The fourth series of The Traitors premiered on October 30, 2023, with producer Mike Cotton sharing insights about the unexpected viewer response. Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the new season welcomes a fresh group of traitors and faithfuls competing for a substantial prize pot of up to £120,000 at Ardross Castle in Scotland.
Cotton, the creative director at Studio Lambert, expressed his astonishment at the show’s ability to unite families. “We had parents coming up to us and thanking us for reintroducing them to watching TV with their teenagers and their children,” he said. He noted that the show has transformed into a significant family viewing event, a response the production team had not anticipated given the series’ themes of deception and betrayal.
As the series unfolds, the pressure mounts on the civilian contestants compared to the celebrity version aired last year. Cotton elaborated, “With celebrities, all the viewers automatically knew who those people were; they knew why they were funny. And when you go back to our regular version, these are people that you don’t really know – you’ve got to learn to love them.” This shift has prompted the introduction of a secret fourth traitor, whose identity remains unknown to both viewers and fellow contestants.
The intense atmosphere is palpable, especially during roundtable discussions. Winkleman highlighted that participants “get really brutal,” adding an extra layer of excitement to the game. She mentioned that while new contestants can view past series, their experiences may not necessarily aid their gameplay. “How can it? Every series has a whole new bunch of players, with different minds, and different interpretations of the game,” she said.
The previous series saw Alan Carr triumph as a traitor in the celebrity edition, defeating faithfuls David Olusoga and Nick Mohammed. Carr’s emotional revelation of his true identity at the finale highlighted the challenges contestants face, despite his eventual success in raising £87,500 for Neuroblastoma UK, a children’s cancer charity.
Winkleman also shared her initial reluctance to take on the role of host. During an appearance on Gabby Logan‘s podcast, she recalled, “The Traitors is something that I initially turned down… And then I watched the Dutch version. I became so obsessed, I sent an email to Kate Phillips – who offered me the job, works at the BBC – saying, ‘I booked a train, I want to do this more than anything.'”
In addition to her role on The Traitors, Winkleman has recently taken on a new chat show, following her departure from Strictly Come Dancing, where she co-hosted with Tess Daly.
The new episode of The Traitors continues tonight at 20:00 on BBC One. For the latest updates on entertainment, television, and film, visit the Everything Gossip website.
