The Traitors Australia star Claudia Bonifazio has revealed where she stands with Josh and Luke Packham after they brutally led the charge in having her banished from the mansion.
The third season of The Traitors was thrown for a loop when, in a recent elimination episode, Josh and Luke shockingly backtracked on their alliance with Claudia and rallied the other players around their steadfast plan to have her banished from the manor.
In a jaw-dropping Round Table, Luke spearheaded the suspicion onto a blindsided Claudia, who was interrogated over her willingness to drop names during Round Tables, her gunning for a Shield during challenges, and her reaction after Alex — her supposed “Traitor mate” — was banished.
Not leaving without a fight, Claudia advocated for herself and warned the players that they were “following the wrong pathway,” but Luke and Josh’s recent success rate in identifying Traitors ultimately won everyone over. In a tense moment, Luke described Claudia as “conniving” before she delivered a “screw you” moment and revealed herself as a Faithful upon her exit from the game.
Where does The Traitors’ Claudia stand with the Packham twins after her banishment?
Naturally, Luke’s eleventh hour betrayal of Claudia has left many wondering where she stands with her former ally, and she has now addressed the situation in an exclusive interview with Chattr. “I had no idea at all [what the Packham twins were planning]. I was completely blindsided,” Claudia told us.
“I watched that episode and I just went, ‘wow, you were so naive, so silly.’ I actually felt sad for myself because I was telling everyone all day, ‘if you guys don’t go for what Luke says, you’re silly. He’s on the right path.’ Now, I just go, ‘wow, that’s sad that you were so wrong.”
Claudia went on to explain the personal element of Luke’s blindside given how close they were throughout filming. “It was very hard. I did take it personally because he was my best friend in the manor. I’m still dealing with it to be honest,” Claudia said, adding that Luke’s U-turn left her “furious” and “so angry.”
While it naturally stung in the moment, Claudia admitted that the twins were simply playing The Traitors game, and confirmed the trio are still friendly after they expressed regret. “Luke is so apologetic. He just told me recently that he thinks about it constantly and he will never forgive himself, so that’s good enough for me. They did [apologise], and I’ve seen them so many times. We are friends still,” Claudia said.
“It’s a game — like, who cares at the end of the day? I was just more mad because like we were so we were on the right path, and he ruined the game for us. But it’s okay. He’s got his own game now, so we’ll see how he does with that,” she added.
Still, Claudia said she’ll still relish the feeling of vengeance if one of the twins was next in the firing line. “If Luke gets out, that karma would be the cherry on top of the whole game. It’d be amazing,” she said.
The Traitors’ Luke spent all night planning his scheme to have Claudia banished
As for what prompted Luke’s shocking backflip, Claudia said that she learned later of his late-night machinations to have her banished, which didn’t make it on the show. “Luke said that that night he was up all night. He said he had a breakdown, and he thought that his closest friend betrayed him the whole time, so he didn’t sleep,” Claudia recalled.
“You don’t see him writing stuff down and working it out, like those CIA people who do that stuff on the board. That’s what he was doing all night. So I didn’t even get to see that, but he explained that to me, and I’m like, ‘that is wild,’ and it was about me. So, I’m honoured.”
It was one of multiple betrayals that has played out on The Traitors this season, with Alex Nation similarly sending shockwaves throughout the mansion after turning on her fellow Traitor, Alvin Quah. In an exclusive interview with Chattr, Alvin said that he was “hurt” by the manoeuvre but that “it all made sense” in the grand scheme of things.
The next player with a target on their back remains to be seen, but as season three pushes onwards, expect plenty more backstabbings and double-crossing as everyone hurtles towards the cash prize.
The Traitors airs Tuesday and Wednesday on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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