What is The Traitors about has become one of the most common questions among streaming fans as Peacock’s breakout hit continues to dominate reality television. The show, hosted by Alan Cumming, blends psychological gameplay, mystery, and strategy in a competition that challenges contestants to outwit one another while building alliances in a high-stakes setting.
As of December 2025, The Traitors is gearing up for its third U.S. season, solidifying its place as one of Peacock’s most successful original series.
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The Core Concept of The Traitors
At its heart, The Traitors is a reality competition series that combines social deduction with psychological manipulation. The show is based on a Dutch format called De Verraders, which first premiered in the Netherlands in 2021 and was later adapted in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.
The premise is simple but brilliantly deceptive. A group of contestants, known as “Faithfuls,” live together in a castle and work as a team to complete challenges and build a collective prize fund that could reach up to $250,000.
However, among them are several secret “Traitors,” chosen by the host at the start of the game. Their mission is to sabotage the Faithfuls and “murder” them (eliminate them from the game) one by one—without being discovered.
The Faithfuls, meanwhile, must work together to identify and vote out the Traitors during nightly “Round Tables.” If the Faithfuls successfully banish all the Traitors before the end, they share the prize money. If even one Traitor remains at the end, that person takes the entire pot for themselves.
The Setting and Format
Each season of The Traitors U.S. takes place at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, providing an atmospheric backdrop filled with drama, fog, and grandeur. The location plays a crucial role in setting the tone—part gothic mystery, part survival challenge.
The show alternates between two key activities:
- Missions: Physical and mental challenges that allow the group to add money to the prize fund. These missions range from puzzle-solving to endurance tests and often take place in rugged outdoor settings.
- Eliminations: Each night, Traitors secretly “murder” a Faithful, removing them from the game. Later, all players gather for the “Round Table” discussion, where they debate suspicions and vote to banish someone they believe to be a Traitor.
This structure creates constant tension, forcing players to read personalities, detect lies, and manage alliances under pressure.
Alan Cumming: The Master of Ceremony
A defining feature of the U.S. version is Alan Cumming’s charismatic and theatrical hosting style. The award-winning actor, known for his roles in The Good Wife and Cabaret, brings wit, humor, and a sense of elegance to the series.
Cumming’s dramatic wardrobe and sharp commentary elevate the show beyond typical reality competition tropes. His playful, mysterious persona aligns perfectly with the tone of The Traitors, adding a unique mix of camp and sophistication that has captivated audiences.
Celebrity and Civilian Contestants
Unlike many reality competitions, The Traitors features a mixed cast of celebrity personalities and everyday contestants. This dynamic adds intrigue and unpredictability to the gameplay.
- Season 1 (2023): Featured reality TV veterans like Cirie Fields (Survivor), Arie Luyendyk Jr. (The Bachelor), and Kate Chastain (Below Deck). Cirie ultimately won the season as a Faithful, securing the grand prize.
- Season 2 (2024): Included notable faces such as Dan Gheesling (Big Brother), Parvati Shallow (Survivor), and Marcus Jordan. The second season expanded the prize money and introduced more complex missions, boosting viewer engagement.
- Season 3 (2025): Currently in post-production, this upcoming season will feature a fully celebrity lineup, including athletes, reality stars, and entertainers. Peacock has teased “unexpected alliances and shocking betrayals” in promotional previews ahead of the premiere, expected in early 2026.
Why The Traitors Became a Streaming Hit
Since its debut, The Traitors has been one of the most-watched reality shows on Peacock, attracting millions of viewers across multiple demographics. Several factors explain its growing success:
- Strategic Gameplay: The combination of deceit, teamwork, and elimination mirrors popular social deduction games like Mafia or Among Us.
- Cinematic Production: The show’s Scottish castle setting and moody lighting give it a polished, cinematic quality rarely seen in reality TV.
- Alan Cumming’s Performance: His over-the-top hosting persona has become a fan favorite, earning widespread critical praise.
- Crossover Appeal: Featuring familiar faces from Survivor, Big Brother, and The Bachelor has drawn fans from various reality show communities.
By blending social strategy with theatrical presentation, The Traitors offers something new to both traditional reality TV audiences and casual viewers looking for drama-driven entertainment.
International Success and U.S. Popularity
The Traitors isn’t just popular in the U.S.—it’s a global reality TV phenomenon. Versions of the show air in over 20 countries, with adaptations in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and France drawing large audiences.
The U.K. version, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, helped establish the format’s popularity, winning multiple British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs). Its success led Peacock to invest heavily in marketing the American adaptation, which quickly became a cornerstone of its reality programming.
In the United States, The Traitors has performed strongly among both streaming and social media audiences, with weekly discussions trending across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Reddit.
How Viewers Can Watch
All episodes of The Traitors are available to stream exclusively on Peacock. Seasons 1 and 2 remain on the platform, while Season 3 is scheduled to premiere in January 2026.
New episodes are typically released in batches, allowing fans to binge-watch the series or follow along weekly as eliminations unfold.
Critical Reception
Critics have praised The Traitors for its refreshing take on the reality competition genre. Many have described it as one of the most intelligent and well-produced reality series in recent years.
The show has received nominations at the Critics Choice Real TV Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards, highlighting its strong production design, casting, and host performance. Alan Cumming’s role has especially been recognized for redefining what a reality show host can bring to a competition.
The Future of The Traitors
With its combination of suspense, high production value, and star power, The Traitors shows no signs of slowing down. Peacock has already renewed the show for a fourth season in development for 2027, expanding its footprint and global partnerships.
Producers are reportedly exploring spin-off opportunities, including international crossover events that could feature contestants from different national versions competing together in future installments.
The show’s blend of mystery, manipulation, and personality-driven drama has firmly established it as a new kind of reality competition—one that continues to attract both devoted fans and critical acclaim.
The Traitors has proven that reality television can still surprise audiences by combining strategy, storytelling, and suspense. With new seasons ahead, the show’s legacy as one of Peacock’s flagship series seems all but certain.
