When The Traitors aired a powerful dinner party scene this week, it wasn’t the game twists that moved viewers most. It was 25‑year‑old contestant Jade Scott’s quiet but heartbreaking revelation about a tragedy she’s carried since her teens. The University of Warwick PhD student shared, with real emotion, how she lost her mother and younger half‑sister in an incident that changed her life forever.
Scott was seven when her parents divorced and her mum moved back to their home in Tai Kok Tsui, a neighbourhood in Kowloon, Hong Kong. After the separation, her mother worked hard to build a stable life for her new family. But in 2018, Scott learned that something unimaginable had happened: her mum and her seven‑year‑old sister had been found dead together. Emergency services had been called to their flat after concerns were raised by their domestic worker, who hadn’t been able to contact them. Firefighters broke into the apartment and found the two unconscious in each other’s arms, later confirming both had died.
On screen, Scott’s voice wavered as she explained why winning the Traitors prize money mattered so deeply to her. “I’d like to buy my own home,” she said, her eyes holding both sadness and determination. She described how that day changed her life, forcing her to rebuild not just her future but her understanding of herself. The loss of her mother, someone she was very close to, shook her identity at a core level. “Our parents form a part of our own identity,” she told her fellow players, adding that trusting new people can be slow for her because of how intensely she’s felt life’s ups and downs.
What made her story especially striking on the show was the contrast between the high‑stakes strategy of The Traitors and the simple, real world stakes Scott carries with her. Surrounded by castle intrigue and betrayals, her admission pulled focus back to what most people would consider the real game of life: finding resilience after deep loss. Fellow contestants responded with warmth and encouragement, recognizing not just her bravery on the show but her strength in life.
Scott’s life today is a testament to rebuilding. Beyond the Traitors castle walls, she pursues advanced research into women’s health and pregnancy, a field she chose in part because it feels meaningful and connected to support and care. Outside of her academic life, she shares a close relationship with her partner, Sam Brown Light, a business owner engaged in women‑focused nutrition work.
Her father, Stuart Scott, has also had a public chapter of his own challenges. A former head of currency trading at HSBC, he faced legal accusations in the United States over alleged insider trading. That case, after a lengthy battle, was dropped by prosecutors in 2023. Despite such pressures, Jade has carved her own path, staying focused on her goals and her personal growth.
On the current series of The Traitors, Jade remains part of the final group of contestants navigating alliances and suspicions. Her story offered a rare, human moment amid the game’s drama, and reminded audiences watching that behind every strategy and every vote in the castle, there are real lives, real histories, and deeply felt reasons for why people play.
