Traitors’ Eric Nam Reveals Hidden Truth About Murderous Banquet Scene

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This article contains spoilers for season four of The Traitors.

Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho wasn’t the only notable exit from last week’s episode of The Traitors.

Oh my god, you guys, the finale was INSANE! Not only was our winner, Dee Valladares, practically carried out of Alan Cumming’s castle – I mean, the DRAMA! – but apparently a bunch of other stuff got tossed out during the banquet too! It was just… chaos, but I lived for it! I can’t stop thinking about it!

Eric Nam shared with Entertainment Tonight at the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year gala, honoring Mariah Carey on January 30th, that viewers aren’t seeing everything. He explained that some of the more intense moments had been slightly softened for broadcast, as they might have been too extreme.

He said there was a lot of shouting, and people were likely crying. He just kept thinking, ‘This is unbelievable!’

Eric was truly confused during the filming of the banquet scene with Lisa Rinna, Tara Lipinski, and Rob Rausch, but he recalls one particular detail that was changed in the final edit.

The 37-year-old explained that Yam Yam seemed much more vibrant in person than he appeared on television, saying, ‘When Yam Yam was gone, you really noticed how much louder and more energetic he was in real life.’

Despite the editing team making some changes to the episode, Eric still thought it was enjoyable, saying they “toned it all down” but it was “a fun episode.”

He described the experience as intense and a bit upsetting, but he hoped viewers at home were enjoying it. He was also happy to see the positive reaction online.

He said, “She betrayed us, so now what?” They finished what they set out to do – getting her to safety – but they still care deeply for Donna.

Throughout the four seasons of The Traitors on Peacock, many interesting details about how the show is made have been revealed. Here’s a closer look.

Eric shared that he was understandably sad when Donna Kelce—mother to Travis and Jason Kelce—was eliminated in the third episode, but he understands that’s just part of the competition.

It really hit me hard when he said she’d betrayed us – I mean, what do you do with something like that? We’d done what we were supposed to, gotten her to safety, but honestly, we all adore Donna. It’s just… complicated. It’s tough when someone you care about makes choices you don’t agree with, and we’re all reeling from it.

Throughout the four seasons of The Traitors on Peacock, plenty of interesting details about how the show is made have been revealed. Keep reading to find out more.

Deception is a key part of the game in The Traitors, but players are randomly assigned as either Traitors or Faithful. However, beginning with season two, contestants like Phaedra Parks and Kate Chastain had the opportunity to try and convince host Alan Cumming of their innocence.

The choice of who plays the Traitor is a significant one, and we definitely consider Alan’s thoughts on it,” explained executive producer Mike Cotton in an interview with Variety. “It’s like a careful audition process – we evaluate everything and make a final decision right before the selection. We aim for a diverse group of personalities who each bring something different to the game.

Okay, so you wouldn’t BELIEVE the mind games! From the start, we all knew there were Traitors among us, and honestly, it was terrifying. Cirie Fields – Cirie Fields! – told me after she won that they told us right away there could be anywhere from three to FIVE of them! Five! It was insane trying to figure out who to trust, knowing that many people were secretly working against us. I was completely obsessed with trying to uncover them!

Players were also asked to take the Traitor’s oath, which involved promising to lie and deceive others throughout the game, being willing to eliminate other players each night, and keeping both their own and other players’ identities hidden.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following this show closely, and it’s fascinating how they cast! To get a sense of who might be naturally good at deception – the backstabbing and bluffing we see on screen – they actually have the contestants take a personality test beforehand. They’re looking for certain traits that might indicate someone’s a skilled liar. However, even with all that pre-show analysis, the producers themselves don’t find out who the ‘Traitors’ are until the very moment Alan Carr literally taps them on the shoulder! It’s all part of the mystery and makes for great television.

Alan Cumming was thrilled to take on the over-the-top role and even bring his dog to work. He told The Daily Beast in 2023 that when he first heard the pitch, he imagined playing a character similar to a James Bond villain, and jokingly suggested bringing his dog to pet during filming. The producers loved the idea, and that sealed the deal for him.

With his rescue dog, Lala, by his side, he fully embraced his on-screen role, playfully quoting the works of William Shakespeare and Plato. He described his performance as intense, explaining, ‘I was really getting into character.’ He also admitted to improvising a lot, often receiving lines through an earpiece. He likened the experience to stand-up comedy, saying he was essentially ‘making it up as I go along’.

While the actors film at the beautiful Ardross Castle in Scotland, they don’t get to live there during production.

Cumming told the Daily Beast that the cast and crew didn’t actually stay at the castle. Instead, they stayed at a hotel near the Inverness airport. He personally had a room in the castle, which he used to get ready, noting it contained a large bed where he would often nap, but he didn’t spend the nights there.

The show nearly involved a much more dangerous challenge. Creator Marc Pos told Variety his original plan was to film on a ship off the coast of Australia, where contestants who lost would have to swim to an island. However, he realized it would be too complicated and expensive to actually film.

Contestants didn’t have access to the entire castle. According to Cotton, who spoke with Variety, they’re using just one section—a wing of the castle—as the designated game area. They also have full access to the outdoor grounds and are free to move around there.

As a long-time follower, I always found it fascinating how he planned the space. With room for around thirty bedrooms, he realized it was big enough for privacy, but not too big. He explained that people could easily break off into smaller groups and talk freely, yet it was still contained enough that you could keep an eye on things – know when someone slipped away for a private conversation or if someone was eavesdropping at the door. It was a really clever balance between openness and security.

It makes sense that Rachel Reilly, known from Big Brother, found car rides to and from challenges to be the best opportunity to strategize with other players. She told Reality Blurred that “You’re separated, and nobody can hear what you’re saying,” which was much easier than having to whisper in the house.

Players weren’t allowed to discuss strategy at the hotel. According to Dan Gheesling, a contestant from season two, this was because anything said off-camera couldn’t be used in the show if it contained important information. He told Business Insider, “You’re not supposed to talk about the game when the mics aren’t ready or the cameras aren’t on, because if we say something that’s important and it’s not on camera, they can’t use it on the show.”

Chrishell Stause, from season three of the show, also shared that they weren’t provided with a hair and makeup team. She told Us Weekly that she “would’ve died to have glam in the castle,” but Alan didn’t permit it.

Getting the ‘Faithful’ to their separate rooms each night and then allowing the ‘Traitors’ to regroup for their meetings requires a huge amount of logistical planning, almost like a military operation,” Cotton explained to Variety.

Even though Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan were a couple during season two of the show, they weren’t permitted to share a room. According to executive producer Sam Rees-Jones, producers felt it would have given them an unfair advantage if they had.

Reza Farahan from Shahs of Sunset tried to add some playful mischief while filming The Traitors. He told Digital Spy that he attempted to slip notes under contestants’ doors, jokingly implying he knew their secrets. “I was trying to have fun in the moments where you weren’t supposed to have fun,” he explained, signing the notes ‘The Traitors’.

The show operates on a very tight schedule, filming one episode each day. According to producer Rees-Jones, this intense pace is intentional, helping the cast stay focused and maintain a believable atmosphere. While demanding – with some nights wrapping up as late as 2 a.m., as revealed by Stause – the team believes it’s the best way to create compelling content. A typical day involves breakfast, a planning meeting, a mission, and then solving a murder, before starting the process all over again.

According to Cotton, who spoke with Variety, breakfast on set is carefully scheduled with actors arriving at different times. However, the meals themselves don’t last long—no more than an hour from beginning to end.

Producers of reality shows like Love Island limit alcohol consumption to help contestants stay focused. Ekin-Su Culculoglu, winner of Love Island and a participant on another reality show, explained to Entertainment Weekly in 2024 that they were only allowed one drink per night, making it a fairly strict rule.

Honestly, one of the best parts of being on the show is knowing there’s always support. It can be tough navigating everything, but each of us is assigned a welfare team member who’s genuinely looking out for you. Mercedes Javid talked about it on the Just Sayin’ podcast – she said they’re constantly checking in, and they’re so positive and professional. She really felt cared for, and I definitely agree – it’s a huge comfort knowing they have our backs.

When it comes to building relationships on the show, contestants don’t find out who their competition will be until they arrive in Scotland. Casting director Deena Katz told Time that this is intentional – they don’t want anyone researching each other or forming pre-game alliances. However, once the competition begins, players are given information about each other and a journal to keep notes.

I’ve been following Cumming for a while now, and it’s pretty clear he loves playing the role of the ‘Traitor’ in games like that. He actually told The Daily Beast in 2023 that he thinks it would be fun to decide who to ‘murder’ within the game! He finds it hilarious how quickly people will turn on each other, labeling someone a ‘Traitor’ over the smallest things. He even gave the example of simply patting someone on the shoulder being enough for them to be deemed a ‘Traitor’ – according to him, that’s all it takes! He really embraces the manipulative aspect of the game, and it’s honestly a big part of what makes watching him so entertaining.

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2026-02-02 09:22