Everyone’s favourite star-studded game show filled with back-stabbing and scheming is returning this autumn, and the BBC has finally confirmed the start date.
Host Claudia Winkleman is returning for another series as she welcomes 21 celebrities to face off for the chance to win £100,000 for a charity of their choice, as they try to seek out who among them are the murderous traitors.
The BBC has confirmed the reality gameshow will return on October 1 with an extra-long opening episode at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, while sister show Traitors: Uncloaked will follow the main series episodes on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
The date was revealed along with a new trailer for the series, which showed the celebrity contestants meeting in a church before a knock on the door, which was revealed to be Winkleman.
When is the second season of Celebrity Traitors on TV?
The BBC has confirmed the reality gameshow will return on Thursday, October 1 with an extra-long opening episode at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The series will air two nights a week on Thursday and Friday evenings at 8pm.
Series two has 10 episodes to the last series’ nine.
Sister show Traitors: Uncloaked will follow the main series episodes on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
It will be hosted by Ed Gamble, who will again be joined by banished and murdered players and previous celebrity and non celebrity-players for a debrief and reactions.
There will also be exclusive bonus episodes available immediately after the main show on BBC Sounds, with extended celebrity interviews and in-depth gameplay analysis.
What did Richard Osman say about the start date?
Earlier this month, the former Pointless host had appeared to claim the start date was September 23 during an episode of The Rest Is Entertainment.
Osman and co-host Marina Hyde were joined by former Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler as he gave advice for the upcoming batch of contestants.
During the episode, which was a live recording taking place at the Southbank Centre on September 5, the 36-year-old former rugby union player asked: “What is it, September 23, the next series?”
Osman replied: “By the way, to point out, it's absolutely embargoed that it starts on September 23 ... let's talk about what we call the events of September 23 this year … the cat's out of the bag, isn't it? Not to repeat it.”
The alleged start date did the rounds online and in the media, with many taking Osman’s word that the popular BBC reality show would be hitting our screens in a matter of weeks.
However, the Celebrity Traitors team was reportedly “frustrated” at Osman for announcing the wrong date.
A source told The Sun: “There was huge frustration when Richard wrongly announced the date, and everyone involved were blindsided and confused as to where he got that from.”
It claimed that Osman even sent a text to the BBC’s Head of Content, Kate Phillips, to apologise for the blunder, “which is not a scenario that happens very often”.
“Making it worse is the fact that so many people assumed that if Richard said it, then it was probably correct. After all, he's a BBC star, and former telly executive who's well placed to uncover these bits of information.
“Except he got it wrong.”
What has the BBC said about series so far?
BBC bosses have teased audience members with a glimpse of what season two holds, revealing that we will see “paranoia off the scale”.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival last month, BBC’s Director of Entertainment Ed Havard said: “Things happen that you didn't think could happen on Traitors and have never seen before.”
“I came from working on the US version, and it just shows how many surprises this show can deliver. I can't stop thinking about it. The paranoia is off the scale.”
“So, we are very excited about it,” he said, adding that some stars have already asked him when an all-star version is coming.
