The highly anticipated second season of The Traitors UK made a spectacular return to BBC One, drawing an unprecedented 5.4 million viewers during its peak for the opening episode. The premiere, which aired on New Year's Day, emerged as the most-watched show across all UK television channels, surpassing both news programming and a Gavin & Stacey special.
The opening episode's viewership represents a remarkable increase of 2 million viewers compared to the previous season's premiere, highlighting the show's growing popularity. Industry experts predict these numbers will climb even higher as viewers catch up through BBC's iPlayer platform.
The psychological game show, which has spawned international versions including a U.S. adaptation on Peacock, has quickly established itself as a major television event in the BBC's calendar. The broadcaster demonstrated its confidence in the show by securing a prime New Year's Day slot and making subsequent episodes immediately available on iPlayer.
This season introduced unexpected twists from the start, with three contestants facing potential elimination before reaching the iconic castle setting. The fate of contestants Fozia, Jake, and Alexander remains unclear, though the final castle roster maintained its traditional 22-player format, with host Claudia Winkleman selecting three as traitors.
A notable change this season affects the elimination format - departing players will no longer reveal their status as traitor or faithful, adding an extra layer of suspense for remaining contestants who must rely solely on instinct to identify potential traitors.
New episodes will continue to air Wednesday through Friday until late January, promising more intrigue and strategic gameplay for its expanded audience base.