Rejoicing as ‘faithfuls’ – watching for traitors

As we start 2024 the nation is gripped by the BBC series The Traitors, which has returned after proving a massive hit last year.

In this sophisticated version of Wink Murder, 22 contestants battle to survive to win a cash prize. They are divided into ‘traitors’ and ‘faithfuls’, with the traitors aiming to murder the faithfuls one by one, and the faithfuls seeking to identify and banish the traitors.

Viewers are given a ‘God’s-eye’ view of the unfolding events, since they know which contestants are in which camp. The interest is in watching the machinations of the traitors and the struggles of those with limited knowledge to make sense of what is happening. Emotional bonds are formed with the contestants, so we end up rooting for some and hoping others will fail.