I think we can all agree that season four of The Traitors has so far been a literal slay. Between the Traitors going up against each other, iconic fashion at the round tables, and secret family tree theories, this series is turning out to be one of the best. And, just when we thought it couldn't get any better, a new element of the series has given the Faithfuls power over the Traitors, which one contestant is using to his full advantage.
As we saw last week, Matthew used his confessional time with Rachel and Stephen to do some plotting of his own. He asked the two remaining Traitors who they plan to murder next, and they responded that Jessie's on their target list. To that, Matthew gave the Traitors an offer: murder Jessie and recruit him as one of their own. The move shocked viewers of the series, many of whom didn't have Matthew on their radar until now.
"We didn't know who Matthew was and now he's calling the shots," someone said on X after the bombshell episode in question. "He felt the 'which ones Matthew again?' vibe brewing and had to act FAST," another viewer added. So, who actually is Matthew? Scroll on for everything you need to know about him...
How old is Matthew?
Matthew is 35 years old.
What is Matthew's job?
Matthew is a Creative Director.
Where is Matthew from?
Matthew is originally from Londonderry in Northern Ireland, but now lives in Edinburgh.
Does Matthew have social media?
Matthew has Instagram and TikTok, where he posts about hiking and his adorable dog.
What has Matthew said about being on The Traitors?
Matthew on why he applied for The Traitors
"It's an adventure and just seems fun," Matthew told the BBC before he headed to the Scottish castle where the show is filmed. "My New Year's resolution was to have more adventures, and what I meant by that was more hiking, canoe trips, and camping, that sort of thing, but I've watched The Traitors and absolutely loved it, so I just thought why not give it a go."
Matthew on his competitive side
"I'm really competitive. I've played a lot of sports in my life and I love games, so I'm going to play to win," Matthew said.
"I couldn't be more competitive," he added. "I think I allow myself to become a different person when I play games, and I allow myself to be brutal, in the way that you must be if you want to win."
That said, Matthew admits he is a "good" person. "In normal life, if I saw someone in trouble on the street, I would be the first person that would step in to help them," he told the BBC. "However, this is a game and I'm very capable of compartmentalising, so if I must get rid of someone because that's what the game's saying, I won't think twice about it, I'll just do it."
Matthew on his game plan for The Traitors
"Anyone but me – that's my simple plan, as long as it's not me," the 35-year-old said of his game plan, which kinda tracks, given how he threw Jessie to the wolves during his confessional with the Traitors.
"I do not care whether they're a Traitor or a Faithful, as long as it's not me," he went on. "I think The Traitors is a social game, and if you've got favour with people, or if someone has a warmer feeling towards me than someone else, then that's the way that the vote will go."
Matthew continued: "I think my biggest tactic is to always be part of the bigger group. No way am I getting off the train or getting in a coffin. I won't do anything that separates me from the wider group because I think that leaves you in danger. You're playing two games essentially – murder and banishment. If you're too much of a threat, you get murdered and if you're not popular enough, you get banished. It's tricky to get that balance."
Matthew on what he'll do if he's made a Traitor
"It's a game, so there's no limit," he said of how far he'll go. "I can't express this enough because I am quite moral and I want to do the right thing, but this is a game, and so the moral dilemma that I see people face, I don't quite get because there’s no morality in this at all. We all know that we're entering a game."
Matthew on how he'd spend the prize money
"There are many things that I've imagined spending the money on," Matthew said of what he'll do with the cash if he makes it through to the final. "I really want to buy a little cottage in the Highlands somewhere. I go up there so much, and I just kind of imagine myself there so that's probably what I would do."
Matthew went on: "Me and my partner got engaged during COVID, and I had campaigned for marriage equality in Northern Ireland – they had civil partnerships, but they never had same sex marriage until 2020. At the time I was campaigning, I didn't think that I wanted to get married, but now I feel like I do. So, having campaigned for marriage equality in Northern Ireland."
Interestingly, Matthew intends to use his plans for the prize money to his advantage. "I think that's a better story for the last round table if I get there because it's not cool to go against the gay who wants to get married!" he admitted. "I think that I would probably say that I'm going to get married back home in Northern Ireland on my family farm. And then if I win, I might just have to do that."
The Traitors continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8pm.
