The BBC has unveiled the eclectic mix of contestants who will enter the treacherous Scottish castle for the highly anticipated third series of its smash-hit reality show, The Traitors. Host Claudia Winkleman has already teased that the upcoming season will be "brutal" and feature a brand-new twist to keep both players and viewers on their toes.
A Line-Up Skilled in Deception and Detection
The new cohort of 22 hopefuls, who will compete for the £120,000 prize fund, boasts professional backgrounds uniquely suited to the game's core themes of lies, strategy, and psychological warfare. The cast will once again be secretly divided into the scheming "Traitors" and the unsuspecting "Faithfuls" tasked with rooting them out.
Among the standout contestants is Harriet Tyce, 52, a bestselling thriller writer and former criminal barrister. She believes her career crafting deadly narratives has given her a perfect skill set for the game. "I spend my life making up horrible ways for people to die and killing people on the page," she said, noting the show offers a chance to plot "without actual blood being shed." Despite her expertise, her strategy involves playing down her novelist's mind and "dialling up" her role as a mother to avoid early suspicion.
She is joined by Amanda, 57, a retired police detective from Brighton, whose career was built on uncovering deceit. "I've done lots of interviews with criminals and victims. You have to put the pieces together to find the truth and see through the lies," she explained, adding that the qualities needed to be a successful Traitor—a good poker face and mastery of deflection—are things she has learned to spot.
The Psychological Edge and Secret Identities
Adding a new dimension to the infamous roundtable discussions is Ellie, 33, believed to be the first psychologist to compete on the show. She plans to bring a "psychological perspective" to the game, focusing on forming strong social bonds early as a key survival tactic. "Voting around the round table isn't just about who's suspicious, it's also about the bonds that you've made with people," she stated. Like Harriet, Ellie intends to hide her real occupation to prevent others from making assumptions about her ability to read people.
The diverse lineup also includes a cybersecurity expert, a personal trainer, a sweet shop assistant, an outspoken builder, and a poker-playing gardener, ensuring a dynamic mix of personalities and tactics when the series launches.
What to Expect in the New Series
The third series of The Traitors is scheduled to begin on New Year's Day on BBC One and iPlayer. It will follow the now-familiar format of daytime team missions and nightly dramatic "murders," where the Traitors eliminate the Faithfuls one by one. The Faithfuls must then try to identify and banish the hidden Traitors, often with wildly inaccurate accusations.
This new season follows the hugely successful celebrity edition aired in October and November, which saw comedian Alan Carr secure an unexpected victory. With host Claudia Winkleman's promise of a "brutal" new twist, fans can expect even higher stakes and more intense mind games as this unique group of contestants battles for the cash prize in the atmospheric Scottish highlands.
