The Traitors star branded a 'shark' after hatching cunning strategy
Charlotte has been branded a ‘master manipulator’ after hatching a devious plan to deflect suspicion from herself
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Traitors viewers were left stunned as Charlotte recruited Freddie to join her as the newest Traitor in a move that proved her cunning knows no bounds. But the business director, who has been faking a Welsh accent throughout the competition, has already devised a plan to throw Freddie under the bus.
At the heart of Charlotte’s strategy lies her awareness that the remaining players suspect a male Traitor, given all three banished so far have been women. By bringing Freddie into her fold, Charlotte hopes to use him as a scapegoat to divert suspicion from herself.
In their face-to-face meeting, Freddie was visibly shocked to learn Charlotte was a Traitor, admitting: “She would have been the last person on my mind.” Meanwhile, the contestants left the castle for a dramatic game of life-sized chess, successfully boosting the prize pot to £64,500. Leanne also discovered a secret shield, ensuring she would be safe from the next murder.
The shield added a fresh layer of complexity to Charlotte’s manipulations. After Leanne revealed to Jake, Frankie, and Charlotte that she had secured protection, Charlotte quickly used the information to her advantage. She urged Freddie to murder Leanne, knowing her shield would protect her and implicate Freddie or Alexander as the only two players unaware of her immunity.
Speaking to The Standard on behalf of Spin Genie, body language expert Darren Stanton described Charlotte as a “master manipulator” whose sharp instincts and hunger for control have made her a formidable force in the game.
Freddie stunned by Charlotte’s revelation
BBC
“Charlotte is scary! She loves it, she’s loving the power,” Stanton explained. “She flashes duping delight—that satisfying feeling of getting away with something you shouldn’t. Her face, the elation on her face when she recruited Freddie, and the fact she talks about ‘throwing him under the bus,’ shows she’s here for herself and is here to win. She’s like a shark—a predator that doesn’t care who gets in the way.”
Freddie, now grappling with the weight of his new role, has struggled with the moral implications of Charlotte’s plans. Stanton noted: “Freddie’s quite sweet in a way; he’s vulnerable and even friends with Leanne, who Charlotte has already marked for murder. But when Charlotte first revealed she was a Traitor, Freddie was genuinely shocked—he had no idea she was pulling the strings all along.”
The cracks in Freddie’s resolve are becoming increasingly evident, with his body language betraying his inner conflict. “He knows his only choice to stay in the game is to go along with Charlotte’s plan, but he doesn’t really want to,” Stanton observed. “He will murder Leanne but with a lot of reluctance, and I think he will be gutted about this decision in the game.”
Charlotte threw her previous Traitor Minah under the bus to protect herself
BBC / Studio Lambert
While Charlotte’s manipulative brilliance has carried her far, Stanton warned her bold strategy could unravel if Freddie’s unease becomes too apparent. “I think he is genuinely quite intimidated by her. It seems so real to him despite the fact it’s a game,” Stanton added. “I can’t help thinking there’s a risk with her plan, and it’s possible it could backfire.”
As the competition edges closer to its climax, Charlotte’s cutthroat tactics and Freddie’s growing unease have set the stage for a thrilling showdown. With suspicions rising and alliances shifting, the question remains—will Charlotte’s plan hold, or will her web of lies finally catch up with her?
The Traitors continues on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Thursday