BBC viewers reacted with frustration to the announcement of a new West End stage adaptation of The Traitors, with some describing the project as a joke. The news was shared by BBC Breakfast hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, who revealed that former Celebrity Traitors star Nick Mohammed would host the live show following the controversial Celebrity Traitors finale.
West End adaptation announced
Jon Kay announced: “Now if you are mourning the end of Traitors after Friday night’s dramatic finale, fear not. It is coming back, but not quite as you know it.” Sally Nugent explained that a live stage adaptation of the show would head to the West End, with the outcome varying from night to night and the theatre audience in control.
While Jon praised the “amazing” concept, viewers took to X to criticise the idea, citing oversaturation of the franchise. One said: “Ugh, f****** Traitors again.” Another shared: “They’re going to kick the a*** out of Traitors until everyone is sick of it.”
Mixed reactions from viewers
A third commented: “Watching Traitors in the theatre, I’d rather have a dose of dysentery.” A fourth shared: “Glad I didn’t watch.” Another viewer added: “This is a frigging joke, West End traitors show, total b******.” A final viewer shared: “Why would anyone want to see a West End show about Traitors? I don’t even want to see it on TV!”
However, on Instagram, one fan called the project “very exciting”, while another commented: “The premise of this show is just so intriguing I want to see every version.” Another fan shared: “I love stage shows + I love Traitors so this is the best combination ever??!” Another follower added: “This series just keeps evolving. Phenomenal success all over the world! Congratulations.”
How the show will work
After viewers saw a clip of Nick Mohammed being “sworn in” as the new host by Claudia Winkleman, he appeared via video to chat to the BBC Breakfast hosts about The Traitors: Acts of Betrayal, which will consist of eight shows a week. “It’s effectively a cycle of five plays, with a different play shown [on each weekday]. The first 10 minutes are exactly the same; however, depending on who is chosen as the Traitors within the cast of 11, that dictates the outcome of the play.”
He explained that audiences would effectively be seeing a whole season of Traitors in each show, including murders, banishments, and roundtables. In an exciting twist, Saturday’s show will let viewers choose who the Traitors are, which will then dictate which play the stars perform.
Jon asked how he felt about having to remember so many lines and so many variations of the story, to which Nick replied: “Undoubtedly it’s the most ambitious thing I have ever done, for sure, certainly in terms of a live experience. It’s really, really exciting.” He did admit to Sally that he was “concerned” about having to remember five different plays, which will include familiar tropes from the flagship BBC series but also present very unique ideas.
Why audiences are invested
On why people are so invested in the concept, Nick concluded: “It’s the unpredictability, I think, for sure. But also I think there’s something in, Claudia had said this before, I think, there’s something in that sweet spot of us wanting as an audience for the Traitors to succeed because this is the ultimate act of deception, but equally, we want the Faithful to rumble who the Traitors are.”
“I think that’s where the entertainment value lies, as you are rooting for them both simultaneously.” Commenting on the recent criticism of the second season of the celebrity version, he said while he loved it, he agreed “as with any series of Traitors, yes it was different from the first series, I don’t know why that particularly was, maybe it got off to a slightly tricksy start with Richard E. Grant saying he was a Traitor right at the start.”
“So there was a series of recruitments and James was a bit reluctant, but that’s what’s so fun about it, no two series are the same.” Rehearsals for the West End show will start in January, with the show opening in May.
