Inside The Traitors’ Charlotte’s wholesome life in the country as she’s branded an ‘evil genius’ over her scheming tactics

With her ‘pointless’ fake Welsh accent and early tearful breakdown when accused of being a Traitor, no one expected Charlotte Berman to become the BBC show’s greatest villain. 

But as viewers gear up for The Traitors’ nail-biting finale tonight, the 33-year-old has become, for many, an ‘evil genius’ deserving of respect for her services to the Traitorhood. 

Charlotte, a PR guru from Hampshire, has painted herself as a sunny character from Wales, quickly forming friendships throughout the series helped by her ‘trusting accent’.

Despite risking early banishment, for much of the show Charlotte faded into the background as just one of 19 initial Faithfuls, who quickly found themselves dropping like flies after brutal murders from original Traitors Minah, Armani and Linda. 

But since being recruited, viewers have seen an entirely new side to Charlotte with her ‘web of lies’, dastardly schemes and duplicitous tactics for betraying her fellow Traitors. 

Now as the only remaining Traitor, Friday’s final will see Charlotte battle it out against remaining Faithfuls Leanne, Alexander and Frankie to win the prize pot, which currently stands at £73,600. 

Though she’s been branded a ‘backstabber’ by viewers, Charlotte’s close friends and family have insisted that she is ‘fiercely loyal’ in real life, a down-to-earth lover of dogs, 80s jumpers and Battenberg cake. 

Her plush home life in Hampshire with Alexander, her husband of two years, is worlds away from her sinister appearances as a hooded Traitor on the show. 

On Charlotte’s Instagram account, she says she enjoys cooking and ‘countryside rambles’ near her home in Hampshire, where she’s recently moved from London. She’s also a book lover, having recently finished A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater. 

Happy couple Alexander and Charlotte have a black Labrador Bobbie, aged three, and have travelled extensively over the years to places including New Zealand, Canada and France. 

Writing in The Telegraph ahead of Friday’s final, Charlotte’s childhood friend Eleanor Steafel, who has known her for nearly 30 years and went to the same primary and secondary school, opened up about what the Traitor is like in real life. 

Eleanor insisted her friend is ‘fiercely loyal’ in real life, despite the sensational backstabbing viewers have witnessed on The Traitors. 

She said: ‘She is – always has been, in fact – unlike anyone else I have ever met. She’s funny and loud and quirky. She’s fiercely loyal, quick to laugh and to cry (usually she’s doing both at the same time).’

Eleanor added that Charlotte loves dogs, 80s jumpers, Battenberg Cake and Mamma Mia and has a terrific memory. 

She added: ‘She’s the same person. She’s just doing a Welsh accent’ 

Charlotte’s friendship group have all been watching The Traitors and updating each other on WhatsApp – at once supportive and fearful for their friend. 

Prior to becoming a Traitor, Charlotte’s most notable moments including her pretending to have a Welsh accent 

However, since being recruited as a Traitor by Minah, she has been branded an ‘evil genius’ by fans of the show

Though she may now appear ruthless on the show, which is hosted by Claudia Winkleman, Charlotte has shown her vulnerable side on more than one occasion. 

In an early episode after narrowly avoiding banishment, viewers witnessed her crying that she was ‘just trying to be myself’ – though many took this with a pinch of salt due to her maintaining her Welsh accent. 

Another moment featured an emotional discussion where each player revealed what they would do if they won the show, with Charlotte revealing she’d been having ‘fertility struggles’. 

Fans of the show were left ’emotional wrecks’ after the remaining contestants enjoyed a break from the drama and sat down for a dinner party last week. 

During the meal every revealed plans for how they’d spend the show’s prize money and shared insight into their lives away from the castle.

Leanne, 28, said she would love to use the cash to have another child with now fiancée Sophia via IVF, after being unable to enjoy new motherhood when her twin sons were born prematurely and had to spend three-month in ICU.

Meanwhile Charlotte revealed her own fertility struggles and said she would use the money for IVF, as well as to enjoy a Safari holiday, while fellow Traitor Minah, 29, would splash out on a honeymoon after tying the knot during the pandemic.

Jake, 28, wanted to repay his ‘superhero’ parents for supporting him through his battle with Cerebral palsy, while Alexander, 38, wanted to give the money to charity in honour of his late brother who died aged 17. 

Happy couple Alexander and Charlotte have a black Labrador Bobbie, aged three, and have travelled extensively over the years, to places including New Zealand, Canada (pictured) and France

Friend have insisted that Charlotte (pictured with her husband Alexander) is ‘fiercely loyal’ in real life

Charlotte said in the episode: ‘There are a few things; we’re looking at going through fertility treatment soon, so money towards that would be great. 

‘A safari holiday would be incredible because why not celebrate if I win! And we’ve recently moved so I would love to redecorate and bring all my saved inspo pictures to life.’ 

For much of the game, Charlotte remained in the background as one of 19 initial Faithfuls. 

The only thing that stood out about her was that she is faking a Welsh accent in a bid to appear more ‘trustworthy’, concealing her London accent with a Valleys drawl. 

Since becoming a Traitor, Charlotte has gone from an almost unnoticed character to one of the most talked about villains the show has ever seen. 

Charlotte’s first day as a Traitor saw her hide her knowledge of suspicion towards Minah, and come up with a plan to potentially ‘kill into the shield’, as neither of them knew Jake had received protection in the mission that day. 

While veteran Traitor Minah said she wanted to reach the final with Charlotte as part of a combined ‘sisterhood’, her fellow Traitor clearly had other plans. 

In her time as Traitor, Charlotte has managed to topple original Traitor Minah – whom many had tipped to win the show – as well as recruiting Freddie and securing his banishment only 24 hours later after pretending she didn’t know Leanne had a shield.

Fans have since branded her an ‘evil genius’ and a ‘mastermind’ after witnessing her cunning plotting. 

They wrote: ‘OMG! Charlotte is another level of Traitor! Her mind is 10 steps ahead and is a devious, dark place! Love her!’; 

‘Charlotte is literally a mastermind you cannot deny traitor talent like that’;

‘I am actually obsessed with charlotte going from the girl who’s faking a welsh accent for no reason to becoming an evil mastermind throwing an OG traitor under the mess and could now actually win the show… it’s kinda iconic’;

‘I’m really enjoying Charlotte’s journey from ‘weird woman with a fake Welsh accent’ to evil genius in the space of ten episodes. Give her the money now.’

Friday’s final is set to begin with a nail-biting twist after Frankie was given the power of ‘The Seer’ – new for the 2025 series – and could pick a player of her choosing to reveal their true identity. 

Viewers were left on the edge of their seats on Thursday night with a brutal cliffhanger, as Frankie sensationally picked Charlotte, in the hope to ‘affirm’ her as a Faithful.  

However, interior designer Frankie will be met with a nasty shock after discovering her apparent ally isn’t who she says she is. 

Fans have since branded Charlotte an ‘evil genius’ and a ‘mastermind’ after witnessing her cunning plotting

Charlotte’s down-to-earth hobbies – which include rambling in the countryside – are much at odds with her machinations as a Traitor

In a recent interview ahead of the final, Charlotte admitted that keeping up the fake accent has been ‘exhausting’ and she might have ‘permanently rewired her brain’.

She said: ‘I have learned that if I ever do another TV show, I probably, most definitely, won’t do it with a fake Welsh accent. It has been exhausting, and I think I may have permanently rewired my brain. But perhaps it has paid off after all?!’

Charlotte continued: ‘But seriously, behind the chatty façade I am quite a self-doubter and this whole experience has been something I’m truly proud of myself for.

‘I’ve built genuine relationships with the other players and been able to show people my true self – even within a game of deception.

‘I’m proud of my resilience when I’ve defended myself at the Round Table and really tried to play the game in its truest sense.’

Charlotte is known to be a big fan of the show, and had applied to go on the second series, but hadn’t heard back. 

She said: ‘I applied to go on series two after series one as I was such a fan from the very beginning! But I didn’t hear anything back. I think series two benefited from everyone really understanding and playing the game. 

‘What I love is not only the main game, which is amazing, but all the undercurrents of secrets – I gasped when the Diane/Ross connection was revealed! It’s just such a great show.’

From the start of the season, Charlotte has been pretending to be from Abergavenny in South Wales – her reasoning being that Welsh is the ‘most trustworthy’ of accents.

She even managed to fool her fellow contestant Elen, who was banished in the first week, who was actually from Wales.