The first dramatic banishment of the new series of The Traitors saw an innocent player ejected by a record-breaking landslide vote, in a stunning early victory for the hidden deceivers.
Historic Herd Mentality Sees Faithful Axed
In an unprecedented show of groupthink, child liaison officer Judy, 60, received a staggering 16 votes from her fellow contestants at the roundtable. This mass vote, the largest unified banishment vote in the show's history, spectacularly backfired as Judy was revealed to be a loyal Faithful.
Host Claudia Winkleman told the horrified group: "You banished an innocent Faithful; she was just being herself. What a striking win for the Traitors." The moment left most players aghast at their collective error.
Family Defence and Graceful Exit
Judy was bravely defended during the tense roundtable by two key allies. Her secret daughter, Roxy, 32, refused to believe her mother was a Traitor, while former top cop Amanda also voiced certainty in Judy's innocence. Their pleas, however, were drowned out by the group's conviction.
Speaking after her departure, Judy admitted the exit was "hard" knowing she didn't deserve it. "I knew I was going down, but I went down gracefully," she stated. Remarkably, she said she wouldn't change her approach. "I didn't have a strategy. I just thought there's no point in changing myself. I'm just going to play the game the best I can play it and enjoy it."
Her highlight was a fiery confrontation with fellow contestant Sam, who led the charge against her. "I think for me it was when I knew Sam was coming for me... I just thought, 'oh no, I'm not having it', so obviously I had to come for this person, which I did," she recalled.
Fallout and a Daughter's Vengeance
Judy now backs her daughter Roxy to win the entire game. "I’m willing her on, and I know she’s got it in her to go all the way," she said.
Roxy, furious at her mother's unjust banishment, issued a stark warning. She suggested that if Sam is a Faithful, he had "done the Traitors a favour tonight." With renewed determination, she declared: "Mum’s game might be over, it was cut short, but mine is just starting and it’s going to spur me on."
This dramatic banishment followed the first murder of the series, which saw single mum Netty, 42, eliminated by the Traitors. Netty described her early exit as "bittersweet," reasoning she had probably not stuck to her initial plan to observe quietly.
Despite her short time in the Scottish castle, Judy remained positive: "I’ve had an amazing time, the friendships that we've built up are incredible - I've loved every minute of it." The game, however, has now been set on a fiery and suspicious course following this historic miscalculation by the Faithfuls.
