With British celebs such as Ekin-Su and John Bercow heading across the pond for The Traitors US, it’s no surprise that the BBC has chosen to commission a celebrity series for the UK.
The set up is simple, 22 contestants arrive at a Scottish castle to be greeted by Claudia Winkleman (usually in headline-grabbing knitwear). They’re all there in the hopes of winning £120,000, and have two routes to do so: either they stay “faithful” and play the game straight – compete in challenges, keep their heads down, and sail through to the final; or they could be a traitor – this involves scheming, plotting, and nightly meetings (cloaked, of course) to discuss the ‘murder’ of one of their fellow players. That person will have to leave the game with immediate effect.
Faithfuls have their chance to fight back against the clandestine group of traitors at a ‘round table’ discussion, where they vote out the shiftiest players, in hopes they aren’t one of their own. Whichever group wins will split the prize fund between them.
In addition to the celebrity series, the BBC has announced a fourth series of the civilian series, whilst confirming series three has already been filmed.
Head of Entertainment at the BBC, Kalpna Patel-Knight, says: “The Traitors has well and truly established itself as an unmissable highlight of the year and the news of a fourth outing, alongside a brand-new celebrity version coming to the BBC, will take the series to a whole new level. It will once again be fascinating for our audiences to see who’ll outwit, outplay, and outlast. Let the mind games begin!"
Executive Producer for The Traitors, Mike Cotton, adds: “We are thrilled to be inviting some celebrities into our castle to come and play the game. Seeing famous faces navigate the round table or don the infamous green cloaks will be unmissable TV, and what a double treat for the fans with Series 4 also confirmed too. There's a whole lot of exciting treachery and deception yet to come from the Highlands… Claudia’s going to have to pack some extra knitwear.”
The Traitors does not currently have a release date set, but will air on BBC One. To brush up on your Traitors knowledge, check out our ultimate guide.
