| The Traitors | |
|---|---|
| Series 1 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Presented by | Claudia Winkleman |
| No. of housemates | 22 |
| Location | Ardross, Highland |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 29 November – 22 December 2022 |
| Series chronology | |
The first series of The Traitors premiered on BBC One on 29 November 2022 and concluded on 22 December 2022. It was won by Aaron Evans, Hannah Byczkowski and Meryl Williams.
22 contestants competed on the first series of The Traitors. In a minor twist, Alex & Tom had a pre-existing relationship as they were dating before competing in the series. [1]
Amos and Kieran were apparently banished from the game, on arrival at the castle, after placing themselves at the end of a line of most and least likely to win the show. However, they were both reintroduced to the show in a twist during episode 5. [2]
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Occupation | Affiliation | Finish [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aisha Birley | 23 | Manchester, England | Masters Graduate | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 2) [4] |
| Nicky Wilding | 45 | South Croydon, England | Accounts supervisor | Faithful | Banished (Episode 2) [4] |
| Claire Barratt | 43 | Hull, England | Ex-police officer & entrepreneur | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 3) [4] |
| Imran Nasim | 23 | Burgess Hill, England | Scientist | Faithful | Banished (Episode 3) [4] |
| Ivan Brett | 32 | Polruan, England | Author | Faithful | Banished (Episode 4) [4] |
| John McManus | 49 | Edinburgh, Scotland | Spa therapist | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 5) [4] |
| Tom Elderfield | 24 | Chesham, England | Magician | Faithful | Banished (Episode 5) [4] |
| Matt Harris | 23 | Hertfordshire, England | BMX Athlete | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 6) [4] |
| Alyssa Chan | 21 | Cork, Republic of Ireland | Business student | Traitor | Banished (Episode 6) [4] |
| Rayan Rachedi | 25 | North London, England | Trainee lawyer | Faithful | Banished (Episode 7) [4] |
| Alex Gray | 26 | London, England | Presenter & actress | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 8) [4] |
| Amos Ogunkoya | 30 | North London, England | Doctor | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 8) [4] |
| Theo Mayne | 26 | Leeds, England | Cheerleading coach | Faithful | Banished (Episode 9) [4] |
| Fay Greaves | 59 | Bury St Edmunds, England | Head of School Welfare | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 10) [4] |
| Amanda Lovett | 54 | Swansea, Wales | Estate agent | Traitor | Banished (Episode 10) [5] |
| Andrea Addison | 72 | Brussels, Belgium | Retired | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 11) [6] |
| Madelyn "Maddy" Smedley | 29 | Swanley, England | Receptionist & actress | Faithful | Banished (Episode 11) [7] |
| Kieran Tompsett | 42 | Stevenage, England | Solutions consultant | Traitor [lower-alpha 1] | Banished (Episode 12) [8] |
| Wilfred "Wilf" Webster | 28 | North London, England | Senior fundraiser | Traitor | Banished (Episode 12) [8] |
| Aaron Evans | 24 | Portsmouth, England | Property agent | Faithful | Winner [9] |
| Hannah Byczkowski | 32 | London, England | Comedian | Faithful | Winner [9] |
| Meryl Williams | 25 | Edinburgh, Scotland | Call centre agent | Faithful | Winner [9] |
| Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traitors' Decision | None | Aisha | Claire | Alex Ivan John | John | Matt | Alex | Alex | Amos [lower-alpha 2] | Fay | Kieran | Andrea | None | ||||||
| Murder | On trial [lower-alpha 3] | Murder | Offer | Murder | Blackmail [lower-alpha 4] | Murder | |||||||||||||
| Shield | None | Tom | Amanda | Fay | Maddy | Meryl | None | ||||||||||||
| Banishment | None | Nicky | Imran | Ivan | Tom | Alyssa | Rayan | None [lower-alpha 5] | Theo | Amanda | Maddy | Kieran | Banish | Wilfred | End game | ||||
| Vote | 17–1–1 | 10–6–1 | 7–6–2–1 | 7–4–1–1–1 | 6–5–2–1 | 7–3–2–1 | 6–2–2 | 4–2–1–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | ||||||
| Aaron | No vote | Imran | Imran | Alex | Tom | Rayan | Maddy | No vote | Theo | Maddy | Maddy | Kieran | Banish | Wilfred | End game | Winners (Episode 12) | |||
| Hannah | Nicky | Imran | Alex | Alex | Alyssa | Rayan | Maddy | Amanda | Maddy | Kieran | Banish | Wilfred | End game | ||||||
| Meryl | Nicky | Imran | Ivan | Tom | Maddy | Rayan | Maddy | Amanda | Maddy | Kieran | End game | Wilfred | End game | ||||||
| Wilfred | Nicky | Aaron | Ivan | Alex | Alyssa | Maddy | Theo | Amanda | Maddy | Kieran | End game | Aaron | Banished (Episode 12) | ||||||
| Kieran [lower-alpha 6] | Eliminated | No vote | Wilfred | Rayan | Theo | Amanda | Meryl | Wilfred | Banished (Episode 12) | ||||||||||
| Maddy | Nicky | Aaron | Wilfred | Wilfred | Wilfred | Meryl | Aaron | Aaron | Meryl | Banished (Episode 11) | |||||||||
| Andrea | Nicky | Aaron | Hannah | Tom | Alyssa | Rayan | Theo | Hannah | Murdered (Episode 11) | ||||||||||
| Amanda | Nicky | Imran | Ivan | Alex | Alyssa | Rayan | Theo | Maddy | Banished (Episode 10) | ||||||||||
| Fay | Nicky | Imran | Alex | Tom | Rayan | Maddy | Theo | Murdered (Episode 10) | |||||||||||
| Theo | Nicky | Imran | Alex | Tom | Wilfred | Rayan | Aaron | Banished (Episode 9) | |||||||||||
| Amos [lower-alpha 6] | Eliminated | No vote | Wilfred | Rayan | Murdered (Episode 8) | ||||||||||||||
| Alex | Nicky | Imran | Ivan | Rayan | Alyssa | Aaron | Murdered (Episode 8) | ||||||||||||
| Rayan | Nicky | Aaron | Alex | Tom | Alyssa | Aaron | Banished (Episode 7) | ||||||||||||
| Alyssa | Nicky | Aaron | Hannah | Alex | Wilfred | Banished (Episode 6) | |||||||||||||
| Matt | Nicky | Imran | Ivan | Tom | Murdered (Episode 6) | ||||||||||||||
| Tom | Nicky | Imran | Ivan | Alyssa | Banished (Episode 5) | ||||||||||||||
| John | Nicky | Aaron | Ivan | Murdered (Episode 5) | |||||||||||||||
| Ivan | Nicky | Imran | Alex | Banished (Episode 4) | |||||||||||||||
| Imran | Nicky | Theo | Banished (Episode 3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Claire | Nicky | Murdered (Episode 3) | |||||||||||||||||
| Nicky | Fay | Banished (Episode 2) | |||||||||||||||||
| Aisha | Murdered (Episode 2) | ||||||||||||||||||
Key
Notes
| Episode | Task description | Money earned | Running total | Shield winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Split into two teams to build a fuse and set fire to a wicker man. While one half of each team was searching debris on the side of the lake for rope to create the fuse, the other half had to row back across the lake with a torch to light their fuse. The first fuse lit was worth £10,000 and the second £5,000. | £15,000 of £15,000 | £15,000 of £15,000 | No Shield on offer |
| 2 | Eight of the contestants had to ring the bells of the nearby chapel to play a tune, while the remaining contestants searched the Castle for a music box that was playing the same tune. Each music box contained an item – a larger version of which was hidden in the Castle. Each correct item brought back was worth £2,000 for the prize fund. | £8,000 of £10,000 | £23,000 of £25,000 | |
| 3 | Five contestants' names were randomly drawn from a tombola and they would be strapped to a revolving funfair wheel, while the remaining contestants answered Mr & Mrs-style questions. For each answer that matches with someone on the wheel, they would earn £100 for the prize fund – and they would also earn a £2,500 bonus if everyone stayed on the wheel for ten minutes. There are two rounds – each with a potential prize of £5,000 to be won. | £8,700 of £10,000 | £31,700 of £35,000 | |
| 4 | Split into three teams – led by those on Trial. Each team sent one person into a pen full of sheep while their team described a photo of one of the sheep. The person in the pen had to work out which sheep was being described – and each sheep was wearing a coat with the name of a contestant on it. After each round, more sheep were added. Each correct sheep identified by a team would earn £1,000 for the prize fund and the fastest team would be given the chance to earn an extra £1,000 if they could round up all of the sheep within two minutes. | £8,000 of £10,000 | £39,700 of £45,000 | |
| 5 | The contestants were split into two teams and one at a time went into the confessional booth to hear a page and paragraph reference from Claudia. They had to then bring that reference back to Claudia and use The Book of Traitors to find a riddle – leading to a clothing item worn by one member of the masked congregation. Only the first team to identify an item counted, and each correctly identified item earned £2,000 for the pot. The team who identifies the most correct items fastest would be given the first opportunity to visit the Armoury and potentially earn a Shield. In addition, Amos and Kieran were revealed after the challenge to be two of the masked congregation. After a fifth tiebreaker round, Alex, Amanda, Hannah, Meryl, Theo, Tom & Wilfred were sent to the Armoury. | £8,000 of £8,000 | £47,700 of £53,000 | Tom |
| 6 | Split into three teams, two members of each team were buried in underground graves and it was up to the remaining team members to uncover them within 45 minutes. Each person who escaped their grave was worth £1,500 for the prize fund and the fastest team to uncover their two teammates would win a trip to the Armoury. Aaron, Alex, Amanda, Hannah & Theo were the first team to be complete, and were sent to the Armoury. | £9,000 of £9,000 | £56,700 of £62,000 | Amanda |
| 7 | As a group, the contestants had 45 minutes to transport whisky barrels to an old distillery on the top of a nearby hill. Along the way, they would find more barrels of increasing size worth more money, as well as five barrels which would allow contestants of their choice to enter the Armoury. In addition to £8,400 worth of barrels, three of the five Armoury barrels crossed the finish line – and Andrea, Fay & Theo were chosen to enter the Armoury. | £8,400 of £10,000 | £65,100 of £72,000 | Fay |
| 8 | Split into two teams, contestants had to escape a Fishing cabin-themed escape room. For each team who escaped, they would add £3,000 to the prize fund – and the fastest team to escape would be given the opportunity to enter the Armoury. Only the Green Team – Fay, Hannah, Kieran, Maddy, Meryl and Wilfred – escaped in the time limit, and they entered the Armoury. | £3,000 of £6,000 | £68,100 of £78,000 | Maddy |
| 9 | Split into three teams, contestants would drive a route and encounter True or False statements. If they pick the incorrect answer, they would hit a dead end. Teams had 45 minutes to complete their route, and each team who completed the route would earn £2,000 for the prize fund. The fastest team to complete the route would also be given the opportunity to enter the Armoury, where one of them would win the Shield. The Blue Team – Kieran, Meryl & Wilfred – were the first team back and won their tickets to the Armoury. | £6,000 of £6,000 | £74,100 of £84,000 | Meryl |
| 10 | The contestants were given twenty minutes to individually make their way through a room and steal artifacts which were protected by lasers. Each artifact was worth a set amount of money for the prize fund. Breaking a laser would cost the group one minute of time and any artifacts being carried would be lost. After all eight contestants have made an attempt, they are then given a second opportunity. On their first pass, only Wilfred (£2,000) and Aaron (£1,000) collected artifacts and on their second pass, Wilfred (£400) and Kieran (£300) collected artifacts. There was a shield among the artifacts which would keep them safe from murder, but no-one went for it. | £3,700 of £7,000 | £77,800 of £91,000 | None |
| 11 | Suspended over a rickety bridge above a river are bags with different values – ranging from £500 to £2,000. One at a time, blindfolded contestants will go out onto the bridge and be guided by their teammates to collect bags. They have eight minutes each to get their money across the bridge – anyone who falls is out, alongside their money. Only Meryl (£500), Maddy (£750) and Aaron (£2,000) got across the bridge – adding £3,250 to the prize fund. | £3,250 of £7,000 | £81,050 of £98,000 | No Shield on offer |
| 12 | Dotted around Loch Glass are moneybags totalling £20,000. The two strongest swimmers – Aaron & Hannah – had to jump out of a helicopter to swim to a pair of buoys to get the combination to find speedboat keys and a map in a box. The remaining three then had to collect the swimmers before they used the speedboat to find the moneybags in four separate locations over the ten miles of coastline within 30 minutes. | £20,000 of £20,000 | £101,050 of £118,000 |
Series 1 of The Traitors received mixed-to-positive reception, with critics praising the work of host Claudia Winkleman, the season's atmosphere, and its entertaining moments. Primary criticisms were mainly aimed at the show's cast and struggle to choose an age demographic. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 67% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 8.00/10. [10] Isobel Lewis of The Independent gave the show 3 out of 5 stars, embracing the show's entertainment factor, writing "The Traitors definitely isn’t a perfect reality show, or even the best in its genre right now, but it is pretty entertaining. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about watching a contestant claim that their fellow player is “a really honest person”, while we sit at home smirking in the knowledge that they're really a traitor". [11] Rating the season 5 stars out of 5, Michael Hogan of The Telegraph praised the show's finale, saying it was "dramatic, deliciously dark and just camp enough, this was old-fashioned event TV". [12] Fiona Sturges of Financial Times praised the show for its twists and turns, writing "On paper, it might sound like a zhuzhed-up version of Cluedo or the children’s game wink murder. In practice, it is a brilliant recipe for multi-layered manoeuvring and top-tier bluffing." [13]
Alison Rowat of The Herald was critical of the show's identity and found it dull, stating the season was "safe, sanitised and deadly dull", adding that "[it is] too silly for older viewers, too bland for the younger streaming crowd, it would be a better fit for BBC3 but here it is, occupying a prime slot over three week nights. Now there's a mystery." [14] Rachel Cooke of The New Statesman was critical of the show, calling it "complicated where it should be straightforward; which aspires to a vague cleverness where it should really aim only for rank stupidity". [15]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title [16] | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 29 November 2022 | 3.88 |
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 30 November 2022 | 3.14 |
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 1 December 2022 | <2.71 [lower-alpha 1] |
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 6 December 2022 | 3.33 |
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 7 December 2022 | 3.13 |
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 8 December 2022 | 3.37 |
| 7 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 13 December 2022 | 3.76 |
| 8 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 15 December 2022 [lower-alpha 2] | 3.75 |
| 9 | 9 | "Episode 9" | 16 December 2022 [lower-alpha 2] | 3.60 |
| 10 | 10 | "Episode 10" | 20 December 2022 | 4.09 |
| 11 | 11 | "Episode 11" | 21 December 2022 | 4.32 |
| 12 | 12 | "Episode 12" | 22 December 2022 | 4.73 |
Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB. [18]
| Episode | Date | Official rating (millions) | Weekly rank for BBC One | Weekly rank for all UK TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 | 29 November | 3.88 | 14 | 25 |
| Episode 2 | 30 November | 3.14 | 25 | 38 |
| Episode 3 | 1 December | <2.71 | — | — |
| Episode 4 | 6 December | 3.33 | 21 | 37 |
| Episode 5 | 7 December | 3.13 | 24 | 45 |
| Episode 6 | 8 December | 3.37 | 20 | 36 |
| Episode 7 | 13 December | 3.76 | 21 | 29 |
| Episode 8 | 15 December | 3.75 | 22 | 30 |
| Episode 9 | 16 December | 3.60 | 23 | 33 |
| Episode 10 | 20 December | 4.09 | 18 | 30 |
| Episode 11 | 21 December | 4.32 | 16 | 25 |
| Episode 12 | 22 December | 4.73 | 12 | 15 |
| Series average | 2022 | 3.74 [lower-alpha 1] | — | — |
Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman is an English television and radio presenter, writer, and journalist. She has presented various television shows for BBC, including Strictly Come Dancing (2010–present), and The Traitors (2022–present). She previously hosted the Saturday mid-mornings show on BBC Radio 2.
Strictly Come Dancing is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of judges. The title of the show is a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing. The format has been exported to 60 other countries under the title Dancing with the Stars, licensed by BBC Worldwide, and led to a modern dance-themed spin-off Strictly Dance Fever. The Guinness World Records named Strictly as the world's most successful reality television format in 2010. The series is currently presented by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Bruce Forsyth co-presented the series with Daly until 2014.
Strictly Come Dancing returned for its second series on 23 October 2004 on BBC One. Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returned to present the main show on BBC One, while Claudia Winkleman presented a new spin-off show called Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two. Series 1 winner Natasha Kaplinsky filled in for Daly during the first five weeks due to Daly's maternity leave. Len Goodman, Arlene Phillips, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli returned to the judging panel.
Strictly Come Dancing returned for its ninth series on 10 September 2011 with a launch show, with the live shows beginning on 30 September and 1 October 2011. The show was broadcast from Wembley Arena on 19 November with all proceeds going to the BBC charity, Children in Need. The finale took place in the Tower Ballroom at the Blackpool Tower and was the first episode to air in 3D. It was shown on BBC HD and in cinemas around the country.
The second series of The Great British Sewing Bee started on 18 February and ended after eight episodes on 8 April 2014. Claudia Winkleman returned to present as well as resident judges May Martin and Patrick Grant. The series was filmed at Metropolitan Wharf in London.
Two Doors Down is a Scottish television sitcom, produced by BBC Studios. It was created by Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp, and stars Arabella Weir, Alex Norton, Doon Mackichan, Jonathan Watson and Elaine C. Smith as neighbours in a suburban street in Scotland.
The fifth series of The Great British Sewing Bee began on 12 February 2019 following a three-year hiatus. Joe Lycett replaced Claudia Winkleman as the presenter of the show, with both Esme Young and Patrick Grant returning as judges. The series was shot at 47-49 Tanner Street, Bermondsey, though the exterior shots are of 1 Tanner Street.
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The British television mystery music game show I Can See Your Voice premiered the second series on BBC One on 15 October 2022, following a holiday special that aired on 24 December 2021.
The Traitors is an Australian reality television series broadcast on Network 10, based on the Dutch series De Verraders, which premiered on 16 October 2022.
The Traitors is a British reality television series broadcast on BBC One, based on the Dutch series De Verraders, which premiered on 29 November 2022 and is hosted by Claudia Winkleman.
The Traitors is an American reality competition series based on the Dutch series De Verraders. It is hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming. The first season was released on Peacock on January 12, 2023. In February 2023, the series was renewed for a second season, and the first three episodes were released on January 12, 2024. In February 2024, the show was renewed for a third season.
Rise and Fall is a British reality television series broadcast on Channel 4, which premiered on 19 March 2023 and was hosted by Greg James.
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The first season of the American television series The Traitors premiered on Peacock on January 12, 2023, with all episodes being released. The season was won by Survivor contestant Cirie Fields, as a traitor, with Quentin Jiles and Andie Vanacore, placing as runners-up, as faithfuls. The season won Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program at the 75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
The second US season of the television series The Traitors was announced on September 21, 2023. The first three episodes premiered on Peacock on January 12, 2024.
The Traitors Canada is a Canadian reality television series, that is based on the Dutch series De Verraders. It is hosted by the French-Canadian actress Karine Vanasse.
The second series of The Traitors premiered on BBC One on 3 January 2024. Claudia Winkleman reprised her role as the show's presenter from the previous series. The series was also accompanied by a spin-off show The Traitors: Uncloaked, presented by Ed Gamble.
The Traitors is a reality game show franchise created by the All3Media company IDTV which originally aired on RTL 4 in the Netherlands in 2021.
