Claudia Winkleman left viewers of The Traitors gobsmacked when she disclosed a significant alteration to this year’s show, leading fans to believe they can now predict the winner. The hit series, which sees 25 contestants vying for £120,000 in the Scottish Highlands, had a twist revealed as it made its comeback on BBC1 last night.
Claudia announced that in the final stages, finalists will be in the dark about whether they’re ousting Traitors or Faithfuls. In the game, Traitors aim to eliminate other players covertly, while Faithfuls need to identify and banish the Traitors to avoid becoming their next target.
The last ones standing have a shot at the prize money, but if a Traitor remains undetected, they snatch the entire pot. Speaking about the change, Claudia remarked: “The final twist is so smart. At the end, I will thank somebody for taking part and they will just walk out.”
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She added, “It underlines that you think you know how to play but you don’t. If you went to the castle, you might have a way of working it out – this change takes away all of that. It goes back to the main body of the show, which is trust and gut instinct.”
Fans took to social media to voice their opinions on the update, with some calling it unfair and suggesting it makes the winner easier to guess, reports the Mirror.
Fans of The Traitors took to social media to voice their concerns after a shock twist in the show seemed to unfairly tip the balance. One viewer, previously active on Twitter, commented: “The odds are already so heavily stacked against The Faithfuls, this plot twist is going to make it impossible for the faithfuls to win.”
Another echoed the sentiment, remarking: “As if the game wasn’t massively stacked towards the #TheTraitors they have made it easier for them to win now.”
Complaints continued, with another adding: “Why is it literally built for The Traitors to win? This feels kinda unfair.”
Claudia Winkleman, who presents the show, defended the change: “In any entertainment format, you can’t repeat. You want to give the people playing and the people watching something new,” the beloved Strictly Come Dancing host said.
Amidst the controversy, the first contestant to be targeted in the series has commented on their departure that angered fans. In an unexpected turn of events, the episode’s start resulted in three participants being sent home prematurely.
Call centre manager Minah, 29, retired opera singer Linda, 70, and financial investigator Armani, 27, were selected by Claudia as the Traitors. For their initial act of ‘murder’, they agreed to take out communication scientist Yin, aged 34.
Explaining their decision, Armani remarked: “She’s just got too much brains and I just see it being a big pain in the a*** down the line.”
Following her eviction, Yin featured on the companion show Traitors: Uncloaked, where she expressed her shock: “I never thought I’d be referred to as a pain in the a***. That phrase did not cross my mind.”
Regarding the circumstances of her departure, she added: “It is [bittersweet]. Very devastating still but I think the funny thing is … I honestly don’t think I came across as that smart having now seen the episode. I think if anything I looked confused […] And that was deliberate.”
“It is [bittersweet]. Very devastating still but I think the funny thing is … I honestly don’t think I came across as that smart having now seen the episode. I think if anything I looked confused […] And that was deliberate.”
(Image: PA)