It seems that BBC gameshow The Traitors is continuing to grow and grow its audience, with the first episode drawing in a huge number of viewers.
The first episode of season 3 was watched by an average audience of 5.1 million viewers, reaching a peak of 5.4 million. This made the episode the second most-watched instalment of the show ever, only behind the season 2 finale.
Season 3 kicked off with the first episode at 8pm on BBC One on New Year’s Day, while the second episode was also made available on BBC iPlayer.
That instalment will air on BBC One tonight (Thursday 2nd January) at 8pm, before episode 3 airs at 9pm on Friday 3rd January.
In the episode, host Claudia Winkleman revealed that this year’s finale will operate differently than in previous years.
She explained: “Those who make it to the final will no longer reveal their true identities as they leave. Instead, you will need to rely solely on your instincts as to whether any Traitors are left in the game.”
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This year’s third season of The Traitors follows not just the previous British runs of the show, but also multiple international versions of the hit competition series. Australian, American and New Zealand versions of the format are all available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
It will also be followed by not just a fourth season, which has already been confirmed, but a new, long-clamoured-for UK celebrity version of the show.
The likes of Alan Carr, Paloma Faith, Daisy May Cooper, Charlie Cooper and Courteney Cox have all been rumoured to be signing up for the celebrity version – but nothing has yet been confirmed when it comes to the line-up.
The Traitors season 3 airs on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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