A big change has been introduced into the game of deception. The Traitors crept back onto BBC One last night (1 January), but while Claudia Winkleman’s wall of a fringe and the garishly decorated Scottish castle were both familiar sights, the smash-hit show has returned with one big twist.
![[Minah is one of this year’s Traitors]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/01/12/newFile-20.jpg)
Series host Winkleman had previously teased that things would be “different” in the game of deception this year, following a shocking season two finale that saw Traitor Harry walk away with the £95,150 prize pot. “There are some really exciting things that have changed, which keeps everyone on the toes and feeds into the central premise of trust!” Winkleman said of the new episodes.
In the season three opener, the big twist was revealed, with Winkleman telling contestants that the few who make it to the final this year will no longer reveal whether they are a Faithful or Traitor as they are banished. Instead, the final players will have to rely purely on their instincts about whether or not any Traitors are left in the castle, a twist that’s intended to make their decision of when to end the game even more tricky.
It remains to be seen exactly how this will affect the outcome of the show. If the rule had been introduced for season two, it would have made it even easier for Harry to win. In that finale, fellow Traitor Andrew made an 11th-hour attempt to bring down Harry before being banished, and this made Jaz very suspicious of him.
