Welsh Government Officer's Devious Drinking Strategy Falls Flat on BBC's The Traitors
A Welsh local government officer has revealed her cunning but ultimately unsuccessful strategy to manipulate fellow contestants on BBC's hit reality show The Traitors by deliberately getting them intoxicated whilst remaining stone-cold sober herself.
Fiona Hughes, 62, from Swansea, entered the Scottish castle earlier this month as one of the programme's notorious traitors, tasked with eliminating faithful contestants without detection. However, her Machiavellian schemes spectacularly backfired, leading to her dramatic banishment from the competition.
The Welsh Warrior's Drinking Deception
Speaking exclusively about her time in the castle, Hughes revealed a calculated ploy that didn't make the final television edit. Whilst other contestants unwound with wine and beer following tense elimination ceremonies, the shrewd Welsh woman deliberately abstained to maintain her competitive edge.
"I don't drink much anyway, so they had little bottles of wine and I think they may have had beer. So what I drink is wine squash," Hughes explained. "I wanted to completely have my wits about me all the time. I was having a little bit out of a bottle with water and then giving it to Hugo."
Her devious strategy involved encouraging fellow contestants to indulge whilst she remained alert and calculating. "I wanted to get them drunk. Well, if they drink it they might wake up with a hangover and be a bit loose-lipped and I'd be able to manipulate them and I could glean some information from them," she admitted.
Celtic Betrayal in the Highlands
Despite her cunning approach, Hughes found herself outmanoeuvred by fellow traitor Rachel, leading to one of the series' most explosive confrontations. The Welsh contestant made the bold decision to turn against her ally, branding her a liar in a dramatic roundtable showdown.
"You want to do the best that you can and so I think I did. I fired a shot too early at Rachel, but I knew she's such a fantastic player and that it was my only opportunity," Hughes reflected on her dramatic gambit.
The confrontation began with Hughes asking Rachel if she was "fibbing" about intelligence received from a previously eliminated contestant. "It's a gentler word than lying, isn't it? That doesn't sound so nice, it's much nicer to say, are you fibbing?" she explained with characteristic Welsh diplomacy.
A Magical Scottish Experience
Hughes described her arrival at the Scottish castle in almost mystical terms, comparing the atmosphere to the wizarding world of Hogwarts. "The whole atmosphere was very Hogwarts and it was magical, and I think each and every one of us, the other 21 people felt the same," she told Welsh media.
The revelation of her traitor status came as a complete shock to her family, including her husband and son, who had gathered for viewing parties without knowing her true role in the competition.
"When the red cloak came up, the lounge just went ballistic. It was just uproar there, it was just bonkers," she recalled of the moment her deception was finally revealed to her loved ones.
Despite her elimination, Hughes remains loyal to her fellow Celtic competitors, expressing hope that the remaining traitors will triumph in the competition's finale.