A new group is preparing to enter the castle. NBC has revealed the 22 contestants taking part in The Traitors: New Blood, a new civilian version of the hit reality competition which will once again bring Alan Cumming and plenty of treachery to the Scottish Highlands.
Unlike recent seasons of the US series, which have largely filled the castle with reality stars and familiar faces, New Bloodwill put everyday Americans at the centre of the game. The contestants range in age from 23 to 65 and include an astrophysicist, funeral director, barrel racer, pilot and dog groomer, all competing for a prize pot of up to $250,000 and hoping they can spot a Traitor before it is too late.
The full cast is Abbey Benjamin (37, nurse), Abby Lee (29, astrophysicist), Arisa Thomas (36, dog groomer), Ben McDonnell (34, barrel racer), Clyde Moser (32, teacher), Jay Vinnedge (36, physician), Joe Vanella (44, funeral director), Katie Fites (23, marketing manager), Kim Daily (37, lawyer), Kriste Lewis (52, realtor), Logan Smith (26, realtor), Madeline Kostopulos (26, construction manager), Mark Zgoda (26, personal trainer), Michael Foote (38, lawyer), Morgan Cook (39, content creator), Niyyah Hayes (29, therapist), Shane Beatty (32, ironworker), Sherry Kuehl (65, writer), Tomica Adams (54, pilot), Victor Vollbrechthausen (26, business executive), Wyatt Gillespie (26, designer) and Xavier Scruggs (38, MLB analyst).
Alan Cumming returns as host and executive producer, welcoming the new players into the familiar Highland castle before secretly choosing the Traitors among them. From there, the Faithful must work out who is lying at the Round Table before they are murdered from the game, with suspicion shifting constantly as alliances form and accusations begin to fly. If any Traitors remain at the end, they can take the prize for themselves.
The civilian format brings the US version closer to the setup British viewers know from Claudia Winkleman’s The Traitors, where unknown contestants enter the castle without pre-existing reality TV reputations following them into the game. It should also make first impressions particularly important, as the players will have very little information about one another beyond what they choose to reveal.
The Traitors: New Blood will premiere on NBC in the US on Thursday, 17 September at 8pm ET/PT with a special two-hour episode. Episodes will then be available on Peacock the following day.
For UK viewers, there is a slight catch. NBC’s announcement currently only confirms its US broadcast and Peacock release, with no UK broadcaster or premiere date announced for New Blood at the time of writing. The regular US edition of The Traitors has previously made its way to BBC iPlayer, so we will be keeping an eye out for any news on whether this civilian version will follow.
For CultureCues, having a full civilian cast is a fun change for the US series and brings New Blood a little closer to the UK version (which, without sounding too biased, we absolutely love!). With no reality TV reputations or pre-existing opinions following anyone into the castle, first impressions really matter and the players have to judge each other entirely on who they meet in the game. Part of what makes The Traitors so addictive is watching complete strangers try to read each other from the moment they enter, and this group certainly has an interesting mix of backgrounds to throw together. We also love Alan Cumming hosting the US series, and seeing the Scottish icon back in the Highlands is always a bonus. Now we just need to know when we can watch it in the UK… Cloaks at the ready.
The Traitors: New Blood premieres on NBC in the US on Thursday, 17 September 2026, with episodes streaming on Peacock the following day.
CultureCues Editorial is the house byline for short-form entertainment news, trailer updates, release announcements and industry coverage. All CultureCues content is overseen by founder and editor Nikki Murray.