THEY have backstabbed, blundered and blagged their way through four thrilling weeks in Ardross Castle.
Now these six will tonight vie to become champions of The Traitors and take home as much as £120,000.
It is a stomach-churning time for them all but two are also engaged in secret warfare.
Viewers were left agog as remaining Traitors Rachel Duffy and Stephen Libby sensationally turned on each other and clashed swords at tonight’s Round Table.
But Rachel’s place in the game hangs in the balance after Round Table votes were twice tied between her and Faithful James Baker and the episode ended on the cliffhanger.
With the decision now down to sheer luck, tonight it will be revealed if she or James wins a spot in the final with the Chests of Chance.
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If Rachel does not leave, it would be the first time two original Traitors have made it to the final.
Host Claudia Winkleman told how the Chests of Chance would now gift one player a shield and a ticket to the end game, with the other sent packing.
Rachel said: “This is completely out of my hands, it’s making me nervous.”
Earlier, Rachel added: “I’m sick of this game.”
The communications exec is right to feel nauseous as her murderous wingman Stephen is poised to knife her.
Stephen knows he has every opportunity to just throw me under the bus and just sail his way to victory.
Rachel
It is a devastating fall from grace for Rachel who has been bookies’ favourite to win throughout thanks to her brilliant game play and cool head under pressure.
She said: “Stephen knows he has every opportunity to just throw me under the bus and just sail his way to victory.”
They have vowed not to write each other’s names on their slates in the chamber but that has not stopped either throwing out theories.
Stephen said: “I really thought that we would both be in the end game splitting that money.
“My hopes of that happening are now lessening somewhat. I don’t know if she’s planning to go in on me. I’m shaky.”
If Rachel wins in the Chests of Chance, it will leave her and Stephen to convince the Faithfuls they are innocent.
She needs to convince them that Secret Traitor Fiona Hughes had lost the plot when she accused Rachel of being a baddie mid-series.
Auditor Faraaz Noor is on the case, though, and has deduced the moment may have been Traitor-on-Traitor warfare.
He also pointed to former barrister Harriet Tyce’s pursuit of Rachel, which the group forgot after the legal eagle was banished last week.
Stephen needs to dodge suspicion that he returned from an earlier Midnight Mission being locked in a cage through his status as a Traitor rather than by chance.
At last night’s Round Table, he tried to suggest this was because known Traitor Fiona was “protecting him” as he was a handy shield for her.
If any Traitors remain at the end of tonight’s final, they take home the whole prize pot, which currently stands at £76,750.
A Traitor has only won the show once — Harry Clark in 2024.
Pushed to the limit
But Rachel and Stephen lost the chance to boot one final Faithful out before the big end game, as the whole group won shields, protecting them from murder in last night’s mission.
The challenge saw the group lug rucksacks filled with “gold nuggets”, which were rocks, up the 1,478ft Fyrish Hill in the Scottish Highlands.
It was so gruelling, gardener James vomited and collapsed halfway up the peak.
Pals Faraaz Noor and Jack Butler dragged him up the hill to complete the mission in time.
A source said: “It was one of the most dramatic moments in Traitors history.
“James pushed himself to the limit and his body just couldn’t cope. He staggered under the weight of the rocks.”
After they finished at the ancient Fyrish Monument triumphantly, Claudia asked the group: “How was the hill, guys?”
Mum-of-three Rachel quipped: “Harder than childbirth.”
The monument was built in 1782 near Alness, on the orders of Sir Hector Munro, who had served in India as a general.
It represents the Gate of Negapatam, a port in Madras, India, which General Munro took for the British in 1781.
This fourth series of the BBC murder mystery has proved to be another ratings smash.
The launch episode has already been watched by more than 12.1million viewers to date and continues to grow.
Eight million fans are tuning in live to each episode, with as many as ten million expected to watch the final tonight.
Following the finale there will be a special extended episode of The Traitors: Uncloaked on BBC One, where Ed Gamble will be joined by all of the finalists, the whole cast of this series and Claudia.
Here, we weigh up their chances, with Traitors ratings out of five.
JACK – FAITHFUL
THE personal trainer has been a godsend in the missions, but offered up very little else.
Only in the last two episodes have viewers even learnt his name.
But he has shown promise with a last-gasp takedown of Rachel – flagging to the group that Harriet had her pegged.
Jack, from Essex, said: “If I won I’d use the money as a deposit for a property for me and my girlfriend. It would be life-changing for us.
“I also have other ideas – I’m planning to propose, so it’d be nice to spend a bit of money on that.”
RATING: 2/5
RACHEL – TRAITOR
BLAZING a trail throughout the series, the communications exec has established herself as one of the show’s best-ever Traitors.
She has handled every twist with a cool head and seems to have always made the right call.
Fans will be furious if she crashes out of the game thanks to the Chests of Chance – a random device used to break a voting deadlock.
Rachel, from Co Down, said: “If I won I would make memories with the most important people in my life.
“ My mum has dementia, and I just want to create memories with her while I’m still lucky enough to have her.”
RATING: 5/5
FARAAZ – FAITHFUL
HE has been another sleeping player, seeing little action until this last week.
But the internal auditor from Middlesbrough has woken up just in time.
He is pushing the theory that Secret Traitor Fiona’s bizarre meltdown was a traitor-on-traitor attack on Rachel – and he is bang on.
Faraaz said: “If I win the prize money, I’d love to be able to spend it on me and my family to make a religious pilgrimage.
“To go to Umrah, to go to Hajj. If there’s a bit left over, I wouldn’t mind putting a bit away for a new car – but treating my family is my main goal.”
RATING: 3/5
STEPHEN – TRAITOR
BABY-FACED assassin Stephen has managed to fool the castle thanks to his charm and good looks.
The cyber crime consultant has offered strategies and dodged suspicion just as well as Rachel but hasn’t quite matched her cunning.
Viewers have noticed he blushes when he lies – and it could be his downfall.
Stephen, originally from the Isle of Lewis, said: “If I won, I really want to give back to my parents.
“They really gave up a lot to push me through. My dad is a butcher but he is the most incredible artist and I would love to be able to just give him a chance to work on his art.”
RATING: 4/5
JADE – FAITHFUL
VIEWERS are amazed that the PhD student has somehow made the final.
Jade faced pressure from the start, with ex-copper Amanda on her case – but she doesn’t seem to have been able to find any theories or rebuttals at the Round Table.
She moved the castle to tears, though, with a heartbreaking story about her mum, who was found dead when Jade was a teenager.
Jade, from the West Midlands, said: “I’m the ripe old age of 25 and PhD life doesn’t pay very well. I’d like to buy a house I can call home as I have moved around a lot.”
RATING: 2/5
JAMES – FAITHFUL
GARDENER James has been a chaotic presence from day one, stealing shields and spectacularly blew it when gifted the double vote dagger.
Gifted the opportunity to send a Traitor packing, he instead confused the group with his insistence that Faithful Matthew was a wrong ’un.
But he has brought laughs to the castle with his good nature. Asked what he would do if he took home the prize pot, James, from Weymouth, said: “I will spend it on my family.
“We haven’t been abroad for many years, so I’d love a family holiday. I’d buy a camper van or a motor home too.”
RATING: 3/5
- The Traitors concludes tonight at 8.30pm on BBC One.
