Kmflett's Blog

The Traitors Series 4: Halfway there. On racism, police officers, Nigel Farage & Monty Python

Anyone on the left of the labour movement will be familiar with the term ‘traitor’ usually prefaced by the word ‘class’. Quite often class traitors do not see themselves as such and  are quite open about what they are up to. That’s not always the case however. The official report on which officials of what is now Unite worked with employers to blacklist union militants out of workplaces is reportedly due shortly.

The BBC1 version of Traitors is now in its fourth series and at the halfway mark- six episodes out of twelve. The Celebrity version which aired towards the end of 2025 achieved the best TV viewing figures of the year, over 15 million. Viewing figures for the current series are rather lower at 6.4 million.

There has been no shortage of media commentary. One to the point piece in the Guardian noted the early exit of most of the ethnic minority players (none were Traitors)and suggested that unconscious bias against the backdrop of an increasingly racist society is the issue. Even Nigel Farage at one of his regular pressers on 12^th January noticed the article. I’m sure he is an avid Guardian reader and even more sure that he plans to star in his own series of Celebrity Traitors https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/05/why-perilous-to-be-person-of-colour-the-traitors?CMP=share_btn_url

Barbara Ellen in the Observer (11^th Jan) points to the tweaks in the programme in particular the introduction of a Secret Traitor (Fiona, now banished) and a Faithful suggesting they could switch sides and become a Traitor (again a labour movement familiarity).

Ellen rightly in my view suggests that many of the ‘missions’ games designed to increase the prize money are boring. I think most have an element of the Monty Python about them, and further tweaks may be expected. She also argues that with this being the fourth series the players have a better idea of how things work and some at least develop ‘agency’. That is running their own agenda whether they are a Faithful or a Traitor. Rachel is a likely example.

The current series does seem to have a number of police related players. Maz who has been despatched was a former constable but seems to have recovered. Amanda who was a DCI in the Met, now banished, confided in the lead Traitor Rachel, which is very Met behaviour. Fiona noted that half her family were officers.

Watching, as a union officer representing managers and professionals, I often get the feeling that quite a few of the players might well be one of my members and perhaps that reflects in part who can afford the time to appear in the programme…

There are six episodes to go so who, as yet, knows…