One of the most surprising pop culture crossovers in 2026 so far has been Daniel Radcliffe’s revelation that he is completely invested in The Traitors US Season 4, particularly in his newfound fascination with Rob Rausch’s ruthless gameplay.
In a February 18, 2026, press conference to promote his upcoming Peacock mockumentary sitcom, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Radcliffe was shown a picture of reality TV star Rob Rausch, but what he did next was far from a casual recognition of a reality TV star. Radcliffe went into a lengthy explanation of his fascination with Rob’s ruthless gameplay.
The “ruthless” endorsement
Daniel Radcliffe confessed to being shocked but impressed by Rob Rausch’s ability to separate his emotions from his gameplay. Radcliffe cited a particular moment in Episode 4, in which Tiffany Mitchell was eliminated from the competition. Radcliffe confessed to being impressed by Rob’s ruthless gameplay when he said to a fellow contestant, “Yeah, but she had to go,” in response to a fellow contestant expressing guilt over eliminating a single mother from the competition. “There’s a ruthlessness to him which is kind of surprising. The other night, someone was like, ‘I feel really bad about sending her home.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, but she had to go. ‘ I was like, ‘Whoa, dude!'”
Despite his obvious excitement for the project, Radcliffe claims he would never be able to survive in the Scottish Highlands under the guidance of host Alan Cumming. He joked that he does not have the “Traitor blood—-” to succeed in this environment. According to Radcliffe, he would immediately confess if he were cast as the dark character because he would not be able to handle the deception.
Radcliffe made this admission to the press tour for his new Peacock series, which also stars Tracy Morgan. Radcliffe plays a serious filmmaker in this series who tries to restore the reputation of a scandal-filled athlete. This series is a satire, which could not be further from Radcliffe’s love for reality television.
Rob Rausch has dominated Season 4. He orchestrated the exit of Lisa Rinna, which she called charming but “despicable.” As the finale approaches on February 26, the odds are in his favor to win the coveted title.
Other players who are generating excitement for the upcoming season are Candiace Dillard Bassett, Donna Kelce, and Colton Underwood. However, in Radcliffe’s opinion, Rob Rausch is the cold-blooded villain of this season.
