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Wednesday’s episode of The Traitors was explosive: Matthew’s recruitment deal with Traitors Stephen and Rachel “confirmed”, James stealing a shield, Rachel revealing her “FBI training”. But let it be known, if I ever go missing I want Harriet Tyce on the case. Her behaviour was nothing short of Shakespearean – dropping the secret writer and criminal barrister bomb, calling out Rachel against the dramatic backdrop of a gothic chapel, publicly prosecuting her at breakfast then presenting nothing but vibes-based evidence at the round table. To top it all off, she is the first Faithful in the show’s history to ask to be banished simply to prove a point. I fear Harriet is operating on levels of camp no TV show has ever seen before.
It’s a common trend that emerges every season: a woman over 50 captures the nation’s heart and becomes a viral sensation, elevated to “mother” status by fans. And this mother is always powerful, outspoken and often utterly incomprehensible. In series one, we had Amanda Lovett, the then 54-year-old estate agent turned Traitor, masking her ruthless “Welsh dragon” instincts behind a clueless appearance. Series two brought us Diane Carson, the 63-year-old Faithful and former teacher, who came armed with blunt directness and a ginger bob only to be offed by fizzy rosé as Ross, her secret son, took part in her funeral procession. Turn to 70-year-old Linda Rands in series three, a retired opera singer who clung on as a Traitor until episode seven despite blunders so blatant they made billboards.
In this series, I thought we couldn’t get better than Fiona, the 62-year-old local government officer who totally flew under the radar, fooling not only Traitors Rachel and Stephen but the audience with her sweet, chatty mumsiness – only to be the Secret Traitor. I thought her swift transformation from cunning liar to total kamikaze, gunning for fellow Traitor Rachel out of nowhere in front of the whole castle, was the peak of television. But with Fiona banished, 52-year-old Harriet clearly saw a gap in the market and took matters into her own hands.
Harriet entered that chapel as a woman on a mission, swiftly wiping the smug grins off Rachel and Stephen’s faces as she scoffed at their responses (“I think that this answer is not worth the paper on which it’s written”), turning that confessional booth into the witness stand. After she told Rachel “the gig is up” and taunting the Traitors for not murdering her earlier, the nation held its breath as she marched into breakfast, overruling calls for a private chat, to totally annihilate her fellow player. Gone was the controlled eloquence of the courtroom she used to uncloak Hugo: Harriet didn’t just drop a “truth bomb”, she went straight to nuclear.
Was it a bit wild? Yes, but that is what makes her iconic. What these women share is that they are fearless and brazen, if not always on the right track. They don’t just fade into the background like many players have done – there’s always a handful you never quite learn the name of – they throw themselves into the spotlight, all guns blazing to find answers. Be they Traitor or Faithful, they take action. And make brilliant television.
The fan fervour comes from a place of underestimation. Despite Fiona telling us to “never underestimate a woman of a certain age” in her banishment speech, we’re still shocked that these women can cause such chaos and be so gloriously compelling. No one thought 73-year-old national treasure Celia Imrie would get stuck right into the missions on The Celebrity Traitors, and no one expected Harriet’s calm control to tip over into fiery brilliance by asking the cast to “call her bluff” and vote her out to prove that she is a Faithful (and Rachel a Traitor). There is nothing more legendary – nothing more “mother” – than sacrificing yourself to prove you’re right.
Well, partly right: Harriet’s assertion that there are four, maybe even five, Traitors is so far off the mark it makes her performance border on farce. But her tunnel-vision brilliance and forceful cross-examinations cement her in the show’s hall of fame. Before tonight’s episode, I ask the remaining Faithfuls to heed Harriet’s parting words: “Do not let this sacrifice be in vain.”
