From Agatha Christie to Among Us, who doesn’t love a murder mystery? No surprise then that the biggest hit TV of last year was the BBC’s The Traitors. But are you ready for more lies, twists and deception coming this year? The addictive reality game show is confirmed to return for season 2.
Following the unexpected success of the first series, which saw 22 contestants try to work out who among them were honest ‘Faithfuls’ or deceiving ‘Traitors’, Claudia Winkleman will return to host the dramatic reality game show.
The Traitors see contestants work together to complete a series of challenges and earn a cash prize. Playing out like an old murder mystery party game, however, the twist comes when the three ‘Traitors’ try to deceive, manipulate and ‘murder’ their way to the prize money instead of sharing it among the group.
The BBC show, which debuted last November, gripped the nation due to its enthralling twists and turns – drawing in 3.9 million viewers. At its conclusion, mere days before Christmas, audience figures had jumped staggeringly higher.
With 4.7 million tuned in to find out if the eponymous ‘Traitors’ would snatch the prize money at the last hurdle. Eventually, after four nail-biting weeks, the three ‘Faithfuls’ Aaron Evans, Meryl Williams and Hannah Byczkowski shared the £101,050 prize fund after banishing the final ‘Traitors’ among them.
For series 2, The Traitors will once again take place in the 19th century Ardross Castle, 25 miles north of Inverness in Scotland. Those hungry for more deception and backstabbing soon will have to wait a while longer yet, however. Filming won’t start until late summer.
If nothing can satiate your hunger for more Traitors, the US version is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Last year, the 10-episode UK series was filmed back-to-back with the US version. With this schedule to be repeated this year too – which only means double the Traitors coming soon!
Based on a Dutch series, De Verraders, The Traitors has also been adapted into series for Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Norway and Spain.
The Traitors season 1 is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer.