THE Traitors triumphantly returned to our screens on New Year’s Day 2026, with 22 new competitors in the cloak-and-dagger competition.
Here’s everything you need to know about Adam, who’s no stranger to spooky danger and with a thorough game plan.
Adam applied for The Traitors after watching the show and thinking ‘I can do that standing on my head’Credit: BBC
He is also an enthusiastic ghost hunterCredit: Louis Wood
Who is Adam from The Traitors?
Adam Waughman is a 34-year-old builder from Essex.
When asked why he applied for , he said: “I’m a very outspoken, dramatic sort of person.
“I speak my mind completely like there’s no filter there. Obviously, I do think of people’s feelings before I speak!
“I always want to win, and I like to give myself a challenge. When I saw this advertised, me and my missus had watched the first couple of series, and I thought ‘I can do that standing on my head’.
“You’ve got to look at it as a game and not take it too seriously. I’m an enthusiastic ghost hunter as well, so I’d love to get into and see if it’s haunted.”
Adam previously when he accompanied our writer to a haunted church – Borley Rectory in Essex.
The legend goes that it has been plagued by poltergeists, disturbing noises and terrifying apparitions of a crying nun since the 1800s.
Adam became interested in ghost hunting after losing his dad.
He explained: “I wanted to prove to myself that my dad is still out there somewhere and that I’m going to meet him there again another day, because he was so young and we were best mates.
“That, and the fact that I love old buildings. I love the smell of them.”
Adam has thoroughly planned his time on , saying: “I’ve thought about it a lot. I’ve got the sort of brain that thinks of something 100 times before anyone else has.
“It’s just the way I am. I love to plan stuff, have the answer in my head before anyone asks the question.”
Who are the other contestants on The Traitors?
- Amanda, 57, a retired police detective from Brighton who would prefer to be a Traitor
- Ben, 66, retired – hailing from Hampshire, he believes he can spot a liar due to his military training
- Ellie, 33, a psychologist from London who thinks she might be the first member of her profession on The Traitors
- Faraaz, 22, an internal auditor from Middlesbrough who is planning to stay loyal at first, before doing what needs to be done later on, as “the game’s the game”
- Fiona, 62, a local government officer from Swansea who believes she has the ability to spot who is honest and who isn’t
- Harriet, 52, a crime writer and former barrister from London who thinks her work experience puts her in good stead for the competition
- , 51, a barrister who was born in Cardiff and lives in London – he says he is “obsessed” with The Traitors
- Jack, 29, a personal trainer from Essex who believes he’s the “dark horse” of this year’s contestants
- Jade, 25, a PhD student from the West Midlands who’s a self-proclaimed “gamer by heart”
- James, 38, a gardener from Weymouth who is always “analysing and processing”
- Jessie, 28, a hairstylist from Hull who’s not afraid to “backstab people” if necessary
- , 60, a child liaison officer from Doncaster who thinks being a Traitor “might be fun”
- Matthew, 35, a creative director from Edinburgh who won’t do anything that separates him from the wider group
- Maz, 59, a civil servant from Preston who isn’t certain of his ability to spot liars every time
- Netty, 42, a nursery school teacher from Glasgow who worries she may be too easy to read
- , 42, a head of communications from County Down who is prepared to go to great lengths to win the prize
- Reece, 27, a sweet shop assistant from Sheffield who plans “remodel his personality” to be effective in the game
- Ross, 37, a sales executive and personal trainer from London says he will ‘hide in plain sight’
- Roxy, 32, a recruiter from Amsterdam who plans to be true to herself while staying within her moral sphere
- Sam, 34, an account manager from North Yorkshire who has watched every season to see how “good and bad Traitors played the game”
- Stephen, 32, a cyber security consultant from London who rewatched old series of The Traitors for extra inspiration
What is The Traitors prize money?
Airing in early 2025, in the (series 3) the available was £120,000.
The total amount the winner took home depended on the contestants’ success in completing daily missions.
For series 4, the BBC confirmed that 22 people from around the UK will once again be competing for the chance to .
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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