Peacock’s hit show The Traitors US jumps right into big surprises in Season 4! The new “Secret Traitor” twist shook things up fast and surprised the whole group.

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America’s beloved football mom, Donna Kelce, became the main story in the first three episodes, which came out on Peacock on January 8, 2026.

Donna’s Wild Entry into the Game

The 73-year-old mom of NFL players Jason and Travis Kelce (and soon-to-be mother-in-law to Taylor Swift) came in as a complete surprise pick. She won hearts with her kind, excited personality. Before the show, she hinted at having strong “killer instincts” hidden under her sweet side—but fans did not expect her to use them for real!

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Host Alan Cumming picked Donna as the Secret Traitor on the very first night, right in front of everyone. She worked alone and stayed hidden even from the other Traitors (Lisa Rinna, Candiace Dillard Bassett, and Rob Rausch).

Her job was simple but sneaky: She sent secret shortlists of names. The main Traitors had to choose one person from her list to “murder” each night. Donna’s choices led to the first two kills:

• Big Brother winner Ian Terry in Episode 2.
• Survivor podcaster Rob Cesternino in Episode 3.

Her first list also named Dancing with the Stars star Mark Ballas, along with Ian, Rob Rausch, Eric Nam, and others. This put Mark in danger early, but the Traitors picked someone else at times.

Why Her Time Ended So Soon

Donna tried to stay under the radar by being quiet and just enjoying the famous people around her. She said she was “fangirling” and felt shy to talk a lot. But this made others suspicious.

Players like Colton Underwood noticed her low energy and thought it was odd. Even some Traitors wondered if her sweet act was too good to be true. Dorinda Medley even said she held back from voting Donna out because of “the Swiftie thing” (fearing Taylor Swift fans might get upset!).

In Episode 3’s big morning meeting (called the roundtable), almost everyone voted to banish her. Only a few, like Michael Rapaport, did not. As she left, Donna shocked them all: “You got yourself a Traitor!” She called herself the “sacrificial lamb” and said she loved meeting everyone.

Flashbacks showed her in the red cloak, happily sealing her secret lists with wax. The group—and even the other Traitors—were stunned. They had caught the hidden extra villain right away, ending Donna Kelcie Secret twist early.

Donna’s Short but Memorable Run

Her style was “sweet mom during the day, sneaky killer at night.” She helped cause two murders without getting caught early, showing her mom smarts can be powerful.

But in a house full of loud, bold players, her quiet way—no big teams, little talk—made her stand out too much. In her last words on camera, she got emotional: “Playing a Traitor was tough, but I gave it my best shot. This has been a dream come true… These are happy tears that I get to do this at this point in my life.”

Fans say it’s sad but great—a fun reveal, though we all wanted more from Mama Kelce!

Family Side: Keeping It Secret

Donna kept almost everything about the show from her family to keep the fun surprises alive. In a fresh interview with People magazine (January 13, 2026), her daughter-in-law Kylie Kelce said Donna “did not tell us much at all,” and she totally gets it. Kylie joked, “You’ve got to keep the mystery alive… I love cheering her on and am 100% on board.” She would have liked some inside info, but watching it unfold was even better. (Kylie shared this while in Aspen, getting ready for her NBC job at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan—she even took a snowboarding lesson from gold medalist Jamie Anderson!)

The game is already wild: Porsha Williams got banished as a Faithful in Episode 1, and more players are going fast. Season 4 feels full of action right from the start. The other Traitors are still hiding—for now.

New episodes come out every Thursday on Peacock. Did the Faithfuls make a smart move by getting rid of the Secret Traitor so early, or did they just help the bad guys by taking away her power? Share your thoughts! 🏰💔🔥