The Traitors is just days away from returning to screens, and host Claudia Winkleman has been teasing what viewers can expect from the brand new series. With 22 fresh contestants heading to Ardross Castle, the BBC hit is lining up another dramatic start to the new year – but when exactly does it begin?
Claudia is back at the Scottish Highlands castle for series four, welcoming a new group of hopefuls who all believe they have what it takes to outwit, outplay and outlast the competition. With a huge prize pot on the line, nerves will be tested from the very first night.
The Traitors will launch with a three-night run, putting viewers straight back into the heart of the deception. Here’s everything you need to know about the new series, including when it starts and what Claudia has revealed about how the game unfolds behind the scenes.
The Traitors series 4: How many contestants? What is the prize?
The new series was filmed earlier this summer at Ardross Castle, which has become synonymous with the show’s twists, secrets and betrayals. Applications for series four opened in August 2024, shortly after the BBC confirmed the show’s return. The process stayed open until the end of March, when the final line-up of Traitors and Faithfuls was selected.
Claudia, along with the cast and crew, then spent four weeks filming in June 2025, capturing what promises to be another intense chapter of the show.
There are 22 contestants taking part in series four, all competing for a potential prize pot of £120,000. A spokesperson teased what’s in store, saying viewers can expect even more twists, epic missions, deception, banishments and murders as the game ramps up once again.
Claudia Winkleman sizzles in a new picture for series 4 of The Traitors as BBC confirm return date (Credit: BBC)
How Claudia Winkleman picks her Traitors
Claudia has also shared how the all-important Traitors are chosen – and it turns out she doesn’t make the decision alone. Speaking ahead of the new series, she admitted the process is far more collaborative than fans might expect.
“It’s nerve-racking but I don’t choose them alone,” she explained. “I interview all the players and some are absolutely desperate to be Faithful. Anyone who convinces me otherwise is in contention. I then go into a small room with the bosses and an enormous tin of biscuits and we pick.”
She also revealed a small detail viewers may have already noticed during the tense Round Table scenes. Claudia confirmed she deliberately stomps loudly as she walks around the table, something Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr previously picked up on.
“The walk round the table is very tense,” she said. “I really try and build the tension which is hideously mean but also quite addictive. I try and wear clompy footwear to add to it. It gets a bit flamenco. Alan recently said I walk round the table like a carthorse and he’s bang on.”
Who won the last series of The Traitors?
Looking back at previous winners, series three saw Faithfuls Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley take home £94,600 after successfully outsmarting the Traitors. The first series was won by Faithfuls Aaron Evans, Hannah Byczkowski and Meryl Williams, who walked away with £101,050. Series two, however, ended very differently, with Traitor Harry Clark claiming £95,150 after deceiving his fellow players until the very end.
When does series 4 of The Traitors start?
So when does series four begin? The Traitors returns on New Year’s Day, with the first episode airing at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday January 1, 2026.
The launch continues with episode two at 8pm on Friday January 2, followed by episode three at 7.45pm on Saturday January 3.
There’s more good news for fans too, as spin-off show and podcast Uncloaked is also back. Hosted by Ed Gamble, the programme will feature celebrities and former contestants dissecting the latest twists. Uncloaked will air at 9.05pm on BBC Two on New Year’s Day, before moving to BBC One straight after the main show for the rest of the series.
Will there be a series 2 of The Celebrity Traitors?
The BBC has also confirmed that The Celebrity Traitors will return for a second series. Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said the show has truly captivated the nation. They promised another unmissable run when celebrity players return to the castle in 2026.
With a packed launch schedule and plenty of secrets still to come, The Traitors looks set to kick off the new year in dramatic style.
Read more: First look as Maura Higgins issues threat to co-stars as she joins new series of The Traitors
The Traitors starts at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on New Year’s Day (January 1, 2026).
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