The Traitors is the latest in a long line of reality TV hits that were already phenomenons in their home country before coming to the U.S. Like Love Island, The Traitors began in the U.K., with an extravagant social-deduction game populated by ordinary people. When Peacock brought the show to America, the spinoff swapped out the civilians for a celebrity cast, filled with buzzy stars ranging from Real Housewives and former Bachelors to Survivor and The Challenge legends. Now, fans regularly debate whether the U.K. civilians or the U.S. reality stars make for better TV.
With the popularity of both shows, it was only a matter of time until each country leaned into the other's strength. While Peacock has an all-normie season of The Traitors coming this fall to the U.S., last year the BBC premiered The Celebrity Traitors, a spinoff in which host Claudia Winkleman leads beloved British actors, comedians, pop stars, and athletes through the game of betrayal. (Not a reality star in sight.) After the smash-hit first season, The Celebrity Traitors UK is gearing up for a sophomore installment with an even bigger star factor, including several names sure to lure in viewers from across the pond.
