While 2025’s edition of the main series of The Traitors UK was the most viewed instalment of the reality show yet, it didn’t quite live up to the high bar set by the first two seasons.
In fact, some key flaws of the game became obvious. The show returns this week with its first-ever celebrity edition , and if the BBC wants to keep it the most exciting thing on British TV, then there are a few changes that could be made, not just to shake things up but to make the show less frustrating.
You can also check out the top 10 most iconic moments from the show, and read who will likely get booted off the upcoming season first .
Spoilers for The Traitors season 3 below
Give the Faithful more incentives for banishing Traitors
One of the key downsides of The Traitors season 3 was that the Faithful were quick to banish their own, especially in the endgame where a Jake and Leanne team-up seemed obvious from the penultimate episode.
When it came down to the final four, it was questionable whether the players wished to end the game because they truly believed there was another Traitor left, or if they just wanted to maximise their cut of the prize pot by binning off other players.
BBC / Studio Lambert
The game could change that by introducing rewards to the Faithful for successfully catching a Traitor.
These rewards could vary. For example, earlier in the game, it could be shields for every player who voted correctly at the roundtable – this would also make the shields more dynamic and not necessarily go to the most physically fit players, as has happened previously in challenges. It also creates real consequences for the Faithful when they vote. As the competition progresses, perhaps catching a Traitor could be worth an additional £5,000.
In the endgame, these rewards could be flipped to be penalties. For example, if a Faithful is banished at the fire pit, then the prize pot is cut significantly if the Faithful win, or there’s a risk of someone walking away with nothing if it comes down to two.
Obviously, as this is a celebrity edition, there may be less ruthlessness around maximising the pot for players, as everyone is playing for charity. Regardless, it should still be something to consider.
Create more opportunities for team bonding
Following on from that, perhaps one reason the Faithful were so quick to banish was because the relationships between players were not strong enough. The Faithful were given lots of opportunities to only look out for number one earlier on, which made for poor television.
A prime example would be the dragon boat task. Hardly anyone was volunteering to get off and build the prize pot, as most people just wanted shields to stay in the game. Perhaps this task would have worked better a little later, but the start of the show should encourage the Faithful to form bonds – and of course, give the Traitors a chance to blend in even further.
BBC / Studio Lambert
That then makes tasks that are all about paranoia trickier when they eventually arrive, as players have already proven their ‘loyalty’ and will be in a dilemma about their decisions going forward.
But most importantly, it makes for better television. The entire nation was outraged about the way that poor Kas was essentially bullied on TV – we need players to be given the chance to be nicer to one another, rather than being selfish from the start (except for the Traitors, of course).
Again, whether the tension will be as high for celebrities remains to be seen. Some may already know one another, which could make the atmosphere a bit nicer.
Scrap the no-reveal rule
While this rule is intended to make the game more difficult for the Faithful, it ruins some of the best possible TV moments.
We were robbed of Charlotte revealing that she was not only a Traitor but also that she wasn’t even Welsh. It could have caused mayhem at the roundtable. But instead, she just had to get up and leave the game.
While it was entertaining to see this on Uncloaked, the public reveals are an iconic part of the show.
It also encouraged players to keep voting to banish again. It was no surprise they made this decision, because not knowing who was left created so much uncertainty. If they had learnt that Charlotte was a Traitor, maybe the four players would have thought about their choices differently.
Tweak the Seer role
Many are calling for the Seer role to be scrapped entirely. I disagree, but I think there could be ways to ensure that we don’t get a repeat of season 3 – even if Frankie picking Charlotte was one of the best moments of this season.
In the game Werewolves, players don’t know for sure who the Seer is. Someone must instead claim that they have the role, and it’s up to the other players to decide if they believe them or not. They can also reveal this information whenever they choose.
BBC / Studio Lambert
The Seer would be more ambiguous if it were introduced earlier in the game, and if it were done anonymously – as in, one player is chosen in secret at the start of the game, and then they only learn the identity of someone via an envelope rather than via a face-to-face meeting. The other players could still know someone was being chosen; they just wouldn’t know who.
This could then create chaos. The Seer could hold onto the information for as long as they wished, or give Traitors the opportunity to jump in to pretend to be the Seer. With more people in the game, there are more ways to create bold lies, and more importantly, fewer opportunities for this rule to be a deciding factor in the endgame.
There are fewer players in The Celebrity Traitors, which may mean that the Seer role is forgone entirely – but this is something to consider for season 4.
Make the missions riskier for the Traitors
Players in season 3 consistently moaned about there not being ‘enough evidence’ on the Traitors themselves. However, we saw one incident in which Minah was caught red-handed by Frankie by attempting to sway the group towards a correct answer during the chess mission.
The series would add an extra layer of difficulty for The Traitors if they were told to make bolder decisions during the missions, either with prior knowledge to build the prize pot … or something even more wicked.
BBC/Studio Lambert
We all love a good murder in plain sight. So, what if one of these happened during a mission? If the Faithful didn’t know about it beforehand, then they’d be caught up in the hectic play of the game and wouldn’t be looking for a hidden agenda.
In turn, this would make voting at the roundtable less personal. People wouldn’t necessarily make decisions based on personalities or jobs but rather by using their own detective skills. We all remember what great TV Jazatha Christie made, and frankly, we need more of it.
Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As Tech Advisor’s Entertainment Editor, Hannah is the resident expert in all things streaming, film and TV. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds and created a website dedicated to geek culture and lifestyle. She’s also reviewed a whole range of gadgets including flagship smartphones, wearables and styling tools. Outside of Foundry, she’s written freelance pieces for Polygon, Metro and Den of Geek, and is proud to be a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.
Recent stories by Hannah Cowton-Barnes:
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- The Traitors will return for season 5 with new twists and challenges
