The Traitors fans are in for a wild ride as an international version is now free to watch in the UK. A new series of The Traitors has just dropped on BBC iPlayer, and it might be the craziest series ever.
It feels like a long wait until Claudia Winkleman and her iconic knitwear return to our screens, with the celebrity edition set to air in a few months. The likes of Tom Hiddleston, Danny Dyer, Carol Kirkwood and Alison Hammond are rumoured to be taking part, though the BBC has yet to confirm who will follow in Alan Carr’s treacherous footsteps.
In the meantime, there are plenty of international versions of the murder-mystery game show to catch up on, with the broadcaster just adding The Traitors India to its free streaming service. Three episodes are available to binge so far, with the next instalment dropping next Thursday and airing weekly at 9pm on BBC Three.
What to Expect from The Traitors India
The synopsis teases: “Betrayal is everywhere. Karan Johar throws open the doors of an opulent palace for the ultimate reality game of trust and treachery. Let the mind games begin.” The series is hosted by King of Bollywood Karan Johar, and features celebrity contestants including Apoorva Makhija, Uorfi Javed, and Raj Kundra, the husband of Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty. Maheep Kapoor, Janvi Gaur, and Jasmin Bhasin are also included in the cast.
For those uninitiated to Indian reality TV, and who have yet to witness the viral ‘Puja, what is this behaviour?’ Big Brother clip, The Traitors India is sure to be a wild ride. One viewer warned on Reddit: “Traitors India roundtable is crazier than any I’ve seen.” Another said: “The Indian Traitors had a lot of screentime for the banishment discussions as compared to the US/UK versions. There's also more drama in these discussions because the concept of Traitors was entirely new to the cast. You would see people reacting very emotionally to the accusations, a lot of yelling and a lot of 1vs1 arguments. Overall good TV.”
Viewer Reactions
Someone else said, “I love the gameplay in this series. More like the 3rd season of a show rather than the first. The setting is beautiful, the drama is high, and some of the contestants seem to genuinely understand the game (unlike some of the celebrity versions from other countries).” Another wrote: “Am six episodes in and think it's just great. The cast is over the top and a bit messy, in a good way. The first roundtable was brilliant.”
Someone else called it “quite gripping and very dramatic,” while another said: “Can’t believe I’m saying this but #TraitorsIndia ate so hard it left no crumbs… Plot twists had me SCREAMING [...] Literal panic attack vibes 10/10 best reality show. Can’t wait for more!”
Behind the Scenes
The Traitors India director Nishant Nayank previously shared insights on directing the reality TV show, telling India Today: “You’re expected to stay true to the global design while also localising it for Indian sensibilities. I always start by watching the original versions, and with The Traitors, I was hooked instantly. The psychological element, the mind games, the fact that it's not your typical studio-based show, it all excited me. There's something deeply nostalgic, too, like playing Mafia with friends.”
He added that he was only able to speak to Karan Johar on set because of a “no interaction with the contestants” rule, saying: “It was all real-time, no retakes. If something wasn’t captured, that moment was just... gone. That made it thrilling and stressful. It was like shooting a live sport; we had to rely entirely on instincts and prep. The entire crew had to be invisible, like a fly on the wall.”
The Traitors India is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, with new episodes streaming from Thursday.
