Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
August 1, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Screen & Stage • Series

The Traitors

The Traitors is a reality competition television franchise based on the Dutch format De Verraders.

Updated August 1, 20261 min readCited sources

The Traitors is a reality competition franchise where contestants live in a Scottish castle, complete missions for a prize fund, and try to identify secret Traitors among them before being eliminated.

What it is

Based on the Dutch format De Verraders, The Traitors is a psychological reality game show. A small number of contestants are secretly chosen as Traitors at the start, while the rest are Faithful. The Traitors meet at night to “murder” one Faithful, and during the day, players vote to banish suspected Traitors at the Round Table. The game ends when all Traitors are banished (Faithful win) or any Traitor remains (Traitors win).

Key details

The UK version premiered in 2022, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, and the US version in 2023, hosted by Alan Cumming. Both are filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands. The prize fund reaches up to £120,000 (UK) or $250,000 (US). The show is based on social deduction games like Mafia or Werewolf.

Why it matters

The Traitors has been a major hit for the BBC and drawn strong attention as a psychological reality competition. It has Canadian relevance as part of the broader international reality-TV franchise and social-deduction format, appearing in Canadian media coverage and streaming discussions.

In short

  • Contestants are secretly divided into Traitors and Faithful at the start.
  • Traitors “murder” one player each night; players vote to banish suspects daily.
  • Faithful win if all Traitors are banished; Traitors win if any survive to the end.
  • UK and US versions are both filmed at Ardross Castle in Scotland.
Canadian angle

The Traitors has Canadian relevance as part of the broader international reality-TV franchise and social-deduction format that also appears in Canadian media coverage and streaming discussions.

Quick questions

What is The Traitors about?
It is a reality competition where contestants work in teams to build a prize fund while trying to identify hidden Traitors among them, based on deception and voting.
How does The Traitors work?
Contestants complete missions for the prize pot, Traitors secretly “murder” one player each night, and all players vote at the Round Table to banish suspects. Faithful win if all Traitors are removed; Traitors win if any survive.
Where is The Traitors filmed?
The UK and US versions are filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, Scotland.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Traitors_(American_TV_series)
    Supports: Premise, social deduction format, Ardross Castle setting, Traitors and Faithful roles
  2. TV Radar — https://tvradar.uk/the-traitors
    Supports: UK format, gameplay, hosts, filming, prize fund, winner conditions
  3. BBC — https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240207-the-traitors-why-people-are-obsessed-with-this-new-deceit-filled-reality-tv-hit
    Supports: Format premise, roles, filming in Scottish castle, popularity
  4. BBC — https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2xRtJpWRbKcwPdXs7bZnxxH/the-traitors-how-the-show-works
    Supports: Game mechanics, Faithful and Traitors, banishment rules
  5. Peacock — https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/the-traitors
    Supports: US series description, host, castle location, filming seasons 1-3
  6. Common Sense Media — https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-traitors
    Supports: Reality competition description, gameplay structure, unscripted nature