If Black contestants get a raw deal on The Traitors, that definitely is reality TV | Athena Kugblenu

Fri, 09 Jan 2026

We shouldn’t be surprised when our experiences on competitive TV shows or the football field are consistent with everyday life

Has the world gone woke? Some would have you believe it has, but I disagree. We’re not very “woke” if we’re still surprised when Black people are kicked out of reality TV shows first. Some people are now arguing that unconscious racial bias may well be influencing the outcome of The Traitors. But why wouldn’t it? Racial bias influences the outcome of all our lives. I think we are simply watching reality TV reflect reality.

We cannot know what is in people’s heads and it is difficult to ascribe motive, but Judy, who was booted out last week, was described by a fellow contestant as being “angry” and “having her back up” when she was accused of being a traitor. This may have been a criticism specific to her – but it also rings alarm bells. I’ve heard this before. Hands up if you’re a Black woman who has been called surly at work when “assertive” or “confident” would have been more appropriate? There have been countless studies of misogynoir (discrimination that uniquely affects Black women) in the workplace and they all come to the same conclusion. Being a Black woman at work means being judged negatively for behaviour that would be innocuous in another person.

Athena Kugblenu is a comedian and writer

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