Get ready to start 2026 with The Traitors, as the hit reality contest returns for the fourth series on 1 January on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
It may be a successful, tried-and-tested formula, but changes are coming down the line for the reality series. Claudia Winkleman invites 22 strangers to play the biggest murder mystery game on television.
It is filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands. But expect more twists and turns, secrets, missions and deception in the Scottish castle. There is a prize pot of potentially £120,000.
It appears that The Traitors will be moving up the schedule to a pre-watershed timeslot of 8 p.m. for the duration of the series, and that’s not the only significant change coming for the series.
Post-show series The Traitors: Uncloaked is also being promoted from BBC Two to BBC One.
Ed Gamble’s Uncloaked, which sees previous contestants and celebrities dissecting the latest episode, will air on BBC Two after the first episode airs on Thursday, 1 January at 9.05 p.m. But for the rest of the series, it will move to BBC One from Friday, 2 January, in its new 9 p.m. timeslot.
It will also be available on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer.
When does The Traitors series four start?
Claudia Winkleman in The Traitors’ castle. (Studio Lambert)
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Episode 1: 8pm on Thursday 1 January 2026
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Episode 2: 8pm on Friday 2 January 2026
Historically, The Traitors has aired in the post-watershed 9 p.m. slot. Series three’s first two episodes aired at 8pm, but the rest of the series was broadcast at 9p.m.
The main series will comprise 12 one-hour episodes. The BBC shared a quick teaser trailer saying: “You’re cordially invited.”
The BBC’s head of entertainment, Kalpna Patel-Knight, said: “In 2026, the doors of the castle will be opened again to welcome celebrity players to the game to see who can charm, who can scheme and ultimately who can survive in series two, which promises to be just as unmissable as the first.
“Plus with Uncloaked returning and today’s news of the positive contribution The Traitors brand has made to Scotland’s economy, there is plenty to celebrate.”
While the director of BBC Scotland added: “The Traitors is an immense TV success story and it’s fantastic to have multiple versions of it filmed in Scotland.
“We welcome and celebrate it. This report highlights the many ways that Scotland is seeing a direct economic benefit from The Traitors filming here and, working together with our partners, we will use this success to promote sustainable growth within Scotland’s creative industry.”
Studio Lambert Scotland is the mastermind behind The Traitors, airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Slideshow: The Traitors live experience
The Traitors’ live experience
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The Traitors’ live experience’s roundtable is as daunting as the real thing. (Grant Walker)
Each episode will become available on BBC iPlayer. The fourth series follows on from the very successful The Celebrity Traitors, where Alan Carr won £87,500 for charity, Neuroblastoma UK.
The Celebrity Traitors became the biggest title of 2025, with 15 million faithful viewers. Series 2 is set to return later in 2026 and will get a full 12-episode run next time around, after only airing for nine episodes earlier this year.
The Traitors series four has been kept under wraps. The cast have been sworn to secrecy. Applications are already underway for series five. Filming will take place in the summer and autumn of 2026 for three weeks.
The Traitors returns on 1 January at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.