“You feel a sense of powerlessness, you are not believed”
Tensions escalated on the reality television show De Verraders (The Traitors) on March 20, 2026, as contestant Ellemieke Vermolen became visibly emotional during a roundtable discussion. The show, which centers around identifying hidden “traitors” within a group, is gaining popularity for its psychological dynamics and strategic gameplay – a format that increasingly relies on social deduction and trust-building, mirroring challenges in real-world cybersecurity and data privacy scenarios.
The unrest began earlier in the day at breakfast, where Ellemieke unexpectedly voiced her suspicion towards Roelof Hemmen, one of the traitors. Hemmen reacted negatively, addressing the group during the roundtable, stating, “That is quite something. That hit me too.”
Ellemieke had previously offered Hemmen a personal apology, but he deemed it insufficient. She then publicly apologized again, saying, “First of all to you, here and now: sorry. Again, so everyone can hear it.”
Despite the repeated apologies, the situation remained unresolved, with fellow contestants continuing to suspect Ellemieke. Roelof attempted to de-escalate the situation, explaining, “It’s not a personal attack. It’s not on you as a person. We are playing a game.” Ellemieke responded, “I am too sensitive for that. I take it personally,” before breaking down in tears.
Speaking to the camera, she expressed her feelings of helplessness, stating, “You feel a sense of powerlessness, you are not believed.” She continued, “That powerlessness, I can’t handle that.”
The emotional fallout also affected Roelof, who admitted to struggling with his role as a traitor. “What’s happening here is that my role as a traitor is conflicting with me,” he said, visibly upset. “It’s getting too personal now. I don’t aim for to be that kind of person.”
However, not everyone was convinced by Ellemieke’s display of emotion. Fellow contestant Beau Schneider, who is also under suspicion, questioned her sincerity, saying, “I don’t know what Ellemieke’s acting skills are, but it’s very convenient that it’s turned 180 degrees towards me now.”
no one was eliminated at the end of the roundtable, allowing Ellemieke to avoid immediate removal from the game. It remains to be seen how long she can continue to convince her fellow contestants of her innocence.
The first traitor was eliminated on Tuesday, March 18, 2026. More about the adventure can be found in the video below.
De Verraders airs every Tuesday through Thursday at 8:30 PM on RTL 4.
