The Traitors shocks viewers by bringing back two contestants in huge twist

The Traitors unveiled a shock twist in Wednesday's episode by bringing back two contestants that the other players had thought were long gone.

BBC One's murder mystery contest, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, sees a group of contestants staying at a Scottish Highlands castle split into a large group of "Faithful" and three "Traitors" - although none of the Faithful know who the Traitors are.

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The group must work out who the Traitors are, who are killing off another player each night, and if they manage to work it out they could win a huge cash prize, which goes to the Traitors if they are wrong in their final guesses.

Viewers have praised the show for being one of the best reality formats in years, and they were in for a thrilling shock on Wednesday when two contestants made an unexpected return.

Kieran and Amos had previously been part of another shock moment when they were booted from the cast in the opening minutes of episode one before even entering the castle, when the group had been told to rate themselves most likely to win.

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Both men had allowed other contestants to go ahead of them, but had been punished for their kindness when Winkleman told them they must leave immediately.

However, last night the remaining players were asked to complete a challenge in front of a church congregation all wearing gold masks - and at the end, Winkleman asked two of the masked watchers to stand, revealing them as Kieran, 42, and Amos, 30.

She said: "Kieran and Amos did not leave the game on day one. You can only leave The Traitors if you are murdered or banished.

"I’ve had them hidden away separately and they are now coming back to play the game."

Fans of the show loved the twist, with one tweeting: "Ohhhhh the TWIST."

Someone else wrote: "I was not expecting them to return."

Another person added: "Are the rest of the group gonna trust Amos & Kieran? They could be traitors for all they know!"

Viewers have also had plenty of good things to say about the show in general.

One person tweeted: "Just watched 3 hours of #TheTraitors with my housemates and can confirm it’s the best reality show in years. This is what happens when you take away forced romance and have a genuinely diverse cast."

Someone else commented: "#TraitorsUK on @BBCiPlayer is the best show I've watched in a long time. Hooked."

The Traitors continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One.