The Celebrity Traitors confirms its season 2 – here's why we can't wait

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Ring the alarm! The BBC's smash-hit series The Celebrity Traitors has officially been confirmed for a season two after a "phenomenal" debut that has broken audience records. Produced by Studio Lambert – the team behind Gogglebox, Race Across the World and Squid Game: The Challenge – the reality competition is set to return once again in 2026, with the gloriously gothic Claudia Winkleman at the helm. The return to the iconic Scottish Ardross Castle promises to "host a new group of star-studded schemers" in the "ultimate game of trust and treachery". While the civilian version of The Traitors has always been a hit, it's been a joy to see the celebrity spin-off become a cultural phenomenon since its October debut. From the devious Traitors Alan Carr, Cat Burns and Jonathan Ross to tireless Faithfuls like Nick Mohammed, Joe Marler and David Olusoga, the mix of personalities made for unmissable TV. Bring on news of the next line-up! The Celebrity Traitors breaks audience records The debut episode, in which Claudia chose her Traitors Cat, Alan and Jonathan, drew an impressive 14.8 million views, making it the biggest unscripted title on BBC iPlayer ever. According to the BBC, the show is now the largest unscripted title across the entire UK market since 2021. On Thursday, the gripping finale saw the final five contestants go head to head, with Alan Carr ultimately winning the £87,500 charity prize. That episode alone averaged 11.1 million viewers with a peak of 12 million – surpassing even last year's record-breaking Gavin & Stacey Christmas special. According to the BBC: "The finale episode had 1.9m live requests on BBC iPlayer, which makes this the highest live-viewing number for any Entertainment episode on iPlayer of all time." Beyond the ratings, The Celebrity Traitors has had a tangible impact on Scotland's economy, generating an estimated £21.8 million boost in Gross Value Added (GVA) since filming began in 2022, according to the BBC's Economic Impact Report. What has the BBC said about the next season? Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC, said: "Studio Lambert have done an outstanding job as The Celebrity Traitors has well and truly captivated the nation, becoming a bona fide highlight of the year bringing record numbers of people together to enjoy every twist and turn." As for what viewers can expect for the next instalment, Kalpna continued: "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. Plus, with Uncloaked returning and today's news of the positive contribution The Traitors brand has made to Scotland's economy, there is plenty to celebrate." Meanwhile, Director of BBC Scotland Hayley Valentine said: "The Traitors is an immense TV success story and it's fantastic to have multiple versions of it filmed in Scotland. We welcome and celebrate it. This report highlights the many ways that Scotland is seeing a direct economic benefit from The Traitors filming here and, working together with our partners, we will use this success to promote sustainable growth within Scotland's creative industry." The Celebrity Traitors series one is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked series one is available to stream now via BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer.