you’re looking for the next fix:
🔗 Read more: Alfonso Cuarón: Why the Harry Potter 3 Director Changed the Wizarding World Forever
- The Traitors US Season 3: The cast is already legendary, featuring heavy hitters from Survivor and Big Brother.
- The Traitors UK Season 3: Expect more "civilian" drama and even more complex missions in the Highlands.
- The Traitors Canada: Often overlooked, but the strategy is surprisingly high-level.
Step-by-Step: How to Analyze the Next Winner
If you're watching a new season and want to predict who will take the pot, follow these markers. They rarely fail.
Watch the Breakfast Edit
The winner is almost always someone who gets a "reaction shot" during breakfast but isn't the center of the loudest argument. The producers want you to remember they exist without making them the target of the day.
Check the "Traitor Hunt" Logic
If a player starts naming names too early and gets one right, they are usually murdered immediately. The winners are the ones who "realize" who the Traitor is at the same time as the rest of the group. Never be the smartest person in the room.
The Fire of Truth Factor
In the final episode, look at the body language. By the time they get to the Fire of Truth, the winners have usually stopped talking about "evidence" and started talking about "trust." This is the pivot point. If a Traitor has successfully pivoted to being a "trusted friend," the game is over.
Actionable Insight for Fans
Stop looking for who is lying. Start looking for who is being protected. In every season, the winner is the person that the most people—Traitors and Faithful alike—feel they "need" in the game for their own safety.
Go back and re-watch the Cirie Fields finale or the Harry Clark "Shield" episode. You'll see it. The winner isn't the person who found the most Traitors. It’s the person who made themselves indispensable to the people who were eventually going to lose.
Check the official streaming schedules for Peacock and BBC iPlayer to catch up on the international versions you've missed, especially the Australian Season 2 finale—it’s a masterclass in how greed can ruin everything.