9.6 million people tuned in to watch Warwick's very own PhD student and Graduate Teaching Assistant Jade Scott in the Traitors final. Known for her sharp instincts, calm focus, and quietly commanding presence, Jade fought off round table suspicions before finally being betrayed by the winning traitors, Stephen and Rachel.
Alongside her time in the castle, Jade is conducting pioneering research into women's health and pregnancy, focusing on how the placenta develops and why complications occur.
But what is it like to juggle academia, national television, and the emotional intensity that comes with playing one of the UK's most gripping games?
The Traitors experience
"I was a fan of the programme already and when watching it last year I thought, 'why not, I can do that'! Being a keen player of online social-deception games, which make you think a few steps ahead, I didn't think I'd be too bad at it.
"Entering the castle I always wanted to be a faithful, I didn't think I could be a Traitor."
The intensity of the round tables
"For the first-round table you're blindfolded, sitting so close to the person next to you, you can hear them breathing. When the blindfold came off, my face gave me away I wasn't the only one who was flustered, but it somehow became a thing and it made me feel constantly on the defensive. That shaped my entire experience from the start.
"I was also accused of being defensive when I challenged. what was I expected to do, just sit there silently! I got so much heat, and it really annoyed me, especially when everyone else was allowed to challenge, argue, and speak freely. It felt like double standards. It was hard not to react to that. It took me a long time to stop playing defensively and grow into playing the game."
"That cardigan became my whole personality!" - watching herself on the TV
"Only my dad and my boyfriend knew that I was going into the castle, they were sworn to as much secrecy as me. When the programme aired though, the support came flooding through. It's been fantastic, academics in my department reached out when they discovered I was on the show and my Teams chats went wild.
"And who knew how much reaction a cardigan could get! That cardigan became my whole personality. It did bother me that people made assumptions about my background from the way that I dressed. The stereotype became very frustrating, but it has taught me how quickly people can make up their own narrative.
"I didn't know who had won until the final, but I'd always suspected Rachel. Watching it back confirms just how intelligent she and Stephen were. Knowing what I know now, watching the turret scenes was fascinating. It's very easy to shout at the TV when you know who the Traitors are. It's very different when you're inside it."
Life after the Castle
"It's been a whirlwind! I've not really had chance to settle back into 'normal' life yet. I've been to a few red-carpet events which are really surreal, especially when celebrities are starstruck meeting you and wanting your picture. I don't think I'll ever get used to that!
"I've got about seven months left of my PhD, and then I need to figure out what comes next. I'm weighing up my options across industry, research, and science communication and building on the nutrition business I'm working on alongside my research."
What's your advice for anyone after being on the show?
"Without a doubt the biggest takeaways for me is not giving in to imposter syndrome. You're capable of more than you think, I went in convinced I couldn't play certain roles, and I proved myself wrong just by surviving as long as I did. I've certainly grown in confidence.
"Sometimes, you just have to take a seat at the table and see what happens. I'm proud of myself for making it as far as I did, defending myself repeatedly to stay in. You only play The Traitors once, but what you take away from it stays with you."
From the round table to research that saves lives
"I chose Warwick for my undergraduate course because of the University's history and standing. It's one of the best in the country and who can resist all of the green spaces around campus. It was a no brainer that I would carry on and do my PhD here.
"My research at the University specialises in women's health and pregnancy, focusing on understanding how the placenta develops. Complications in pregnancy can come about when there are errors in how the placenta forms or how it works and I'm looking to understand the 'trophoblasts' which are the cells that deliver nutrients to the developing baby. By looking at how these cells develop and form a working placenta, I'm hoping this research will help us to understand certain pregnancy complications.
"Being in the castle has made me a lot better at explaining what I do to non-experts. I've had to learn how to summarise years of work into a sentence or two. That's a real skill, and one I struggled with at first. Now, I feel much more comfortable speaking to wider audiences. Women's health is underserved, underfunded, and incredibly important and it matters to me that people understand why."
About the University of Warwick
Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment, and challenge convention to create a better world.
