The Traitors

Ear Candy: Talk of the Townsends

And that’s probably about 99% of the population: the recent series of The Traitors, with all its bad actors and diplomatic bachelors, was certainly the talk of the town.

But a married couple of podcasters have proved themselves a cut above all of us amateur tattlers. Benedict and Hannah Townsend’s analysis in Talk of the Townsends was so enjoyable, and so thorough, that some of their listeners weren’t even watching The Traitors.

The Traitors’ producers announce new morbid reality show The Inheritance

English countryside mansion is shown with bright pink text superimposed saying "The Inheritance"

If you were sadly born without inheritance in your family tree, Studio Lambert and Channel 4 have a plan to rectify that. Named The Inheritance, the programme invites 12 strangers to an English country mansion to fight it out for a pot of cash, left behind by a figure aptly known as “The Deceased.” It’s easy to see why Studio Lambert described it as “part Knives Out, part Succession.”

BBC iPlayer reveals January release date for The Traitors US

The Traitors US is coming to BBC iPlayer, kicking off the same day the UK series ends. Hosted by Alan Cumming, the series differentiates itself from its British counterpart by featuring celebrity contestants, largely from reality TV.

The contestants are divided into ‘Traitors’ and ‘Faithfuls’, who will then compete to win $250,000. The Traitors will operate covertly, ‘murdering’ Faithfuls nightly, and try to avoid being discovered and banished at the round tables.

The Traitors Series Three Power Ranking: Week One

The 22 contestants of The Traitors stand outside the castle awaiting Claudia Winkleman's instructions

Yes, The Traitors, that high camp masterpiece of reality TV, is back to release us from our January blues with more hilariously hubristic schemes, disturbingly primitive groupthink and luxury knitwear.

There have been several twists to the game this year: there are slightly more contestants (25, up from 22), and those who make it to the final will no longer have to reveal their allegiances when banished. Most welcome of all are the added incentives for Traitors to sabotage the missions, which many considered to be skippable interludes.

BBC sets The Traitors to ring in the new year

Claudia Winkleman, a woman with a light skin tone, and dark hair with a long fringe, stands in front of a large round table surrounded by seats

After series two’s nail-biting finale, we’re all ready for a fresh batch of contestants to join Claudia Winkleman – and her knitwear collection – in her Scottish castle. 22 players will enter the contest and be split into ‘Traitors’ and ‘Faithfuls.’ Although they can say which side they prefer, the choice is ultimately Winkleman’s to make.