This week on It’s Ben A Week, the secret is FINALLY out: Ben is officially joining the cast of The Traitors: New Blood, premiering September 17th on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock!  

After months of keeping one of the biggest secrets of his life, Ben can finally talk about traveling to Scotland, entering the castle, and becoming one of 22 contestants on the first U.S. civilian season of the hit competition series. As a longtime fan of The Traitors, Ben breaks down how the game works, explains Faithfuls, Traitors, murders, banishments and the infamous Round Table, and shares what it feels like to go from binge-watching the show at home to actually becoming part of it.  

Ben also reflects on the journey that brought him here. Just months before filming, he recorded an episode about rejection and wondering when his next “yes” would finally come. Now, after one of the most mentally, physically and emotionally challenging experiences of his life, Ben opens up about feeling like years of hard work may finally be leading to his moment.  

Then AJ joins Been There, Done That to reveal what it was like keeping Ben’s secret, convincing everyone he was away filming a Christmas movie, and holding down the ranch while Ben disappeared to Scotland. They also talk about discovering The Traitors together, why AJ thinks he’d make an incredible Traitor, and what they’re most excited—and nervous—to see when the finished episodes finally air.  

The game has already been played. The secrets have been kept. Now it’s finally time to watch it all unfold.

In this episode:

• Ben officially announces The Traitors: New Blood  
• How The Traitors actually works
• Going from superfan to contestant  
• Filming in Scotland and experiencing the game firsthand
• Why Ben decided to say yes to reality television
• Looking back at rejection before getting one enormous “yes”  
• Why this experience feels like a major turning point
• What Ben can—and definitely cannot—reveal before the premiere
• AJ’s elaborate Christmas-movie cover story  
• Whether AJ would make a better Faithful or Traitor
• The nerves of waiting to see how everything was edited
• What listeners can expect from It’s Ben A Week throughout the season  

🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week
New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell.

📍 Listen & Subscribe:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts

🔗 Connect with Ben:
Instagram: @itsbenaweek
TikTok: @itsbenaweek
Website: itsbenaweek.com

💬 Want to be on the show?
Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com