First Murdered Contestant on ‘The Traitors: New Blood’ Talk Strategy, Suspicions, and Early Exit

A new season of deception, suspicion, and betrayal is underway on The Traitors: New Blood, where a group of everyday competitors must determine who among them can be trusted. As the Faithful work to unmask the Traitors hiding in their ranks, every conversation, alliance, and round table carries consequences. But surviving the castle also means avoiding the Traitors’ attention, and making a strong first impression can put a target on your back.

For Kim Daily, better known in the castle as Coach Kim, that balancing act proved difficult from the start. An attorney who chose to keep her profession under wraps, she entered the game hoping to build trust and become the glue that held the group together. Her competitive spirit and ability to connect with others quickly made her a threat, cutting short a game she had only begun to play.

Pop Culturalist caught up with Kim to discuss the strategy behind her basketball coach persona, the relationships she began building in the castle, and her early suspicions about the Traitors. She also reflected on her approach to shields, the inspiration she took from Phaedra Parks, and the plans viewers never got to see unfold.

PC: There are so many differences between watching New Blood and the celebrity editions, from the way you all approached the missions to how you moved through the game. From a strategic perspective, what felt like the biggest difference going in? Was there anything about the group’s gameplay that surprised you?
Kim: Absolutely. We had no idea who anybody was, so we did have the opportunity to come in and recreate ourselves and make ourselves whoever we wanted people to believe we were. I wanted people to believe that I am who I am, but you don’t need to know that I’m an attorney.

PC: Speaking of that, hiding the fact that you were an attorney proved to be a smart decision, especially after Michael [Foote] also landed on that shortlist for murder. Were you surprised by how much of a threat the Traitors believed a basketball coach could pose at the round table? Looking back, what profession would you have chosen instead?
Kim: I was definitely surprised. Joe [Vanella] made the comment that coaches are used to talking over players. Attorneys are used to cross-examining people and persuading juries to make a decision in their favor. So I was surprised by that. But at the end of the day, I don’t think it was the title that got me. It was the person wearing the coach’s outfit that got me. I could have come in and said that I was an art teacher. I could have told them I was an underwater basket weaver, and they would have been like, “This girl is going to have everybody twenty feet deep in the water with a basket.” So it’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I liked it. I love basketball. I enjoyed getting into character for that. I don’t have any regrets about it.

PC: Your persona just screams competitor. That initial ride to the castle feels like such a great opportunity to start building relationships and potential alliances. Who did you form the closest connections with during your time in the castle? How did you see those relationships shaping the way you played the game?
Kim: I’ll tell you this: Joe and I actually spent an incredible amount of time together. We met on the platform. We sat with each other on the train. It was me, Joe, and Michael sitting with each other. We rode to the castle together on several different occasions. There were lots and lots of conversations there.

Now, while there were lots of conversations, I did begin to feel like Joe was hunting for information and trying to get buddy-buddy. It didn’t feel like a friendship, but he was around me a lot, talking, so what’s really going on here?

But in terms of people I was building trust with, obviously, I didn’t have a whole lot of time. Abby [Lee] and I had a good relationship. We had a fair amount of trust and enjoyed each other’s company. I do think that an alliance was building that would have carried through in the game.

PC: Especially so early on in the game, it’s difficult to know how every move will be interpreted by the rest of the competitors. Those three players who took shields early on got a lot of heat at that round table. When Alan [Cumming] revealed that there would be three up for grabs in that opening mission, what was your immediate thought process? Were you ever tempted to go for one?
Kim: My initial thought process was that shields exist, and I’m certainly not going to go for the first one. So let’s see how this plays out. My mindset was that a shield would become necessary for me after the first round table because that’s when they might start to question, “Wait a minute. There seems to be something a little different about this one.” I thought my threat factor would not yet have been revealed, but I was wrong about that assessment.

But I’ll tell you, I actually got up to the treasure chest that had the shield inside. I unwrapped the first two layers of the shield that Madeline [Kostopulos] got. I touched that box, and I started the contraption. I said, “This is a bit too much. It’s taking up too much time. It’s hot up here on this boat. I’m going to get back in the water,” because I do know that there’s heat that comes with having a shield, and it just wasn’t worth it.

PC: Hindsight is 20/20. Had you taken that shield, you would have gotten heat at the round table. You touched upon this already, but we didn’t get to see a lot of your strategy unfold. Had you survived that first night, how were you planning on approaching the game? Did you have any early suspicions about who the Traitors might be? What was your reaction when you learned who they were?
Kim: My goal was basically to be cool with everybody: “Yo, what’s up? You want some cookies? You see how pretty those trees are outside? You seem a little nervous. Are you all right?” I wanted to be the glue in the community, which is its own threat. But being a wallflower isn’t in me. If you told me to be quiet like I was a student in your school, I might start dancing. It’s just what happens. So there was nothing that I could do about that.

I most definitely suspected Joe. I was like, “Yup, I’m right.” I was going to get him. Tomica [Adams], I was surprised by. She wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. She was on my list, but at that point, my list was like ten to twelve people long. She was in the latter half of that suspicion list.

PC: Before you entered the castle, was there anybody from the celebrity editions whose game you hoped to model yours after? What was it about their approach that stood out?
Kim: Phaedra Parks from Season 2. What I loved about Phaedra is that she never did too much. But we still got a good taste of her personality, and I loved it. Phaedra is a very powerful person. She’s also an attorney. She came in there and read the room. She spoke when appropriate. She was like, “I’m going to sit here, serve face and outfits, and you’ll hear from me when you need to.” She was definitely my inspiration.

Make sure to follow Kim on Instagram. The Traitors: New Blood is currently airing on NBC and available to stream the next day on Peacock.