Sherry Claypool Kuehl, known publicly as Sherry Kuehl, is a Kansas City-area writer, content creator and podcaster best known for her Snarky in the Suburbs books and “Dear Snarky” advice content. At 65, she is the oldest contestant identified in the published cast materials for NBC’s The Traitors: New Blood, an all-civilian season featuring 22 contestants. She was banished in Episode 5 and revealed as a Faithful. She is active on Instagram at @snarky.in.the.suburbs; the handle also appears in TV Insider’s cast relationships gallery and the Amazon author bio for her book Four Seasons of Snarky, and People reports she has more than 240,000 Instagram followers.
Kuehl built her public identity around observing suburban life, family and aging with a comic, self-deprecating voice, first through her blog and later through books, social platforms and a podcast. Her background as a writer and former reporter now forms part of the context for how she approaches the social-deduction game.
Her age has drawn attention during the season, but it is only one part of a writing career that spans more than a decade. She played as a Faithful and was banished in Episode 5.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Sherry Claypool Kuehl (Traitors cast material: Sherry Kuehl) |
| Age | 65, per official Traitors cast material |
| Date of birth | Not publicly confirmed |
| Birthplace | Not reliably confirmed |
| Raised in | Waco, Texas |
| Current area | Leawood, Kansas (Kansas City area) |
| Profession | Writer, author, content creator, podcaster, former reporter |
| Education | Associated with Baylor University (sorority/alumni material); no confirmed degree or graduation year |
| Notable work | Snarky in the Suburbs book series, “Dear Snarky” advice content |
| Traitors role | Contestant, The Traitors: New Blood; oldest contestant identified in the published cast; banished in Episode 5 and revealed as a Faithful |
Early Life and Education
Kuehl was raised primarily in Waco, Texas, before later building her writing and family life in the Kansas City area, where she now lives in Leawood. Her exact birthplace has not been reliably confirmed, and public sources do not document her parents, siblings, or detailed childhood circumstances.
Alumni material from Kappa Kappa Gamma connects her to Baylor University, consistent with other coverage describing her as a former sorority member, but a complete education record, including her degree, field of study or graduation year, has not been independently confirmed.
Writing Career
Writing was an established part of Sherry Kuehl’s career long before she joined The Traitors: New Blood. Her public author career centers on Snarky in the Suburbs, a brand that began as a blog after she started emailing friends about suburban life. Her son Austin helped set up and name the blog, which eventually grew into a broader writing, social media and podcast platform.
Sherry Kuehl Books
Kuehl has published five books. Four make up what she calls the “Snarky four pack,” while Empty is presented separately as a comic novel. Her official Snarky in the Suburbs website continues to describe these five titles together as her books.
| Book | Year | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Snarky in the Suburbs: Back to School | 2012 | The first Snarky in the Suburbs book, centered on suburban parenting, PTA politics and school-parent drama. |
| Snarky in the Suburbs: Trouble in Texas | 2015 | The second book, involving a meddling mother and the schemes surrounding her 40-something daughter. |
| Four Seasons of Snarky | 2022 | A collection of stories built around suburban life and revenge plots. |
| Killer Dance Mom | 2023 | The first Snarky mystery, set around competitive dance culture and the murder of a judge. |
| Empty | 2022 | A comic “menopausal revenge” novel involving three middle-aged women and a clinical trial. |
Kuehl’s own descriptions show the range of the Snarky in the Suburbs books. Back to School focuses on elementary-school parent drama and PTA conflict, while Trouble in Texas centers on family interference and a meddling mother. Four Seasons of Snarky uses suburban revenge as a recurring theme, and Killer Dance Mom takes the series into mystery territory through the world of competitive dance.
Empty takes a different approach while maintaining Kuehl’s comedic style. She describes it as a “menopausal revenge” adventure, making it a useful example of how her writing extends beyond the Snarky in the Suburbs series.
Dear Snarky and Podcast
Kuehl’s writing career also extends beyond books. Her “Dear Snarky” content combines advice, personal observations, humor and commentary and is distributed through social platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. She also hosts the Snarky in the Suburbs podcast, which features Dear Snarky advice letters, rants, observations and personal stories.
The podcast remains active, with new episodes continuing to be released in 2026. Recent episodes continue to feature her advice format alongside commentary and observations, while also promoting her five books.
Together, Kuehl’s books, blog, “Dear Snarky” content and podcast show that her identity as a writer and storyteller predates The Traitors: New Blood by many years. Her reality-television appearance is therefore an extension of an established media career rather than the beginning of her public writing career.
Life and Career Before The Traitors
Before building Snarky in the Suburbs, Kuehl worked as a reporter. Axios reported that she moved to Leawood in the 2000s and later developed the blog after emailing friends about suburban life. Her son Austin helped set up and name Snarky in the Suburbs, which eventually expanded into her broader writing and content career.
Sherry Kuehl on The Traitors: New Blood
Kuehl is one of 22 civilian contestants on The Traitors: New Blood and entered the game as a Faithful. At 65, she is the oldest contestant identified in the published cast materials for the season.
The season premiered on September 17, 2026, with Episodes 1 and 2, followed by Episodes 3 and 4 on September 24. The Round Table that ended Episode 4 on a cliffhanger concluded in Episode 5 with Sherry’s banishment by an 11-5-1.
The game environment around Kuehl has already changed significantly. Tomica Adams and Joe Vanella began the season as Traitors, while Xavier Scruggs and Katie Fites were selected as Accomplices. Katie Fites was subsequently chosen as a Traitor, while Xavier Scruggs was murdered. Kim Daily was murdered in Episode 1, and Madeline Kostopulos was banished in Episode 2.
At this stage, there is not enough reliable information to attribute a specific alliance, vote, suspicion or strategic move to Kuehl without additional episode-level sourcing.
How Her Writing Background Could Translate to The Traitors
Kuehl’s career has trained her to watch people closely, notice small inconsistencies and turn behavior into narrative, all useful habits for a game built on reading who’s telling the truth. Her own description of herself as curious and observant, and her comic eye for suburban social dynamics, plausibly support that kind of attention.
That said, being a writer does not automatically make someone a lie detector. Observing people for material and proving what’s actually true are different skills, and this section should be read as editorial analysis rather than something Kuehl has claimed directly about her own abilities in the game.
Sherry Kuehl’s Game on The Traitors: New Blood
Sherry Kuehl entered The Traitors: New Blood as a Faithful. Her first three episodes were relatively quiet from a documented gameplay perspective, while Episode 4 put her in a much more exposed position after the Death Parade challenge and the events that followed.
Episode 1: “A New Dawn Is Rising”
Sherry entered the Scottish castle as one of 22 civilian contestants and was assigned the role of Faithful. Joe Vanella and Tomica Adams were revealed to the audience as the season’s original Traitors.
Available episode coverage does not identify a major Sherry-led accusation, vote, alliance, challenge decision or confrontation during the premiere. Her primary game development in Episode 1 was simply entering the social-deduction environment and surviving the opening phase without becoming a major target. In his EW exit interview, Xavier Scruggs said he deliberately sought to connect with her early: “Sherry [Kuehl], older woman who I might not typically vibe with early, find a way to vibe with her” (EW).
Episode 2: “I’m a Sweaty Boy”
Sherry remained in the game as a Faithful after the first murder and first Roundtable. Kim Daily was murdered, while Madeline Kostopulos was banished with 13 votes at the Roundtable.
Public episode coverage focuses primarily on the accusations involving Madeline, Victor Vollbrechtshausen and Kriste Lewis, rather than on Sherry as a central driver of the vote. Her individual Roundtable vote has not been reliably established in the available reporting, so it should not be stated without a direct episode or official source confirming it.
Episode 3: “The Traitors Are Watching”
Sherry continued as a Faithful after Xavier Scruggs was murdered and Katie Fites was selected as the third Traitor.
The episode’s main strategic developments centered on the Accomplice twist, the crypt challenge and the Traitors’ decision to bring Katie into their group while eliminating Xavier. Available recaps do not attribute a decisive challenge move, major accusation, named alliance or other major strategic decision to Sherry during the episode.
Episode 4: “The Death Parade”
Episode 4 became the most significant episode for Sherry’s game so far because she was placed in a more exposed position during the Death Parade challenge. In the turret, Sherry was on the initial murder shortlist alongside Abby L., Mark Zgoda, and Logan Smith; the Traitors chose Logan, with the AV Club noting Sherry “inspired suspicion mostly with her silence.”
At the third gate, Joe Vanella, Clyde Moser, Sherry Kuehl and Abby Lee were the final players left behind during the challenge. Being left behind placed them among the players who could subsequently be considered for murder by the Traitors. Sherry was later included on the Traitors’ potential murder shortlist alongside Victor, Mark, Niyyah, Morgan, Kriste, Clyde and Abby Lee. TV Insider and realityblurred also identified the four left behind as murder-shortlist candidates. DraftKings Network’s Episode 4 coverage notes Sherry “was singing [Shane’s] praises in episode four, implying he was a straight shooter.”
Sherry told Abby Lee, ‘We know there aren’t three female Traitors,’ speculating after the second banishment that at least one man was in the turret. TheThings reported that she told Arisa, and that the comment “immediately caught Arisa’s attention,” while realityblurred reported that Abby Lee treated the comment as evidence; the recipient is not settled across recaps. Because these accounts come from secondary recaps rather than an official transcript or direct interview, the exchange should be treated as reported rather than presented as proof that Sherry knew the identities of the Traitors.
The episode ended with another Roundtable after Arisa Thomas was banished. Jay Vinnedge was shown accusing Katie Fites of being a Traitor, but the episode ended before the next banishment result was revealed. She told Jay Vinnedge, “When you save it to the roundtable, it’s too late,” after his body-language-expert teasing (realityblurred).
Episode 5: “Wake of the Living Dead”
Episode 5 ended Sherry’s game. At the Round Table, Abby Lee built a case against her around the comment Sherry told Abby Lee, ‘We know there aren’t three female Traitors,’ speculating after the second banishment that at least one man was in the turret. When asked who she suspected, Sherry called Jay Vinnedge “a detriment to all of us playing this game” and said he seemed to “delight in creating a crockpot of confusion that we all simmer in.” The room read her sudden outspokenness as suspicious. Sherry was banished 11-5-1 and revealed she was a Faithful, the sixth consecutive Faithful eliminated.
Sherry received 11 votes, Jay received 5 and Michael received 1. Abbey Benjamin voted for Sherry. Her banishment was the Faithfuls’ third consecutive wrong banishment, each following a supposed verbal slip. She called Jay ‘a detriment to all of us playing this game’ and a ‘crockpot of confusion.’ Jay voted for Sherry despite spending the Round Table accusing Katie, saying, ‘I had to throw Sherry a vote. I still think Miss Katie’s a Traitor.’ After her exit, Alan Cumming reminded the group it had voted out one of its own for the third time.
Sherry Kuehl’s Final Game Status
Sherry Kuehl was banished in Episode 5 (aired October 8, 2026) and revealed as a Faithful.
Personal Life
Kuehl is married to Kliff and has a son, Austin, and a daughter, Bella. Her family has also played an important role in both her writing career and her decision to join The Traitors: New Blood.
Kuehl has written publicly about her close relationship with Bella, describing her daughter as someone she relies on for candid opinions and “brutal honesty.” In a 2023 column, Kuehl explained that she sent Bella a printed draft of Killer Dance Mom for feedback because she wanted an honest opinion about a book inspired by her experiences around competitive dance. Kuehl had spent years observing the world of dance competitions before turning those experiences into the book, and Bella’s own background in competitive dance made her perspective particularly valuable.
Bella also encouraged Kuehl to apply for The Traitors: New Blood after seeing the casting opportunity. Kuehl initially declined, but eventually followed her daughter’s encouragement and became one of the 22 civilian contestants selected for the season. In her August 2026 casting-announcement Reel, Kuehl credited her “relentless” daughter Bella with pushing her to apply and reflected on filming by saying, “Reality surpassed my fantasy. It was incredible” (People).
FAQs
Who is Sherry Kuehl?
Sherry Claypool Kuehl, known publicly as Sherry Kuehl, is a Kansas City-area writer, content creator and podcaster known for the Snarky in the Suburbs brand. She is also a contestant on The Traitors: New Blood, where she entered the game as a Faithful.
How old is Sherry Kuehl?
Sherry Kuehl is 65 years old, according to her official The Traitors cast material. Her exact date of birth has not been publicly confirmed.
Is Sherry Kuehl the oldest contestant on The Traitors: New Blood?
Yes. At 65, Kuehl is the oldest contestant identified in the published cast materials for The Traitors: New Blood. The season’s published ages range from 23 to 65. This does not establish that she is the oldest contestant in the full The Traitors franchise.
What does Sherry Kuehl do?
Sherry Kuehl is a writer, author, content creator and podcaster. She is best known for the Snarky in the Suburbs books and her “Dear Snarky” advice content. Before building her writing brand, she also worked as a reporter.
Is Sherry Kuehl a writer?
Yes. Writing has been a major part of Kuehl’s career for many years. She has published five books, including four titles in the Snarky in the Suburbs series and the comic novel Empty.
What books has Sherry Kuehl written?
Sherry Kuehl has published five books: Snarky in the Suburbs: Back to School, Snarky in the Suburbs: Trouble in Texas, Four Seasons of Snarky, Killer Dance Mom and Empty. The first four form what Kuehl describes as the “Snarky four pack,” while Empty is presented separately.
Where is Sherry Kuehl from?
Sherry Kuehl was raised primarily in Waco, Texas, and later moved to the Kansas City area. She currently lives in Leawood, Kansas.
Why did Sherry Kuehl join The Traitors?
Kuehl initially declined to apply for The Traitors: New Blood, but her daughter Bella repeatedly encouraged her to pursue the opportunity. She eventually applied and was selected as one of 22 contestants from more than 80,000 applicants.
Is Sherry Kuehl a Faithful or Traitor?
Sherry Kuehl was a Faithful. She was banished in Episode 5 and her Faithful role was revealed. She was not selected as one of the original Traitors or later recruited as a Traitor.
Is Sherry Kuehl still on The Traitors?
No. Sherry Kuehl was banished in Episode 5 (aired October 8, 2026) by an 11-5-1 vote and revealed as a Faithful.
What is Sherry Kuehl’s strategy?
Available episode coverage does not establish a fully documented strategy or formal alliance for Kuehl. Some secondary coverage has described her silence as a source of suspicion and reported a conversation about the number of female Traitors, but those details should not be treated as proof of a deliberate strategy or knowledge of the Traitors’ identities.
