The Traitors’ Ross breaks his silence on secret relationship with girlfriend Ellie and recalls awkward moment Netty jumped into his arms in front of her causing him to ‘panic’

The Traitors’ Ross has recalled the moment he old met friend Netty at the start of the BBC series and how he panicked as his girlfriend Ellie had no idea who she was. 

Secret couple Ross and Ellie finally confirmed their relationship status after he was banished from the castle on Wednesday night.

And following the BBC show, he appeared on Traitors: Uncloaked, where he revealed he was sent into ‘fear’ after Netty recognised him and jumped into his arms, while his psychologist girlfriend Ellie was watching. 

Spilling the beans on hiding his love for Ellie in his first interview, Ross explained: ‘At the time, I’d seen Netty, let’s just say 20 seconds before and I was like, “I have a secret ally”.

‘It’s suppose to be 22 strangers but it’s, 20 plus Ross and Netty… and Ellie. 

‘And Netty has gone, “Ross!” and I was like, “No, no” and I froze because I was like this is not good and she’s run and jumped into my arms. 

‘And the problem with that is that like everyone was like, ‘Oh Ross, it looks really suspicious’ but I was like, ‘I don’t care about you lot right now. Someone who my partner has no idea who they are has just jumped into my arms”. 

‘Like you guys have got the wrong priorites. And that’s what my inital fear was.’

He added: ‘It was genuinely innosent but it looked terrible’.

The PT added about the couple’s romance: ‘Hiding the relationship with Ellie was the easiest thing ever.

‘Any time we had an interaction, I was happy to see her because I was under pressure the whole time, so Ellie was my safe space in the game.

‘However, I thought she was a Traitor, because every time we had a moment together, she would not speak to me.

‘I’m very proud of her though and I’m glad she’s still in there holding it down for the household. I am Ellie’s biggest fan boy, so I hope she goes on to win.

‘I just also hope she does something to redeem me – I don’t want my death to be in vain.’

Suspicion about the two knowing each other began the moment they boarded the train in the Scottish Highlands in the first episode, which was screened last Wednesday.

The pair, both from London, were sitting opposite one another and were deemed by viewers as being too familiar for supposedly meeting for the first time.

And earlier this week a group photo – which includes Ellie and Ross – from a work trip in June 2024 also surfaced, confirming that they knew each other before the show. 

They have also both posted holiday snaps from the same Tenerife location since filming ended last May.

After Ross was ousted at the round table, Ellie confessed in the diary room: ‘The Traitors have done their work, because they have framed Ross.

‘I’m really sad to see him go… especially because Ross is actually my boyfriend.’

Ross gained six votes at the Round Table after first raising suspicion when it was revealed he unexpectedly had an old friend in there – Netty.

On his axe, he added: ‘It’s bittersweet. I thought to myself, “would you rather stay in longer and be in the background, or would you rather burn bright and go out in a blaze of glory?” and I genuinely feel like I did.

‘I’m really happy with myself; I don’t think I could have done any better.’

When conducting background checks, BBC bosses found that Netty and Ross followed each other on social media, but the link was tenuous, and they didn’t want to not cast them because of it.

Mike Cotton, Creative Director at Studio Lambert, told the Daily Mail that neither player was warned ahead of the opening scene, as they wanted to watch their natural reaction on-screen for the first time and see how it played out in the game.