The Traitors is back for more backstabbing and scheming, as the BBC has just confirmed a release date for the return of the long-awaited show.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the reality TV show follows a group of contestants living together in a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Among them are a secret number of “Traitors”, who must conspire to eliminate others in the group without being detected.
The show has been a huge success for the broadcaster. Earlier this year, over 7 million people tuned into watch contestant Harry Clark, 23, win £95,150 after deceiving his best friend Mollie Pearce in the season finale.
A third season has been recorded, with a fourth already in the works alongside a celebrity edition.
The new series will be released on New Year’s Day 2025.
For episodes one and two, The Traitors will air at 8pm. From episode 3 onwards it will air at 9pm. The show will air Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, as per last series.
In a teaser for the new series, three hooded figures are seen walking up to an old building holding lanterns, against the backdrop of the show’s recognisable soundtrack.
Fireworks shoot up into the night sky spelling out “New Years Day” along with the Traitors symbol, hanging ominously in the back. Winkleman appears at the end saying, “Start the New Year with a bang”.
“I am so excited for this!” wrote one person as another simply added “YAYYY!”
A third commented, “Perfect way to start the year”.
A celebrity edition of the show received a mixed reaction from fans when it was announced to be in the works earlier this year.
“Boring! we don’t need celebrities,” wrote one person. “We need to see Traitors get relentlessly tracked down by a ‘live laugh love’ mum from Staines living out her detective dreams.”
Others were more open to the prospect, calling it “intriguing”.
Announcing the news, BBC’s head of entertainment, Kalpna Patel-Knight said: “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.”
