The Traitors Australia has crowned no one as its 2023 winner. After a wild season full of lies, deception, and the murders of more Faithfuls than we could’ve anticipated, the Grand Finale took things to a whole new level.
With Traitors Sam, Blake and Camille, and Faithfuls Liam and Sarah, the Faithfuls were outnumbered when they went into the first Banishment Ceremony of the finale. Of course, they didn’t know that. In fact, Sarah was quickly swayed by the Traitors, and in a unanimous vote, Liam was banished from the game. Of course, this also meant that there was no way left for Sarah to win the game.
This meant that the Traitors were faced with: The Traitor’s Dilemma. While they stuck together and successfully banished Sarah from the game, their loyalties to one another ended there.
Unfortunately for Sam, Blake, and Camille, their dreams of taking even one of the $200K in silver bars also finished there.
The Traitor’s Dilemma Explained
With three Traitors left in the game, Sam, Blake and Camille faced a choice. Would they decide to share, or roll the dice and try to steal the whole prize for themselves? Here’s how it worked.
- If Sam, Blake and Camille all picked Share, they would divide the silver bars evenly.
- If one contestant picked Share while the others picked Steal, the two who chose Steal would split the silver between them, while the person who chose Share would get nothing.
- If two contestants picked Share while the third picked Steal, the contestant who picked Steal would get the entire prize fund.
- If all the contestants picked Steal, the prize fund would be forfeited entirely.
The Traitors agreed to split the prize pool evenly, but of course, that’s not how it worked out. Rather, Sam, Blake, and Camille all chose to steal, which meant that they all walked away with absolutely nothing.
Camille Knew Not to Trust Sam and Blake
Camille saw Sam and Blake’s betrayal coming, she said, and if she wasn’t going to get a cut of the prize, no one was.
“The most fun I’ve had in this game was when you guys recruited me,” she began. “I have had a ball being part of Team Traitor. You were the best Traitors. You planned, you were strategic, and when you recruited me, I knew your plan was to take me right here. I knew you wanted me because I was a sharer. But if I wasn’t gonna win, then, none of us were gonna win.”
Sam was incredulous and angry, while Blake was quiet and teary.
“We worked bloody hard the whole game to try and stay here, and I think we did deserve to have that silver,” Sam said. “I can’t believe that just happened!”
To Camille, Sam added: “I had more trust in you being a loyal person that you made it out that you were.”
“Where’s your loyalty?” Camille countered, explaining that when Sam approached her with “the same face, the same tone” that he’d lied to the Faithfuls with, she knew not to trust him.
Visibly irritated, Sam said that he felt that if he’d been in her position, he would’ve shared the prize.
“I think you actually know deep down in your heart that me and Blake do deserve it, and how hard we’ve worked, and how smart we’ve worked, that you should’ve just been like, ‘You know what, that’s fair play boys, you’ve done good’,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense! I did all the work… and so did Blake.”
“It’s not personal,” Camille stressed. “I respect you guys so much, you played so well.”
“Then you should’ve just let us have it,” Sam said.
“It’s just the game,” Camille said.
“Yeah. That’s what a rich person says,” Sam replied.
On that note, Camille exited, leaving the two OG Traitors.
“Should’ve banished her,” Sam muttered. “Dude, I can’t believe she did it.”
Crying, Blake shook his head.
“I’m done,” he said, walking back inside.
The Traitors Australia 2023 Recap: The Faithfuls Had Too Much Faith
Going into the second season of The Traitors Australia, host Rodger Corser was excited.
“Season 1’s had a life since it aired on broadcast last year,” he told The Latch over the phone. “I think a lot of people came to the show late — it was reviewed on social media and also in international media really favourably after we aired here, so yeah, I think it’s maybe going to bring some more people to the table this time around, for Season 2.”
With the season now behind us, it’s safe to say that the show delivered on several fronts. There were gruelling challenges, lots of laughs, and perhaps most importantly, absolutely chaotic Banishment Ceremonies, like when Annabel and Luke correctly named Sam and Blake as the Traitors… only for Annabel to be Banished.
“For me, and for the audience, it’s so bleedingly obvious that Sam in particular is a Traitor,” Annabel told The Latch after her Banishment. “Working [Blake] out took a little more nuance.”
Soon enough, Luke found himself banished also. Annabel and Luke’s banishments were a turning point for the Traitors and from there, they had a clear path to the finale. In fact, the only bump along the way was when Camille correctly identified them, but Sam and Blake soon fixed that by recruiting her to the dark side. After that, the trio of Traitors were on a rampage, and soon enough, found themselves entering the Finale with only Liam and Sarah left to banish.
Related: Luke Toki Reveals What We Didn’t Get to See on ‘The Traitors’
Related: “Bleedingly Obvious”: Annabel on Sam Being a Traitor and Being Banished
Sam’s Path to the Finale
“I have a really good game face, I’m just gonna be nice and pleasant, but when it really comes down to the crunch, I know what I need to do,” Sam said in a press statement before The Traitors Australia premiere.
Originally a NSW country boy, Sam relocated to the Gold Coast as an adult, where he works as a marketing consultant. In 2019, he spent over 40 days volunteering as a firefighter to help fight the NSW bushfires alongside his father and brother. During that time, the trio also raised over $63K for his local wildlife centre.
Although Sam may be a charitable person in real life, he entered The Traitors ready to do whatever it took to win, and he did just that… it just didn’t quite play out that way in the end.
Blake’s Path to the Finale
“I think my cheeky, double-dimpled smile and witty repartee has got me here and hopefully I can strategise and play the game to the fullest that gets me to the end,” Blake said in a press statement before The Traitors Australia premiere.
In his everyday life, Blake works as a beer salesman in Victoria, and loves playing board games in his spare time. He entered the game hoping that his sales skills, board game strategy and happy-go-lucky personality would work for him on The Traitors Australia, and they did… for a time.
According to Annabel, Blake played “a much more subtle game” than Sam. Indeed, with his fierce alliances and under-the-radar gameplay, Blake was even able to fool Keith, who worked as an undercover cop for several years.
“I had no idea about Blake, very likely because he was my mate,” Keith told The Latch in an email Q&A.
He added: “I still can’t get over the fact that Blake played the part of a Faithful so well”.
Camille’s Path to the Finale
For over 17 years, Camille worked as a federal agent. She worked on cases that involved drug smuggling, fraud, money laundering, human trafficking, and personal protection.
Of course, she wasn’t about to tell her fellow contestants any of that! Rather, Camille entered the game telling everyone that she is a Japanese tour guide. Technically, it wasn’t a lie — she was a tour guide, and she does speak Japanese fluently.
Camille entered the game as a Faithful, and for awhile, she was fooled by the Traitors. However, the one-two punch of Annabel’s banishment and Luke’s murder was a turning point for her game. As soon as she realised that Luke would have no reason to jeopardise his own game for Annabel, Camille realised she’d been barking up the wrong tree, and that the Traitors were right under her nose.
Before she could banish them from the game, though, Sam and Blake recruited her to become a Traitor. The rest, as they say, is history.
Missed The Traitors Australia finale? Catch up on 10 Play.
Want more The Traitors? Read all our content here, and check out the stories below:
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- Rodger Corser Spills on What We Can Expect From ‘The Traitors’
- The Stunning Hotel Where ‘The Traitors’ Was Filmed
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- Meet Michelle, the Admin Behind Reality TV’s Favourite Facebook Groups
- Well Well Well, It’s Time to Meet ‘The Traitors’ of 2023
- Travel, Puppies, and Love: What Alex From ‘The Traitors Australia’ Is Doing Right Now
- ‘The Traitors Australia’ 2023: Everyone Who’s Been Murdered and Banished
- Bamboozled About When ‘The Traitors’ Airs? We Have Got You Sorted
- ‘The Traitors’ 2023 Is Almost Here, So It’s Time for an Instagram Deep Dive
- Ash Pollard on ‘The Traitors’: “I Think Sam’s Dug His Own Grave, Frankly”
- “Bleedingly Obvious”: Annabel on Sam Being a Traitor and Being Banished
- Luke Toki Reveals What We Didn’t Get to See on ‘The Traitors’
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