The Traitors season 4 cast not only had to deal with backstabbing fellow contestants — but incurring the wrath of Taylor Swift’s fan base as well!
The Peacock reality competition returns on Thursday, January 8, with Swift’s future mother-in-law, Donna Kelce, leading the new batch of contestants.
Promoting the new season on the Wednesday, January 7, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, host Alan Cumming admitted that Donna’s adjacency to the pop superstar left some other stars worried about trying to vote her out.
“The contestants, the players, talk about it quite a lot,” Cumming, 60, said. “[They were like] ‘I’m a bit worried about the Swifties. What they’ll do if we…’”
According to Cumming, the looming threat of Swifties coming after the celebrity contestants was “quite fun.”
“It’s another added layer of menace,” Cumming teased.
Donna — who is mom to Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce, and brother Jason Kelce — is among the 23 contestants competing on The Traitors season 4.
The cast also includes Real Housewives stars Candiace Dillard Bassett (Real Housewives of Potomac), Caroline Stanbury (Real Housewives of Dubai), Dorinda Medley (Real Housewives of New York City), Lisa Rinna (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) and Porsha Williams (Real Housewives of Atlanta).
Former Bachelor Colton Underwood, Laguna Beach star Stephen Colletti and drag queen Monét X Change are all also part of the cast.
“Donna, she’s hilarious,” Cumming said of the Kelce matriarch. “She’s such a sweet lady. I really liked her.”
He added, “There’s a really cute moment in the first episode when I sort of interviewed them. I said, ‘How are you feeling, Donna?’ and she went, ‘A little weird.’ It’s so cute.”
Stanbury, 49, previously teased the cast dynamic with Donna in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly at BravoCon 2025.
“I have to say the only thing was, everyone was so scared to go up against her,” Stanbury said of Donna, citing Swift’s impassioned fans.
“But no, she was lovely. So lovely,” the Ladies of London alum added.
Donna’s sons previously commented on their mom’s latest career move.
“We’ve seen the evil side of Donna. You guys haven’t,” Travis, 36, joked at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France in June. “There is no evil side. She’s the sweetest.”
Candiace Dillard-Bassett is calling out her Traitors costar Donna Kelce. “Mama D! Mama Donna is the sweetest,” Dillard-Bassett, 38, exclusively told Us Weekly at the Page Six Virtual Reali-Tea “VRT Awards” 2025 at City Winery in New York City on Wednesday, September 17. “She’s America’s mom, and she was the castle mom for all of […]
“I really am looking forward to seeing how she does,” Jason, 38, added. “Cautiously pessimistic.”
In July, the former Philadelphia Eagles center told Entertainment Tonight that he was curious how Donna would fare on The Traitors because his mother is “so sweet and kind.”
“I feel like in that show, you have to be manipulative and cunning, and you’ve gotta be cutthroat,” Jason said. “So I don’t know, we’ll see. I’m anxious to see how she did.”
Jason’s wife, Kylie Kelce, has also commented on her mother-in-law’s appearance on the show during a June episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast.
“Have I watched Traitors? Not a whole season. Am I excited to watch Donna? A thousand percent. I’mma cheer her on till the end of time,” Kylie, 33, said.
She continued, “I am not gonna lie, though, her innocence and honesty is working against her. Or for her? Ooh, if she’s a Faithful, maybe it works for her. We’re all on the edge of our seats. I’m excited. Come on, Donna! Win it!”
The Traitors season 4 premieres with the first three episodes on Peacock Thursday, January 8. The first three seasons of The Traitors can be steamed on Peacock now.
