Yahoo News What to expect from The Traitors series 3
When will the smash hit BBC series be back?
It has been almost five months since the second series of The Traitors, and fans are hungry for more.
Millions tuned into the BBC show in January to see Harry Clark finally unveiled as a Traitor in the gripping finale, under the watchful eye of host Claudia Winkleman. Since then, viewers have been distracted by the US version of the show and new series The Fortune Hotel, which had a lot of the same elements as the tense, twisty series.
But with those wrapping up, attention has turned to the third series of The Traitors. So what do we know about it so far? And when might we get to see it?
The Traitors series 3 filming
It is known that The Traitors will be back for a third run. The show has been a huge hit and in January this year it was confirmed that it was getting a third series, before the second season had even finished. However, there has been no word on whether filming on the next crop of episodes is under way.
One thing that does look likely is that the series will remain at Ardross Castle. The stunning 19th century Baronial-style castle in the Scottish highlands has been the setting for both the UK and US versions of the show, and its lavish breakfast room and sinister turret have become big parts of the programme.
The contestants don't actually sleep at the castle, retiring to a nearby hotel at night. The Daily Beast previously quoted Alan Cumming, who hosts the US version, as saying: “None of us stayed in the castle. None of us. They all stayed in the airport hotel in the Inverness airport. How glamorous - you come to Scotland, and you stay in the Inverness airport hotel.”
The Traitors series 3 start date
The first series of the dramatic show started in November 2022 and it aired into December of that year.
Viewers then faced a long wait after watching Faithfuls Aaron Evans, Hannah Byczkowski and Meryl Williams triumph over Traitor Wilfred 'Wilf' Webster, who kept everyone fooled until the end. November 2023 came and went with nothing from the castle, and the second series didn't actually drop until January 2024.
Fans had been hoping things might go a bit faster between the second and third series, but now The Sun has claimed that it isn't likely to be unveiled until next year. However, there is no official word on a release date, so we can still hope...
Game play
In the show, the majority of the contestants are given the title of Faithfuls but a few are Traitors. The Faithfuls are tasked with uncovering and eliminating the Traitors hiding in their midst, which leads to plenty of dramatic conversations and some tearful banishings. Meanwhile, the Traitors secretly 'murder' the Faithfuls one by one.
Fans love the tense game play, so it's thought it will remain the same going forwards. But who knows whether producers may have some new twists up their sleeves?
What Claudia Winkleman has said about The Traitors series 3
After the first season made such a splash, host Winkleman confessed that she had her doubts about doing a second.
And it seems she felt the same way after the second series did so well too. Speaking to Richard Arnold on Good Morning Britain, she said: "I was reluctant to do the second."
'I was reluctant to do the second and now I'm extra reluctant to do the third.'@ClaudiaWinkle you can't withhold a third season of The Traitors from us! pic.twitter.com/7bkphWp7Kd
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 26, 2024
Arnold replied: "You were reluctant and yet they turned into rock stars!"
Winkleman went on: "And now I'm extra reluctant to do the third. I'm like, 'Guys just leave it. It did OK, leave it!' And they just say 'No.' The head of the BBC, I told you, she just leaned forwards and took my temperature."
