The Traitors Season 1 - Episode Guide, Trailers, Contestants and All About the Reality Series (2023)

Beat the Dutch reality showThe traitorswas snapped up by BBC1 for a reality/challenge series now airing in the UK; a US version ofThe traitorsalso comes to the USA. If you're looking for a reality show full of wild twists and turns, look no further than this 12-episode psychological deception gameClaudia Winkleman.

The British show's first series featured 22 contestants, including a magician, a cheerleading coach, an author, a pensioner, a BMX athlete, a spa therapist and a property developer, who were tasked with figuring out who to trust. The first series is now over, although there are hopesThe traitors season 2will be confirmed by the BBC shortly.

Inthe traitors,A small selection from the group were secretly chosen by Claudia as "traitors" who were given the opportunity to remove the remaining "believers" by "murdering" one each night. Meanwhile, the traitors were banished from the castle if they were identified as traitors by the rest of the group. Figuring out who's who is a nightmare and there's absolutely no limit as the winner can walk away with up to £120,000.

Speaking of the show, Claudia Winkleman said: "I'm obsessed with psychological games and couldn't stop watching the Dutch version of the show. The fact that the BBC version is set in a castle in Scotland and the producers want me to wear tweed meant I was totally into it.”

Here's everything you need to knowThe traitorsfirst series...

Release date of the traitors

All twelve episodes ofThe traitorsThe first series has now aired in the UK, but you can find out about the seriesBBC iPlayer.

In the US, all 10 episodes ofThe Traitors hosted by Alan Cumming publish onpeacockon Thursday, January 12, 2023.

The Traitors - how it works

The traitorssees contestants relocating to a majestic castle in the Scottish Highlands and working as a team to complete a series of dramatic and challenging missions to earn money for the prize pot. But three of the contestants are secret traitors who will try to deceive and manipulate their way to the prize by eliminating "loyal" contestants. Can all traitors be exposed in time?

It's an intense psychological game where players have to decide who to trust. In each episode, players work together to complete spectacular physical and mental missions. If successful, they add money to a prize pool worth up to £120,000. But in order to win the prize pot, players must survive to the end of the game - they must avoid being "murdered" or "banished".

At the start of the game, a small number of players are secretly chosen by Claudia WinklemanThe traitors. The rest of the players are known as "The Faithful" and none of The Faithful knows who the traitors are. Players are eliminated in two ways; Every night the traitors secretly meet and decide to "murder" one of the believers, and the next morning when the group meets for breakfast, the "murdered" player does not appear. Later in the day, all players meet at the "round table" and decide to "banish" a player they suspect as a traitor. Whoever they choose will then reveal whether they are in fact a traitor or a follower. At the end of the game, the few remaining players share the prize pot if they are all loyal, but if there is one traitor left among them, the traitor takes all the prize money.

Is there a trailer for The Traitors?

Yes a trailer forThe traitorswas published by the BBC. "We're all traitors, mate!" says one candidate. Look below...

Interview: Claudia Winkleman on hosting The Traitors

Can you tell us how The Traitors works?
Claudia says:“The Traitors is essentially a psychological reality show where players must choose who to trust. They bond, make friends, and spend their days working together as a team to complete spectacular physical and mental missions to add money to a prize pot. But all is not as it seems, because there are some traitors hidden in the group - players I secretly chose at the beginning of the game, which viewers will see for themselves. All others are known as the "Loyal Ones," and none of them know who the Traitors are."

Why did you decide to be there?
Claudia says:"Very kind, Kate [Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted Content] asked me to do this and I said, 'Thank you, but no'. She said, 'Why don't you just watch the Dutch version and then make up your mind,' so I did - and nobody got anything to eat, I didn't brush my teeth, I got so obsessed that I called Kate and said: "I've booked a train, I'm going to Scotland now! It's a smart game - not like I've Got Four Degrees, a joke game. I've never seen anything like this. The missions are good, the people are nice, and I dress like Princess Anne mixed with Ronnie Korbett!"

What have you learned from hosting The Traitors?
Claudia says:"Well I've learned that qualifications are a complete waste of time, which is a shame - don't tell my kids! I've also learned that you don't necessarily support who you think you will support. It was really interesting for me - I surprised myself that I was with the Traitors! But then again, I was also with the Faithfuls. What was weird was that I knew too much so I couldn't get that close to them. With the At work I'm usually like 'Come on, sew that jacket' [when Claudia hosted The Great British Sewing Bee from 2013-2016] or 'You can foxtrot!' – I had to be a bit distant here to win, it's very different."

How did you choose the traitors?
Claudia says:"I interview them all and I say, 'Are you going to be a traitor or a traitor?' There were a few who said 'Faithful,' and I said, 'But you'd be such a good traitor!' I watched videos of them and I knew who we wanted the traitors to be - but one absolutely changed in this chat, that was fascinating. We wanted it to be a real mix because it's pretty much you have to come back and murder at midnight, so we picked people who would enjoy that - basically we picked the people who really wanted it.

Were the UK contestants as sneaky as the Dutch version players?
says Claudia: “The same – we are at the top! I think a lot of people came for the thrill of being on TV and then everything changed that first night - suddenly everyone's playing a big money game, which is nice, but when they leave, when they have breakfast, they appreciate each other off, and the traitors work out who to murder so it doesn't come back to them, then there's the double bluffs - and the triple bluffs!"

Your look for the series is very striking - did you have many ideas for it?
Claudia says:"If you think the outfits are starting off weird, by episode 10 I look like Adam Ant! At one point I turned to Sarah [Fay, the Executive Producer], pretty tired, and said, 'I'd like a falcon'. For a minute we both thought, 'Well you should probably have the Falcon, that would make sense.' I've lost my mind!"

Tweed has pretty strong characteristics. How did you approach your look for the series? It's obviously quite a departure from Strictly and the sequins.
Claudia says:"Well I mean this is my dream wardrobe and what I wanted to wear but I've never been to the country so I've never worn it. I have a brilliant girl who gets all my clothes for Strictly and we thought let's do a touch of Ronnie Corbett a little bit Princess Anne and Madonna when she married Guy Richie. I don't know if you can use these references! The clothes were fantastic. We wanted to be respectful though. We also wanted to wear a lot of tweed and then someone showed me Alan Cummings look book how he made the American version. I thought, guys, we're alright.

What was it like being part of a show so different from Strictly and showing that slightly darker side of yourself?
Claudia says: "I really just wanted to be a little ball of positivity, but that wouldn't have worked. That would have ruined the game. If I had gone, yes, you're right and you're doing great and." By the way, you chose a traitor, that would have ruined it. So I had to do it differently. I had to step back and watch them kill each other.

Meet the contestants of The Traitors

Here is our brief overview of the 22 participantsThe traitorson BBC1 in 2022...

Aisha - Loyal, murdered
Alter:23
Profession:Master-Absolvent
Out of:Manchester
Aisha says:"When I was at university and in lockdown, my friends used to say, 'We think you'd be good at reality TV.' Also, I went to university, I have a master's degree, but I come out with some stupid ones Things. I wanted to go to one of those shows to prove I could do it and remind people not to underestimate me, that was one of my motivations. I'll really be myself and have fun with it. I am a talker, I will talk a lot and I will be very honest. I'm a big over-sharer and I don't really have a filter for things. That's why people underestimate me 'cause I'll say things other people wouldn't say, no filter, I don't care. That's why I think people will think, "There's no way this girl is a traitor, she would have already told her."

Aaron-Treu
Alter:24
Job title:real estate agent
Out of:Portsmouth
Aaron said:"When I first heard about the show the main thing I was interested in was the fact that I was going to come to Scotland and meet new people, then that developed over time and I wanted to be more up for the challenge. Ever since I heard what the challenges are about, that's the biggest thing that excites me. I have a background in sales so I'll be able to read people pretty well. Body language, personality, that aspect. I'm a pretty lucky guy too so I guess I won't be too intense. I'm going to bring quite a bit of energy into the game."

Amanda - traitor
Alter:54
Job title:real estate agent
Out of:Swan Lake
Amanda says, "I've always loved watching reality TV, but they're always geared towards the younger generation. When I was 20 or 25, there weren't that many reality TV shows out there. That appealed to me, as well as the logic behind the game, the secrecy. I think I'm very good at reading people, so I really wanted to try it. I've been a real estate agent for many, many years. I think I can bring good personality, and I think I would be a good ambassador for women over 50 to go out there and show that we can still be active and come on reality TV shows. I'd rather call myself a glam ma than a grandma. Also, I've met thousands of people throughout my career and I'm pretty good at reading between people's lines. I have a game plan. I'm going to look at it as a sales venture, so I'm not going to be friendly with anyone and look at this as a career challenge. I've always raised my kids to give 100 percent. If you're really trying 100 percent in anything." g whether it's physical or mental and you don't win then you know you did your best. You don't let yourself down."

Alex
Alter:26
Profession:presenter and actor
Out of:London
Alex says, “When I looked at it, I thought it was a really interesting concept. There has never been a reality show like this before. Something based on strategy and an adventure in the Scottish Highlands. I thought 'why not? see where this is going and what is happening. It's not just about looks, it's about thinking tactically and how to maneuver in tricky situations. Also, I love the physical element, the fact that there will be missions and adventures like maybe rappelling off a cliff to earn more for the prize pool, or maybe horseback riding through the mountains. Something along these lines is right up my alley. From what I found out from the show concept, I think whatever you do, you're going to be a suspect and everyone is going to be suspicious of everyone. I think my plan is to keep a low profile, be myself Being friendly and nice and trying to be a team player is the best approach I can think of."

Alyssa - Traitor, banished
Alter:21
Job title:Business-Student
Out of:Raised in rural West Cork, now lives in Edinburgh
Alissa says:"I love to challenge myself, I really like to push my limits and just get out there. This is something I would never normally do, I have no TV show experience so I wanted to give it a try. When I started reading up on the show and what to expect, I thought, 'Wait, this is actually something I think I'm very good at and have a chance of winning.'

Claire - Loyal, murdered
Alter:43
Profession:Ex-cop and entrepreneur
Out of:hull
Claire says:“In my professional life, my former career as a police officer and my new career as the founder of my own company, I am used to reading people. Sometimes I've read them without them even speaking, and usually nine times out of ten, I'm right. I've been a mom so much since I was young that I've never had the time to do anything just for myself. That was a great opportunity and a show I would be really good at, a chance for me to test and challenge myself to see how far I can push myself not being a mom when not working , when I'm not doing all the Cinderella things that come with being a parent and being a brand designer and all those things."

Amos - Loyal, eliminated
Alter:30
Profession:Physician
Out of:Nord-London
Amos says:"When I heard the concept, I thought it sounded pretty cool. What interested me was the fact that it was quite psychological and involved some reasoning and strategy. Also, I wanted to find out how good I am at reading people and making judgments about their character and intentions. I wanted to test that based on very little information. I had been a frontline doctor for three years during the pandemic and I wanted to do something a little different, something for me.”

Andreas
Alter:72
Job title:Retired
Out of:Belgium
Amanda says, “A few months ago I saw the details of a new program, The Traitors, and I was like, 'Why the hell not?' It's that simple , eliminating someone and everything else, but it was the idea of ​​completing the missions and challenges that I enjoyed. I will bring my age and experience to the game which helps. I'm a happy person so I'm hoping to bring that in as well, mixed in with suspicion. I want to bring a sense of joy to the game, although maybe that's not what the game is about at all..."

Fay
Alter:59
Job title:Head of School Social Work
Out of:Suffolk
Fay says: “Of course, the concept was very appealing. I also come at the end of my long and wonderful career in education. I've been at the same facility for 29 years. I've worked my way through the steps I started with on the ground floor and every five years my job has evolved where I'm at the top of my game now, I'm on the Senior Leader Team. It took me a while to get there but I've always said I'm going to retire at 60 and next February I'll be 60... people are shocked when I tell them that.

Imran, banned
Alter:23
Job title:scientist
Out of:Cambridge
Imran said:“If you look at the concept of the show, the idea of ​​Traitors coexisting with Faithfuls and how to tell the difference between the two is basically a social science question. I come from an environment where I am strong academically much Sciences. There are certain academic principles that I've practiced in my profession and I wanted to see if these could be applied in a very social science setting, which is the main reason I'm on the show.

Hannah
Alter:32
Profession:Comedian
Out of:London
Hanna said:"I'm an absolute excitement seeker for sure, but especially this show because my friends and I used to play a board game that's pretty similar. I'm not really a game person, I get pretty bored with them, but secretly this is a game I really loved. Also, I liked the idea of ​​spending all this time outside of your normal world with no phone or communication and just focusing on that. I think it's one of those opportunities you'll never get again.

Ivan - Loyal, banished
Alter:32
Job title:Author
Out of:Cornwall
Ivan says: “I'm obsessed with games, and I've recently written a couple of books with hundreds of games that groups of friends or families would play together. I'm fixated on how games fit together and strategies for winning. Most of my job is hosting game sessions, I host big game nights. I always write them and never play them, I feel like I've built up this huge reservoir of strategies and possibilities, but I never got a chance to try them all. This is a lifelong love mixed with a frustration I can never really play.

Kieran - Loyal, eliminated
Alter:42
Profession:Solution Advisor
Out of:Hertfordshire
Kieran says:"I first heard about it on Instagram and the way the show was described to me piqued my interest. I've never done anything like this, some TV shows wouldn't interest me at all It was a pretty cool twist and stood out for a number of reasons. Firstly, the BBC is doing this and secondly, the format is new. My first initial reaction was... it sounds fascinating. The price is obviously in the background, but for me, I've always wanted to do something with television and sometimes fate plays you unusual cards, and here we are today. It's something that's always appealed to me, I drove around the block a bit. I've worked in sales for quite a while I've managed events for a long time and I'm used to dealing with people from all walks of life and characters on many different levels.I'm good at reading people, recognizing situations, good at judging and also not to judge. Nine times out of ten your gut feeling gives you an intuition and I think my ability in terms of perception to hire people gives me a strong attitude towards the game."

John - Loyal, murdered
Alter:49
Profession:Spa-Therapeut
Out of:Edinburgh
John says: “I was scrolling between my job and the social media ad one day, the title really grabbed me. Reading the article I thought it sounded like a really interesting experience, something that had never been done before and I liked the fact that they were doing it in Scotland. I sent a little video and thought nothing of it, it was a bit of a whirlwind. The place that is Scotland also appealed to me as I'm Scottish, I've lived in London for a long time and only moved back 18 months ago and if I was lucky enough to be the winner I'd win something in my home country , I were the king of the castle, the king of Scotland."

Meryl - Take it out
Check age:25
Profession:Call-Center-Agent
Out of:Edinburgh
Meryl said:"The fact that it's brand new is what interested me the most. The fact that it's the first time it's being filmed in the UK, there's nothing people can compare it to and I can put my stamp on it. Sounds like a really good experience, especially in the Scottish Highlands as I live in Scotland. I really like the idea of ​​Traitors, the fact that you have to find out who's lying. I thought it would be a really, really good experience and try something new so I'm going to give it a try. I will bring a different perspective because I see the world differently. I have dwarfism. So in that sense, my different view of situations and a different perspective. And, I can contribute my personality!"

Maddy - Treu
Alter:29
Profession:receptionist
Out of:Kent
Maddy says: "I absolutely love crime drama so when I heard about this series I was really interested and thought oh my god I could definitely give a bash. A lot of people think I'm pretty petty and silly. I want to show people that I'm more upbeat and not to judge myself straight away."

Theo-Treu,
Alter:26
Profession:Cheerleading-Coach
Out of:Leeds
Theo says: “I applied to venture out of my comfort zone. It was the concept for the game that sparked my interest and fear of the unknown. I've always liked to venture out of my comfort zone and try new things. I'm a day coach so I always like to lead by example and show people that anything is possible if you work hard and push yourself to go for greatness to strive . Getting people to do their best and helping them believe in themselves. I always like being that strong personality and telling people they can do it and making them believe. I definitely want to motivate others to help them succeed, that's my game plan."

Nicky - Loyal, banished
Alter:45
Job title:auditor
Out of:South Croydon
Nicky says: “I love a challenge. I'm always ready to do something, I'm pretty much fearless. I thought 'why not?' … for a dime for a pound.”

Matt - Faithful, murdered
Alter:23
Profession:BMX athlete
Out of:Hertfordshire
Matt says, "First time I heard about itThe traitorsI was really hung over on a train. It came up and I thought it sounded like a laugh... and now I'm in Scotland. All my buddies say I'm the idiot of the group and they think I'm a bit stupid. I think I'll prove to them that I'm not as dumb as I sometimes pretend to be...or maybe I am. I don't know!"

Rayan - Loyal, banished
Alter:25
Job title:legal internship
Out of:Nord-London
Ryan says:"It sounds like a really exciting new show that involves a lot of strategy and drama, and that's the kind of stuff I've been looking for. I'm really a bit of a drama queen and I love meddling in everyone else's affairs. As a drama queen, game player, and agent of chaos, I thought this would be the perfect game for me. I'm thrilled at the prospect of getting a license to stab everyone in the back! I've done my research. It all sounds crazy and that's exactly the kind of chaos I'm looking for."

Tom - Loyal, banished
Alter:24
Job title:wizard
Out of:Buckinghamshire
Tom says:"I'm a magician and I love to deceive and trick people. I am very content to spend hours and hours building anticipation for this one moment of trying to fake character of mine and fooling people just to know I could fool them. I liked the challenge of everything, making my magic tricks almost real. I want to make a lot of new friends, if anything, and I'm all for taking on challenges and I love trying the unknown. My motivation is mostly that I love being challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone , and that's beyond my comfort zone. I'll give it my best shot and do it with a smile on my face."

Wilfred - traitor
Alter:28
Profession:Seniors Fundraiser
Out of:Nord-London
Wilfred says, “I work in the face-to-face fundraising industry and over the years I've learned how to positively persuade people to take positive action. So instead of using these abilities positively, this is a chance to be able to manipulate them instead. My motivation is many different things. My kids and my fiancee are number one and I would also like to see if I can persuade people and slowly manipulate them. Even if I'm not a traitor. I love tactics, I love playing a game and I love strategizing. The ability to put into play the strategies I've come up with is what motivates me. And also, who doesn't want to win loads of money, right? That is good motivation.”

The Traitors Episode Guide

Here is our episode guide forThe traitorswhich we'll be updating as the series progresses, so keep checking back...

Episode 1: Tuesday, November 29, 9 p.m
Claudia Winkleman welcomes 22 strangers as they arrive at a beautiful castle in the Scottish Highlands to play the ultimate game of discovery, ambush and trust in hopes of winning up to £120,000. It doesn't take long for players to question everything and everyone as Claudia secretly assigns three traitors. It's up to TheTraitors, under cover of darkness, to take out their fellow players named Faithful one by one and "murder" them out of the game. The rest of the players, the Faithful, must try to figure out who the traitors in the group are and ban them from the game before they become their next victim. The lucky ones who survive to the end have a chance to win this life changing cash. But if a traitor goes undetected, he wins all the money. With alliances formed and suspicions already widespread, will the traitors survive their first day undetected? And who will they murder first from the game?

Episode 4: Tuesday 6 December 21:15 (depending on football)
When Claudia's revelation throws the castle into chaos, Breakfast reaches a dramatic climax and suspicions reach boiling point. Before the dust even settles, players will need to put their differences of opinion aside for a moment as they face another mission - giving them the chance to add a potential £10,000 to the already growing prize pot. And with a tense round table on the horizon, a player must make an extremely difficult decision.

Episode 5: Wednesday, December 7, 9 p.m
Tempers at the round table are more tense than ever when another player is sent home. And with the Traitors out for murder again, the Followers are even more determined to catch a traitor in the act. But not even the traitors are prepared for the surprises that the mission awaits them as the gameplay and strategy rise to new levels while Claudia proves that the castle really is full of mysteries.

Episode 6: Thursday, December 8, 9 p.m
With the stakes getting higher and the Faithfuls feeling like they're on the back foot, can they change the course of the game and fire on the Traitors? With life-changing money still at stake, players must also focus on building up the prize pool in a mission that will take them to new depths of despair. But that's the least of their worries as an explosive round table looms on the horizon.

Episode 7: Wednesday, December 14, 9 p.m
We will update soon.

Episode 8: Thursday, December 15, 9 p.m
With the players past halftime, breakfast isn't without its usual trepidation as the Faithfuls nervously wait to see who the traitors murdered overnight. This isn't the only news of the morning, however, as one player unveils a giant bomb that rocks the group and threatens relationships. Despite the dramatic reveal, party members must venture deep into the forest to complete another epic quest and increase the prize pool. On her return, host Claudia Winkleman throws a big twist into the game

Episode 9: Friday, December 16, 9 p.m
Last night's party games left players with more than just a hangover. As one participant already regrets their actions, relationships are tested and accusations are made. The mission is a race against the clock to add more gold to the prize pot, and as the round table looms, one player's decision stuns the group, changes the game for the Traitors, and sends shockwaves through the castle. Claudia Winkleman hosts the suspense-packed reality game show

Episode 10: Tuesday, December 20, 9 p.m
We will update soon.

Episode 11: Wednesday, December 21, 9 p.m
We will update soon.

Episode 12 (final): Thursday, December 22, 9 p.m
We will update soon.

The place of the traitors

The producers ofThe traitorshave yet to announce where in the Scottish Highlands it was filmed or where the Scottish Castle was featured. However, the area is full of amazing mountains and lakes in this truly beautiful part of Britain and will provide a stunning backdrop for the series.

More about The Traitors

The Traitors is produced by recently announced studio Lambert Scotland. Mike Cotton, Assistant Creative Director at Studio Lambert, says: "The series is a heart-pounding psychological adventure game and Claudia is a huge fan of the format and the perfect puppeteer to direct this dramatic game set in the heart of Scotland's Highlands."

Kate Phillips, Director of Entertainment, BBC Commissioning, sagt: „The traitorsis a high-stakes entertainment series filled with false promises and paranoia. Set against the stunning Scottish landscape, I can't wait for these very different 'Highland Games' to begin, where the most important rule of all is trust no one!”

Jenny Groom, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Unscripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming adds, “The Traitors is an immersive social experiment and we can't wait to bring it to the US as the Peacock Original Series. Studio Lambert has had amazing success with immersive formats and we're excited to be collaborating with them on this. We know US audiences will absolutely love the twists and turns of the show."

"We're thrilled to be doing two versions of a show with spectacular challenges and mind games that involve mistrust and trust," added Stephen Lambert, CEO of Studio Lambert. "The Scottish Highlands offer some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world and we are delighted that both the NBCU and the BBC agreed that we should bring our American and British contestants here to play the game."