NBC’s next installment of The Traitors is arriving with the biggest format change in the franchise’s history: an entirely civilian cast. The 22 contestants competing in The Traitors: New Blood have no reality television or celebrity backgrounds, a departure from the celebrity-mixed casts of the show’s earlier U.S. seasons.
The scale of interest in the new format is notable on its own. NBCUniversal has said the cast was selected from a pool of more than 80,000 applicants, evidence of how much appetite there is for a season built around everyday people rather than familiar faces.
The season premiered Thursday, September 17, 2026, on NBC, with returning host Alan Cumming back at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, competing for a prize NBC describes as “up to $250,000.” Two episodes have aired so far. Here is everything confirmed to date.
Quick Facts
| Host | Alan Cumming |
| Location | Ardross Castle, Scottish Highlands |
| Cast Size | 22 contestants, all civilians |
| Prize | Up to $250,000, built through missions |
| Premiered | Thursday, September 17, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT |
| Network / Streaming | NBC first, next-day streaming on Peacock |
| Applicant Pool | 80,000+, per NBCUniversal |
| Current Status | 2 episodes aired, 20 contestants remain |
What Is The Traitors: New Blood?
The Traitors: New Blood is NBC’s fifth U.S. installment of The Traitors, the competition format built around a group of Faithfuls trying to identify and banish a smaller group of secret Traitors before the Traitors can eliminate them one by one. What sets this installment apart is the cast. NBC has confirmed that all 22 contestants are civilians, with no reality television or celebrity backgrounds, a first for the U.S. version of the franchise.
NBC and Peacock brand the season The Traitors: New Blood rather than Season 5. Outlets including TVLine and Entertainment Weekly have used Season 5 as a chronological shorthand, but NBC has not formally confirmed that New Blood replaces the franchise’s season numbering. OpenThreadNews treats New Blood as the official title and Season 5 as an editorial label rather than an interchangeable fact.
When Did It Premiere?
The Traitors: New Blood premiered Thursday, September 17, 2026, with a two-hour launch from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, covering Episodes 1 and 2. A second two-hour block airs September 24, covering Episodes 3 and 4. After that, new episodes continue airing Thursdays, per NBC’s official schedule materials. No schedule change beyond these three points, in day, timeslot, or episode length, has been announced.
| Episodes | U.S. air date | NBC time | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episodes 1–2 | Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 8:00–10:00 p.m. ET/PT | Two-hour premiere |
| Episodes 3–4 | Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 8:00–10:00 p.m. ET/PT | Two episodes |
| Episode 5 onward | Thursdays | 8:00 p.m. ET/PT | One episode per week |
For full episode-by-episode results as they air, see The Traitors: New Blood Episodes.
Where to Watch
The Traitors: New Blood airs on NBC first, with each episode streaming on Peacock the next day. No midseason move to a streaming-first release has been announced.
Who Hosts It?
Alan Cumming returns as host and executive producer, a role confirmed by both NBCUniversal and Peacock.
How Does the Game Work?
Each season of The Traitors splits its cast into two groups: a majority of Faithfuls and a smaller, secret group of Traitors, chosen early in the game by the host. The two groups compete together in missions that add money to a collective prize fund, then gather each episode at a round table, where the full cast votes to banish one person they suspect of being a Traitor.
After the round table, the surviving Traitors meet privately to choose a Faithful to eliminate overnight, a “murder” that removes that person from the game entirely, without a vote. The tension of the format comes from the fact that only the Traitors themselves know who they are, everyone else is guessing based on behavior, alliances, and the outcome of each banishment.
If the Faithfuls successfully banish every Traitor before the end of the season, the remaining Faithfuls split the prize pot. If even one Traitor survives to the end, that Traitor, or Traitors, take the full pot instead. NBC’s official materials describe New Blood as using this same format, missions, murders, banishments, Faithfuls and Traitors, with no new elimination system, mission rules, or Traitor-selection process announced for this installment. For the full breakdown of the format’s history and rules, see The Traitors Explained.
How Is New Blood Different From Previous Seasons?
The biggest change is the cast. NBC has confirmed that all 22 contestants are civilians, a shift from earlier U.S. seasons, which combined reality television personalities and celebrities with civilians. The other major change is where the show airs. New Blood moves to NBC’s network broadcast schedule, with episodes streaming on Peacock the next day, rather than releasing on Peacock alone as earlier seasons did. Episode length is different too, NBC’s roughly 42-minute network format compared with the longer, less rigidly timed episodes of the streaming-only seasons, according to Entertainment Weekly’s reporting on the creative team’s approach.
The Cast
| Name | Hometown | Profession |
|---|---|---|
| Abbey Benjamin | Mangham, Louisiana | Nurse |
| Abby Lee | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Astrophysicist |
| Arisa Thomas | Los Angeles, California | Dog groomer |
| Ben McDonnell | Granbury, Texas | Barrel racer |
| Clyde Moser | Charleston, South Carolina | Teacher (theater) |
| Jay Vinnedge | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Physician |
| Joe Vanella | Wantagh, New York | Funeral director |
| Katie Fites | Jacksonville, Florida | Marketing manager |
| Kim Daily | Houston, Texas | Lawyer |
| Kriste Lewis | Hattiesburg, Mississippi | Realtor |
| Logan Smith | Gatlinburg, Tennessee | Realtor |
| Madeline Kostopulos | San Diego, California | Construction manager |
| Mark Zgoda | Phillipsburg, New Jersey | Personal trainer |
| Michael Foote | New York, New York | Lawyer |
| Morgan Cook | Midland, Michigan | Content creator |
| Niyyah Hayes | Indianapolis, Indiana | Therapist |
| Shane Beatty | Staten Island, New York | Ironworker |
| Sherry Kuehl | Leawood, Kansas | Writer |
| Tomica Adams | Boston, Massachusetts | Pilot |
| Victor Vollbrechthausen | New York, New York | Business executive |
| Wyatt Gillespie | Ligonier, Pennsylvania | Set designer |
| Xavier Scruggs | Wesley Chapel, Florida | MLB analyst |
The cast’s professions span medicine, law, the trades and specialized fields, from a physician and two lawyers to an ironworker, a funeral director, and a former Major League Baseball player. That range could shape early alliances, contestants with high-stakes, people-reading professions, like the physician, the lawyers and the funeral director, may lean on those instincts once the game begins.
For full bios, ages, superlatives and each contestant’s own strategy quotes, see The Traitors: New Blood Cast.
Who Are the Traitors?
Joe Vanella and Tomica Adams were revealed as the season’s original Traitors in Episode 1, with Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs later selected as Accomplices competing for a third Traitor spot. For the full breakdown, current status and how the role works, see The Traitors: New Blood Cast and The Traitors Explained.
Storylines to Watch
Two episodes in, a few of these threads have already started to play out. Several contestants have professions built on reading people, a physician, two lawyers, a funeral director and a therapist among them, and said in early interviews they planned to lean on that experience. So far, none of them has emerged as a central figure in the season’s first two conflicts, which instead centered on Victor Vollbrechthausen, Kriste Lewis and Madeline Kostopulos.
The season’s actual early storyline has come from elsewhere: the Accomplice twist involving Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs, and the first Round Table dispute over what Madeline Kostopulos did or didn’t say about Kim Daily’s murder. With an entirely civilian cast for the first time, the social dynamics have so far centered on interpersonal misunderstanding rather than any one contestant’s professional background driving the game.
For full contestant-by-contestant strategy breakdowns, see The Traitors: New Blood Cast.
Prize Money
Contestants compete in missions that build a prize fund worth up to $250,000. The opening mission added $50,000 to the pot. NBC and Peacock have not published a complete mission-by-mission prize schedule.
Where the Season Stands
Two episodes have aired. Joe Vanella and Tomica Adams were revealed as the season’s original Traitors, and Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs were secretly selected as Accomplices competing for a third Traitor spot. Kim Daily was murdered in Episode 1, and Madeline Kostopulos was banished in Episode 2, both later confirmed as Faithfuls. 20 contestants remain heading into Episodes 3 and 4, which air Thursday, September 24, 2026.
For full episode-by-episode results, eliminations and the eventual winner, see The Traitors: New Blood Episodes, updated weekly.
Previous Seasons of The Traitors
For the earlier U.S. seasons of the franchise, see The Traitors Season 1 Cast, The Traitors Season 2 Cast, The Traitors Season 3 Cast, and The Traitors Season 4 Cast, or The Traitors Explained for the full format breakdown.
FAQs
What is The Traitors: New Blood?
NBC’s fifth U.S. installment of The Traitors, built entirely around civilian contestants rather than the celebrity-mixed casts of earlier seasons.
When did The Traitors: New Blood premiere?
The Traitors: New Blood premiered Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, with a two-hour launch.
Who hosts The Traitors: New Blood?
Alan Cumming, who returns as host and executive producer.
Where can I watch The Traitors: New Blood?
On NBC first, with each episode streaming on Peacock the next day.
How many contestants are on The Traitors: New Blood?
22 contestants began the season. 20 remain active after Episode 2. See The Traitors: New Blood Cast for full current status.
How much is the prize on The Traitors: New Blood?
Contestants compete for a prize fund worth up to $250,000, built through missions over the course of the season. The opening mission added $50,000 to the pot.
Is The Traitors: New Blood the same as Season 5?
NBC and Peacock officially brand it The Traitors: New Blood. Some outlets refer to it as Season 5 as a chronological label, but NBC has not formally confirmed that New Blood replaces the franchise’s season numbering.
How is New Blood different from previous seasons?
The cast is entirely civilian for the first time, and the season airs on NBC’s network broadcast schedule with next-day Peacock streaming, rather than releasing on Peacock alone.
Who are the Traitors on The Traitors: New Blood?
Joe Vanella and Tomica Adams were revealed as the season’s original Traitors, with Katie Fites and Xavier Scruggs selected as Accomplices competing for a third spot. See The Traitors: New Blood Cast for the full breakdown.
Has anyone been eliminated from The Traitors: New Blood?
Yes. Kim Daily was murdered in Episode 1, and Madeline Kostopulos was banished in Episode 2. Full results are tracked on The Traitors: New Blood Episodes.
