The Traitors returns for its fourth season on New Year’s Day at 8pm
Claudia Winkleman has shed light on the upcoming series of The Traitors and there’s a huge twist in store for BBC viewers.
The beloved host is set to welcome 22 new contestants to the Scottish Highlands for the fourth series of the gameshow, premiering on January 1st, 2026.
Her new group of Traitors and Faithfuls will be battling it out for a shiny prize pot of up to £120,000. As with previous seasons, the game kicks off with Claudia choosing her Traitors.
The rest of the group are then tasked with identifying the villains and banishing them from the game before the final. If they succeed, the remaining Faithful players take home the cash prize.
But if they fail, the Traitors have an opportunity to steal the entire winnings. Ahead of the new episodes, host Claudia has teased a major twist.
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Speaking to the BBC about what viewers can expect, she teased: “All I will say is there’s something new and what happens in this series is truly extraordinary with moments that made me gasp.
“I can’t wait for people to see it. The producers have the greatest minds on earth.”
Claudia claimed she couldn’t go into much detail about the twist, admitting: “I’d really love to but I’d get into enormous trouble.”
However, it’s likely the new shake-up has something to do with the introduction of red cloaks.
In the recent Christmas teaser trailer, Claudia could be heard saying: “It’s a little bit different this year,” while a Traitor in a red cloak appeared, differing from the traditional green cloak.
Fans have already shared theories about what the new cloak could mean, with some suggesting it may be worn by a new ‘type of Traitor’, who has completely new powers in the game.
But all we know for now is that the twist was enough to impress Claudia.
The first episode of The Traitors will air on BBC One at 8pm on New Year’s Day (Thursday, January 1st). The second episode is scheduled to drop at the same time on Friday, January 2nd, and the third episode will air on Saturday, January 3rd at 7.45pm.
Fans can also look forward to The Traitors: Uncloaked podcast, once again hosted by Ed Gamble. It will start on BBC Two after the main series on January 1st, at 9.05pm.
The show will then move to BBC One for the remainder of the 12-episode series.
The Traitors starts on New Year’s Day at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
