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The Traitors: Alan Cumming "Obsessed" with Knowing Who Gets Murdered

The Traitors host Alan Cumming discussed being "obsessed" with knowing who was murdered and competing in the UK's The Celebrity Traitors.

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Article Summary

  • The Traitors host Alan Cumming says filming leaves him obsessed with learning who gets murdered before he can sleep.
  • On the Emmys red carpet, Alan Cumming shared why The Traitors’ real-time twists make the hit series so addictive.
  • Asked about competing on The Celebrity Traitors UK, Cumming joked he would rather keep swishing around in a cloak.
  • The Traitors: New Blood premieres September 17 on NBC with a two-hour launch, followed by more Thursday episodes.

With Emmy Award-winning host Alan Cumming set to throw open the doors to his Scottish castle for a very different round of competition this Thursday, the host of NBC's The Traitors: New Blood is offering some interesting personal insights on the hit reality competition series. In the first clip from an interview with Variety during the 2026 Emmy Awards red carpet, Cumming explains how the long hours and real-time nature of the reality competition series have made him "obsessed" with knowing what happens next the moment it's decided. "I can't go to sleep until I find out who's been murdered," Cumming from there. Following that, Cumming was asked about joining the UK's Claudia Winkleman-hosted The Celebrity Traitors – a scenario that sounds somewhat inviting, though Cumming has other thoughts: "I'd much rather swish around in a cloak."

The Traitors
78TH PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS — "Red Carpet" — Pictured: Alan Cumming at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, CA on September 14, 2026 — (Photo by: Todd Williamson/NBC)

Here's a look at what Cumming had to share on the Emmy Awards red carpet on Monday evening:

The first two episodes of The Traitors: New Blood debut on Thursday, September 17th, with a special two-hour extended premiere (Episodes 1 & 2) on NBC from 8:00 – 10:00 pm   ET/PT. The competition continues on Thursday, September 24th, with two all-new episodes (Episodes 3 & 4) airing back-to-back, beginning at 8:00 pm ET/PT. Additional new episodes will continue to air on Thursdays from 8:00 – 9:00 pm ET/PT on NBC (and stream the next day on Peacock).

NBC's The Traitors: New Blood welcomes 22 everyday Americans to the battle of wits and wills between the Traitors and the Faithful. This season's contestants were hand-selected from a nationwide search, resulting in over 60,000 hopeful applicants. And now, we're getting to know them a little bit better with an official introduction that includes images and a brief bio for each player:

The Traitors New Blood
Image: NBCUniversal

Abbey Benjamin

• Hometown: Mangham, LA
• Occupation: Nurse
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to be Smiling 24/7

Abby Lee

• Hometown: Saint Paul, MN
• Occupation: Astrophysicist
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Actually Read One of the Books in the Castle Library

Arisa Thomas

• Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
• Occupation: Dog Groomer
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Overpack

Ben McDonnell

• Hometown: Granbury, TX
• Occupation: Barrel Racer
• Self-Declared Superlative: The Social Butterfly

Clyde Moser

• Hometown: Charleston, SC
• Occupation: Teacher
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Make a Dramatic Entrance

Jay Vinnedge

• Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
• Occupation: Physician
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Organize a Flashmob

Joe Vanella

• Hometown: Wantagh, NY
• Occupation: Funeral Director
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to be the Loudest Person in the Room

Katie Fites

• Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
• Occupation: Marketing Manager
• Self-Declared Superlative: Tiniest But Mightiest

Kim Daily

• Hometown: Houston, TX
• Occupation: Lawyer
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Break Out in Song or Dance

Kriste Lewis

• Hometown: Hattiesburg, MS
• Occupation: Realtor
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Have Treats for Lala Hidden in Her Coat Pocket

Logan Smith

• Hometown: Gatlinburg, TN
• Occupation: Realtor
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Sell You Something

Madeline Kostopulos

• Hometown: San Diego, CA
• Occupation: Construction Manager
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Make Too Many Jokes

Mark Zgoda

• Hometown: Phillipsburg, NJ
• Occupation: Personal Trainer
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Forget They Are on a TV Show

Michael Foote

• Hometown: New York, NY
• Occupation: Lawyer
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Stand on Business

Morgan Cook

• Hometown: Midland, MI
• Occupation: Content Creator
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Get Lost in the Castle

Niyyah Hayes

• Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
• Occupation: Therapist
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Say What Everyone's Thinking

Shane Beatty

• Hometown: Staten Island, NY
• Occupation: Ironworker
• Self-Declared Superlative: Tallest in the Castle

Sherry Kuehl

• Hometown: Leawood, KS
• Occupation: Writer
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Make You a Character in My Next Book

Tomica Adams

• Hometown: Boston, MA
• Occupation: Pilot
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Cry When Laughing

Victor Vollbrechthausen

• Hometown: New York, NY
• Occupation: Business Executive
• Self-Declared Superlative: Biggest Flirt

Wyatt Gillespie

• Hometown: Ligonier, PA
• Occupation: Designer
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Likely to Laugh in Serious Moments

Xavier Scruggs

• Hometown: Wesley Chapel, FL
• Occupation: MLB Analyst
• Self-Declared Superlative: Most Infectious Smile

The Traitors is coming to NBC with an all-new civilian version of Peacock's Emmy Award-winning competition reality series known for strategic gameplay and skillful saboteurs. In this brand-new iteration, Emmy-winning host Alan Cumming opens the doors of his now-infamous castle in the Scottish Highlands to everyday Americans. From among them, he will choose who will play as Traitors and who must survive as Faithful.

The Traitors is a nail-biting psychological adventure in which treachery and deceit are the name of the game. Set at an ancient castle deep in the Scottish Highlands, contestants work together on a series of exhilarating missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000. Hidden amongst the Faithful are the Traitors, whose goal is to eliminate the Faithful and claim the prize for themselves.

Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game. If, at the end of the game, the remaining Faithful contestants have banished all the Traitors, they share the prize fund; but if a Traitor (or Traitors) is still among them, they win all the money.

The Traitors: New Blood is produced by Studio Lambert. Alan Cumming hosts and serves as an executive producer, along with Mike Cotton, Sam Rees-Jones, Rosie Franks, Jack Burgess, Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt, and Doran Azouelos.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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