Whether we’re watching bombshells strutting into a Spanish villa or amateur bakers whipping up caterpillar cakes in a giant white tent, there are certain reality TV shows that will always lure us to the sofa come 9pm. But back in 2022, a new BBC gameshow arrived to challenge the small screen titans: The Traitors.
Set in a remote Scottish castle and presided over by tartan-clad host Claudia Winkleman, it follows a team of players who take part in a series of missions to grow a jackpot of up to £120,000. Meanwhile, they must sniff out the 'Traitors' who are secretly colluding to sabotage 'Faithful' players and steal the cash for themselves.
Three years later, and The Traitors is now a BAFTA-winning sensation that has captivated millions of viewers and gifted us with countless hand-on-mouth moments. From magician Tom’s dramatic revelation ("Alex isn’t a Traitor… she’s my GIRLFRIEND!") and retired teacher Diane’s camp funeral procession, to army engineer Harry’s masterly manipulation of his friend Molly and former diplomat Alexander belting out backwards nursery rhymes, The Traitors proved that watching players desperately try to prove that they’re not a backstabbing liar makes for seriously compulsive viewing.
While there are nods to Big Brother’s fly-on-the-wall footage and I’m A Celebrity’s physical challenges, The Traitors is a show that has ripped up the rulebook of reality TV. Though it might feel uniquely British, it started life as De Verraders in the Netherlands, the brainchild of Dutch TV producer Marc Pos, who was inspired by a book he’d read in 2014 about the Batavia, a Dutch ship which crashed into an island near Australia in the 17th century and led to a notoriously bloody mutiny.
"The book tells the story of how mutiny played into the group dynamics between the mutineers and the faithful and the conspiracies, manipulation and murders happening," says Pos, who worked with IDTV creative director Jasper Hoogendoorn to develop a winning formula for television. "You feel the powerlessness that the people felt at the time about not knowing who to trust and to confide in, and we felt this would translate really well on screen."
To create a genuinely compelling social experiment, however, Pos needed format-breaking twists. "When creating The Traitors we did think out of the box and we did some things differently, such as revealing to the viewers who the 'Traitors' are from the start," he explains.
Winkelman’s appointment of the 'Traitors', via a simple squeeze on the shoulder, has an immediate effect on gameplay: the knowledge that there are saboteurs in their midst creates paranoia which seeps through the 'Faithfuls' like poison, while viewers become all-powerful players as they chew over terrible tactics, budding alliances and body language (see Linda swivelling her head 180° in season three when Claudia said 'Traitors').
And, unlike other gameshows, contestants can’t rely on luck or general knowledge to get them through. To avoid being banished or murdered, they must use charm to bond with the group on an emotional level, and their wits to sort the trustworthy from the treacherous.
"The Traitors came at a time where audiences were looking at a different type of reality television entertainment," says Pos. "It provided an ‘intelligent reality’ show, which delivered addictive entertainment but focused on how contestants used smart thinking and clever strategising to get ahead in the competition."
Though it took Pos six years to sell The Traitors, when the Dutch show started airing in 2021, it quickly caught the attention of UK production company Studio Lambert. "We visited the Dutch set and were blown away by how immersed the cast were in the gameplay," says executive producer Sarah Fay. After securing the rights to make it in the UK and USA, they started thinking about how to "supersize the format for a wider audience,", while respecting the core rules of the game.
Instead of casting the usual celebrities and influencers we always see on reality TV, they decided to use ordinary people who actually reflect reality, from retirees and spa therapists to swimming teachers and priests. "We knew they would care much more about the prize fund, and we knew winning would mean more to them," adds executive producer Mike Cotton. "In turn, we knew that would mean any betrayal or treachery would feel all the greater".
They suspected that using ordinary people would encourage duplicity and surprise. "We were also excited that when all the players are 'strangers', there is the opportunity for people to hide different aspects of their personality or lives from everyone else," he continues.
They were right: take mother-son duo Diane and Ross concealing their relationship, or Charlotte adopting a fake Welsh accent to appear more trustworthy. In this world of make-believe, players get to swap their moral compass for the chance to lean into their murkier instincts. While some contestants earnestly proclaim they could "never be a Traitor", others gleefully sow seeds of suspicion, sob crocodile tears and sign death warrants with a theatrical flourish, like season two icon Paul, who revelled in his panto villainy.
"I think we've created an immersive world that people want to be part of - a mix of Agatha Christie, Harry Potter and camp horror," says Fay. "It's also just a game - those chosen as Traitors are given a role - a carte blanche to be as dastardly as they'd like. It doesn't mean they are bad in the real world!".
Dishonesty, ultimately, is the entire point of the game. "The premise of the show is relatable - can you lie? Could you spot a liar? That's something everyone has an opinion on."
This October, Winkelman will swish kilt-first back onto our screens in the first season of The Celebrity Traitors, which looks to put stars including Sir Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, Paloma Faith and Cat Burns through their paces. Pos, who has now sold his format to over 30 countries, has enjoyed seeing the British iteration’s success. "Looking at the UK version, we’re very impressed with their casting," he notes. "To find that group of individuals that each have their own character, yet together also form a strong group together".
Fay and Cotton, meanwhile, say their production team have been "blown away" by the show’s reception. "From generations of families sitting down to watch it together, to each finale becoming almost like a sporting event when it airs, with crowds gathering in pubs cheering on the 'Traitors' or 'Faithfuls' to win, we’re thrilled by how the public has embraced it."
Celebrity Traitors starts on BBC One on Wednesday 8th October at 9pm.
