The BBC has confirmed that Celebrity Traitors will return for a second series on BBC One in 2026, following a hugely successful debut that became one of the broadcaster’s biggest entertainment hits.
It will be hosted once again by Claudia Winkleman and filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Companion show Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked will also return.
An average of 11.1 million people tuned in to watch the final episode of this year’s Celebrity version last week – the biggest live audience of the year for a single TV show.
It was the highest overnight audience since the Gavin and Stacey finale, which attracted 12.3 million on Christmas Day last year, the BBC said.
In July, England’s victory in the Euro 2025 final had an average of 12 million who watched the match from start to finish, split across BBC One and ITV.
The Celebrity Traitors finale saw traitors Cat Burns and Alan Carr, and faithfuls Joe Marler, Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga, compete for a £87,500 prize for charity.
Comedian Alan Carr was crowned the winner of the series on Thursday evening after he convinced Mohammed and Olusoga that he was a faithful.
An economic impact report, published on Monday, suggests the Traitors franchise – including the UK, US, and Celebrity editions – has added an estimated £21.8 million (gross value added) to Scotland’s economy since production began in 2022.
The report, compiled with Screen Scotland and Visit Scotland, credits the programme with supporting hundreds of local jobs and promoting the Highlands as a filming destination.
The Traitors, based on a Dutch format created by Marc Pos, first aired on BBC One in 2022 and has since become an international phenomenon, spawning multiple editions worldwide including in Australia, Canada and Italy.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said the show had “truly captivated the nation, becoming a bona fide highlight of the year”.
She added: “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.”
A fourth season of Traitors UK will also air in 2026.
