The Traitors’ presenter Claudia Winkleman – who has a reputation for pairing fingerless gloves with endless cashmere and tweed on the show – has hinted that season two will feature her most ridiculously over-the-top outfit yet.
“It was so nuts and beyond that I thought: I’ve never tried mushrooms, but I assume this is what it is… I’ve given it to Comic Relief and they’re going to auction it in March,” Winkleman said during a Q&A with the comedian Ed Gamble.
The second instalment of the word-of-mouth success aired last night for the first time, with a new batch of contestants bringing a ruthless energy to the castle. The first three episodes are now on iPlayer.
She tried and failed to find the words to do justice to the look before painting the most strangely vivid picture imaginable. “I don’t know how to describe it,” she said. “Imagine a sea monster meets Princess Anne, and then they go to a golf sale, and nod at Jane McDonald.”
Winkleman dropped a few hints about what to expect later on in the season, and indicated that the gameplay is more “brutal” this time around. “It gets really dark,” she said. “We had to have a little group cuddle, and go: are we doing this?”
“There is one round table that… when I came out, I was physically shaking,” she said.
“They [the cast] are less innocent, and they have no qualms about accusing people,” she said. "The first roundtable explodes. They want to play the game, and they are… impatient is not the right word, but they are brutal.”
Winkleman also revealed that there is no armoury this time around, and contestants will obtain shields (which protect Faithfuls from being murdered) in different ways. She also hinted that viewers can expect to catch a few glimpses of an owl called Barry.
The host admitted that she never expected The Traitors to take off in the way that it did. “The success of the first series literally winded us. I was on a train with [executive producer] Sarah [Fey], some red cups and a ceremonial pouch… and I spoke to my husband and said: it’s over but I had a good run. I should resign from Strictly.. and just hide.”
After season one became a huge sensation, she remembers initially telling the BBC: “let’s just leave it. This magical thing happened. What happened, never happens. When Kathy Burke – who is a hero of mine – and Russell T Davies tweeted [about the show] I mean, I needed to be wearing an adult nappy. Don’t write that!” she jokes. “I was just amazed.”
While around 3,000 people applied for the first season of The Traitors, around 130,000 threw their name in the ring this time around.
Pondering just why The Traitors grips so many people, Winkleman said: “the people who make it are extraordinary… and the game is compelling. And I also think it taps into – I don't know about you, but I've been told all my life, trust your gut. When you meet somebody or we fall in love, or think you’ve fallen in love, or you get asked to do a job… trust! This throws that out of the bucket and into the water – that’s not English – but it turns out you can’t. Your gut will tell you absolutely nothing, and you have no idea what you’re doing.”
