The Traitors: What is the Claudia Winkleman murder mystery show? When is it on TV?

Claudia Winkleman is launching a new murder mystery reality show, The Traitors, on BBC One that promises to be compulsive viewing.

But what is the gameshow, when does it start and how does it work?

When is The Traitors on TV?

The Traitors begins tonight at 9.30pm on BBC One, and then continues with episodes on Wednesday at 9.15pm and Thursday at 9pm.

It's a 12-episode series that will be back on the same days next week, but with a changing time slot thanks to World Cup fixtures.

What happens in The Traitors?

The competition is a murder mystery game that sees 22 contestants move into a castle in the Scottish Highlands.

By day, they must work together to complete gruelling challenges that add to their prize fund - but by night, a group chosen as the Traitors try to kill off one of the other group, the Faithful, each evening.

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However, no one can be sure who the Traitors are and who the Faithful are, so the contestants try to work out who is lying before they become the next person "murdered".

Claudia Winkleman, who hosts the show, said: "It sounds totally straightforward but it's not because they all start second guessing everybody and don’t know whether they can trust their best friend. They’re not sure how a Traitor would behave or how a Faithful would behave and it messes with your head and it's gripping to watch."

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The two groups were chosen by Winkleman, but she said that it hadn't been an easy task: "The thing is that some people want to be Agatha Christie and some people want to be a Traitor. You've got to think who is robust and strong enough to take it on because it's a really hard role because you're essentially lying."

Winkleman added that viewers should look out for the roundtable - where contestants grill each other - as a highlight: "Watching the players come to their conclusions about who is a Traitor is pure drama, and some people are so good at influencing the group even if their convictions are totally off!

"As a viewer you just think my gosh this is how juries must often work. People become so definitive in their judgments, often based on little evidence. It’s incredible."

What is The Traitors prize and how do you win?

The show's winners could potentially bag a massive £120,000 if they make it to the end of the game.

However, contestants will have to make sure they aren't killed off by a Traitor first, and if a large group make it to the end they'll get a smaller portion of the prize.

If a Traitor reaches the end undetected, they will walk away with the entire prize fund.

The Traitors begins tonight at 9.30pm on BBC One.

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