The Traitors season 2: Release date, contestants, host and more

5 December 2023, 17:06 | Updated: 2 January 2024, 13:15

The savage game of lies and luck is back for a second series, but when does The Traitors UK start?

The Traitors blew audiences away late last year when the gripping series ended with a nail-biting bang.

The psychological reality show, which pits Faithfuls against Traitors in the ultimate game of deceit, saw honesty prevail in a tense final packed with twist and turns.

Featuring plenty of backstabbing and second-guessing to keep viewers hooked, it's no wonder those watching immediately searched for news of another series when the credits rolled.

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When is The Traitors season 2 on TV? Who are the contestants and who hosts the show? Here's everything you need to know about the follow-up.

When does The Traitors season 2 start?

The Traitors will reutrn on Wednesday 3rd January at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

It has also been confirmed that episodes two and three will be available on iPlayer immediately after the first episode has aired.

Watch The Traitors season 2 teaser here:

Who are the contestants in The Traitors season two?

It has been confirmed that there are 22 cast members who will be taking part in the show, however it is currently unknown who The Traitors series two contestants will be.

Applications for the second series of the show opened in February, so the series was filmed earlier this year.

Last year's line-up featured a diverse and inclusive mix of contestants so it is expected the 2024 series will follow suit.

Will Claudia Winkleman host The Traitors season 2?

She was ruthless in her role and kept the contestants guessing throughout with that steely expression, so viewers will be thrilled to hear that Claudia Winkleman is returning as The Traitors host.

Confirming her second series, she said: "I can’t wait to go back to the castle to watch people play the greatest game on television. I’m knitting a high funnel sweater immediately."

Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, added: "Last year’s ambitious and bingeable hit The Traitors with Claudia Winkleman is coming back with the brilliant team at Studio Lambert set to bring viewers another magnificent series full of drama and suspense.

"We can certainly expect even more deceit and psychological games for the Traitors and the Faithfuls."

What is The Traitors about?

The Traitors describes itself as "the ultimate reality game of trust and treachery".

With deception at the centre of the show, it challenges 22 contestants to lie and cheat their way through to the final to get their hands on £120,000 – or at least a share of it.

Set in a castle in the Scottish Highlands, game-players must eliminate each other in order to win the grand prize.

At night, Traitors choose to 'murder' Faithfuls, which removes them from the game.

However Faithfuls are also given the chance to banish Traitors by voting them off the show.

The winner? The Traitor who goes undetected, or the Faithful who calls them out.

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