# The Traitors (2022) Review: Murder, Mistrust and Knitwear > The Traitors is the BBC's castle-set reality game of lies and paranoia hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the rare format that makes group psychology gripping television. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/the-traitors-uk-review/ Published: 2026-07-25 Last updated: 2026-09-24 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 4/5 ## Verdict Yes. It is the most addictive reality competition on British TV, ideal for anyone who enjoys social deduction, though its 12-episode runs have some padding. ## Is The Traitors worth watching? **Yes. The Traitors is compulsive, cleverly designed reality television that turns a parlour game of lies and suspicion into genuine drama.** The format is its secret weapon, amplified by Claudia Winkleman's arch, theatrical hosting and a castle setting that makes every conversation feel like a plot. The reservations are length and repetition: each series is longer than it needs to be, and the players' reasoning can be maddening to watch. ## What is The Traitors about? A group of strangers moves into a Scottish castle to play a game of trust and deception. Most are Faithfuls, but a few have been secretly chosen as Traitors. Each night the Traitors quietly "murder" one of the other players, removing them from the game, and each day everyone gathers at a round table to debate, accuse and vote to banish someone they suspect. Between those rituals, teams complete missions to add money to a prize pot worth up to £120,000. If the Faithfuls root out every Traitor, they share the money; if a Traitor survives to the end, they take it all. [The Traitors](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/the-traitors-uk/) is a British reality series in English, presented by Claudia Winkleman on the [BBC](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/platform/bbc/) and adapted from a Dutch format. This review covers the first four series, 48 episodes broadcast from 2022 to 2026. Because each series is a self-contained game with a new cast, viewers can start with any of them, and the show is ongoing. ## A game built for suspicion The format works because it puts ordinary people under intense, elegantly designed social pressure. The Faithfuls have no information beyond behaviour, so they cling to hunches, body language and alliances, and the audience, who know who the Traitors are, watches with delicious dramatic irony. Innocent players are accused on flimsy grounds while the real liars nod along. It is part murder mystery, part psychology experiment, and it rewards viewers who like to second-guess everyone. The production leans into the theatre of it. The castle's candlelit halls, the tartan and tweed, the solemn music and the round-table confrontations are all pitched just this side of camp. Traitors meet in hooded cloaks to choose their victims, and the show knows exactly how ridiculous and enjoyable that is. ## Claudia Winkleman sets the tone Much of the show's personality comes from its host. Claudia Winkleman plays her role like a gothic stage hostess, relishing the drama while signalling, with the slightest raised eyebrow, that she is in on the joke. Her wardrobe of chunky knitwear became a talking point in its own right. She is warm with contestants, but never so involved that she deflates the tension, and her delivery at the round table gives every banishment an extra jolt. The casting helps too. The players are a broad mix of ages and backgrounds rather than the usual reality-show types, and the best series thrive on how genuinely people reveal themselves under suspicion, from quiet strategists to emotional loose cannons. ## Where the castle walls close in The main problem is pacing. With 12 episodes per series, the missions in particular can feel like filler, and the middle stretch of each game sometimes repeats the same pattern of paranoia and misplaced accusations. Viewers can also grow frustrated as players fall for obvious misdirection or turn on each other for reasons that seem flimsy. Later series feature contestants who clearly know the format, which changes the dynamics and occasionally makes the game feel more calculated than instinctive. ## Who should watch The Traitors? It is ideal for fans of murder mysteries, board games like Werewolf or Mafia, and reality competitions with a strategic edge. Each series makes a satisfying weekly or binge watch, though its length is a real commitment. The content is mild: arguments, tears and mock "murders," but no real violence and limited strong language, making it suitable for family viewing with older children. If you enjoy it, these unscripted shows offer a similar pleasure in watching people: - [Gogglebox](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/gogglebox-review/), for the simple joy of watching ordinary people react with total honesty. - [Clarkson's Farm](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/clarksons-farm/), a very different reality series that is just as reliant on big personalities under pressure. - [Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/jury-duty-company-retreat/), an American comedy that also builds its fun around an elaborate deception. ## The verdict The Traitors is one of the smartest reality formats on television, a gripping mix of strategy, psychology and camp spectacle anchored by Claudia Winkleman's pitch-perfect hosting. Its runs are too long and its players occasionally infuriating, but few competition shows are this consistently entertaining. **Rating: 4/5** ## Related title - [The Traitors (2022)](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/the-traitors-uk/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)