BBC confirms The Traitors return date - and it's a lot sooner than you think

A release date for the third series of BBC One's The Traitors has been confirmed. The hit TV show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, will be back on TV screens in 2025.

The BBC has confirmed that The Traitors will begin airing on Wednesday, 1 January on BBC One at 8pm. The series will air on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. Viewers will see a new group of strangers play the ultimate game of trust as they hope to win up to £120,000.

Alongside the main show, podcast The Traitors: Uncloaked will also be returning. Hosted by comedian and presenter Ed Gamble, the podcast will be available after every episode of the main show on BBC Two and iPlayer. Over on BBC Sounds, an extended edition of the podcast with extra guests will be available.

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A trailer for the new series starring Claudia has been released. In the clip, as "New Year’s Day" lights up the sky, host Claudia teases viewers with the words: "Start the New Year with a bang". No details about the season three cast have been revealed yet.

The second series of The Traitors, which aired this year, pulled in over eight million viewers, with Harry Clark taking home £95,150 in a tense final after deceiving Mollie Pearce into thinking he was a Faithful. The first series saw Meryl, Hannah and Aaron divide a cash pot of £100,000, after outplaying Traitor Wilfred.

The Traitors has proven to be a huge hit with TV fans since its launch. The show had won a BAFTA TV award for Best Reality and Constructed Factual Show, and Claudia took home the gong for Best Entertainment Performance for her role as host.

The Traitors sees 22 contestants move into a castle to complete a number of tense challenges and missions. The UK series is filmed at Scotland's Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, which is a 19th century castle 25 miles north of Inverness. The property is owned by the McTaggart family, who purchased the castle in 1983. It was previously a hunting lodge for the 1st Duke of Sutherland.

The Traitors will kick off on Wednesday January 1 at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.