The first series of The Traitors was a word of mouth triumph – one that's been watched more than 34 million times on iPlayer. And the eagerly anticipated second series is finally here.
Claudia Winkleman is back in her highly coveted Traitor-core wardrobe, ready to sort the traitors from the faithful all over again. This year, 22 new contestants have journeyed to Ardross Castle in Scotland with the hope of completing the BBC gameshow, sniffing out the enemy and bagging £120k.
We think we know how the game works, they think they know how the game works, but host Claudia Winkleman assures us we haven't got a clue. The stakes are higher, the twists are more ruthless and you can still cut the tension at the round table with a knife.
Claudia tells us why she was wanted to leave the show as a one-hit wonder, how she's learnt to play the evil ring master, and why this is the most devious series to date.
Series one was such a huge success. Were you nervous about a second one?
I said to lovely Studio Lambert and the BBC, let’s just leave it as this magical thing that happened. Then the head of the BBC took my temperature [laughs]. Anyway, we’re going again but I’m nervous about it.
Did the response to the first season surprise you?
Yes, what happened [to us] never happens. It was overwhelming for all of us. When Kathy Burke, who is a hero of mine, and Russell T Davies tweeted [about the show], I mean I needed to be wearing an adult nappy. Don’t write that.
You have quite a different energy on The Traitors than you do on Strictly. Was that switch difficult?
Once I got used to it, I was obsessed. On Strictly I’m a cheerleader. I’m like, “Oh Craig’s four is somebody else’s 12” and then they sat me down and they said, “you’ve got to kick two people out.” I was like, “Don’t be ridiculous I can’t do that.” So yeah, I have to be quite cold and I’ve got quite into it.
What do you think makes a good 'traitor'?
If you watch the first series, it’s not good and bad. Sometimes I’m on the side of the faithful, sometimes I’m on the side of the traitors and I really want the traitors to do it. They both work in equal measure, because I respect gameplay above everything.
Do you think there’s a risk of contestants already knowing how the game works?
In the first round table they think they know how to play happily – don’t worry, they don’t. It gets really dark.
Is this series going to be more devious?
If you watch the first series, you work out that actually how to win is to be loveable and inoffensive. And to be close to the traitors. I can’t say anything else, I think I’ve probably just been fired. But that’s the smart way to enter the game.
What's the cast like this year? There were some amazing personalities last time.
Well, they're phenomenal because they're funny, they're clever. They've watched the show. So as I said, they think they know how to play. For the first series 20,000 people applied, and for the second series it was 130,000 or something.
What I love about our cast is that they want to play the game. They are not really interested in being famous or being on the telly – they want to play the game and they want to win the money.
How do you fancy yourself as a traitor?
I think I’d be terrible at all of it. I do still want to play though!
Your outfits get a lot of attention on this show. Did you expect them to become so iconic?
So I wear an outfit – I don't want to give anything away – that was so nuts that I thought, am I asleep? I've never tried mushrooms, but I assume this is what it is like. And the outfit and the location and what was happening – I was dying.
So my husband and I are going to give it to comic relief. They're going to auction it in March, because I don’t know how to describe it, imagine the sea monster meets Princess Anne and then they go to a golf sale and they nod at Jane McDonald. We lose our minds.
Do you and Alan Cummings from the US version trade outfit notes?
He went first last time and left a big note, and I went first this time so I left him a big note. I absolutely love that man. There are sometimes moments when we think we've gone too far. I do have a hat the shape of a boat...
Nikki Peach is news and entertainment writer at Grazia UK, working across pop culture, TV and current affairs.