Traitors boss drops series bombshell as Secret Traitor twist is scrapped: 'It wasn't something we wanted to keep going with'
Will you be sad to see it go?Traitors fans who enjoyed the huge Secret Traitor twist are in for disappointment, as it is being scrapped.
A boss for the BBC show has revealed that the format, which left viewers on the edge of their seats this year, won’t feature again.
Show host Claudia Winkleman had begun the series by handing a special red cloak to one contestant.
This was the signal that they had been awarded Secret Traitor status, and only Claudia knew who it was.
For several days, fans found themselves playing along with the normal Traitors as they tried to work out who it was. It eventually turned out to be Fiona Hughes.
The twist was applauded by TV critics as being an excellent addition to the show. But sadly, it won’t happen again.
Traitors bosses scrap Secret Traitor twist
Stephen Lambert, founder of The Traitors’ US and UK production company Studio Lambert, ruled out a return of the Secret Traitor during a recent talk.
Stephen told an audience at the University of East Anglia in Norfolk that the idea was brought in after last year’s hugely successful Celebrity Traitors. He said it was a way to “do something different” with the civilian series.
Don't miss a single story! Add us as a Preferred Source in Google for all your television news
“After the huge success of the Celebrity Traitors, we introduced the idea of a Secret Traitor as a way of doing something that was different,” Stephen said. “But it wasn’t something we wanted to keep going with.
“It was a clever way of signalling we were doing something different. But I go back to the pleasure of the show being that the audience doesn’t know who the Traitors are.
“There have been other shows which have done something similar, where the audience didn’t know who ‘the mole’ was. The trouble is you’re completely a victim of the edit, and that doesn’t feel very satisfying.”
Traitors renewed until 2030
If you’re feeling sad about the Secret Traitor cancellation, we have some good news to lift your spirits. The BBC has today confirmed that The Traitors will continue to run on screen for another three years.
The BBC has agreed a new three-year partnership. This will keep both The Traitors and its spin-off, The Celebrity Traitors on air until 2030.
Ardross Castle will continue to be the home to all the banishments, deception and murder, keeping Scotland firmly on the map. It comes following record viewers figures with Celebrity Traitors last year, and this year’s The Traitors.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, said in a statement: “We are proud to remain faithful to The Traitors and The Celebrity Traitors until 2030 and wanted to say a big thank you to the outstanding team at Studio Lambert Scotland for bringing it to screen.
“We can’t wait to share many more twists and turns with viewers all across the UK in the coming years.”
Get in!
Read more: Matt Tebbutt reveals real reason he’s been ‘axed’ from MasterChef: The Professionals
