The host of The Traitors, Claudia Winkleman, has described the upcoming fourth series of the regular version as 'really, really brutal', following the massive success of the celebrity edition. The Celebrity Traitors became the biggest show of 2025 in the UK, with around 15 million viewers watching comedian Alan Carr triumph in the finale.
Winkleman said the new series, which returns on 1 January, 'gets hardcore' and features 'very juicy round tables'. She noted that unlike the celebrity version, where contestants were polite, the regular players 'play it in an extraordinary way' and 'with their entire hearts'.
Producers have introduced a new twist to 'change the conversation' around the civilian version, which features members of the public competing for a prize fund of up to £120,000. Mike Cotton, creative director at Studio Lambert, said the success of the celebrity edition added pressure, as it became a family viewing event despite being about 'murder and lies and betrayal'.
Cotton explained that the twist aims to help viewers connect with unfamiliar contestants. Hints were dropped in a Christmas Day trailer showing a red-cloaked Traitor. The show, filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, features locally made coffins and a 'weird death museum' of props from previous series.
The Traitors has sparked discussions about group psychology, with Cotton comparing the round tables to juries. He noted that unlike real court cases, faithfuls rely on trust and instinct without being presented with all evidence. The new series begins on New Year's Day at 8pm on BBC1 and iPlayer.
