BBC One’s The Traitors may have only just begun, but host Claudia Winkleman has already delivered the first brutal twist, which saw two contestants automatically eliminated within the first 10 minutes.
The new psychological competition sees 22 strangers enter a castle in the Scottish Highlands, where they are tasked with uncovering the traitors among them – a small group of undercover saboteurs who’ll be picking off contestants in the hopes of winning £120,000.
However, two contestants didn’t even make it into the castle before being told to leave the cast, with Amos and Kieran failing the show’s first challenge.
After meeting one another, Strictly Come Dancing‘s Claudia asked the group to rank themselves in order from most likely to win, to least likely to win.
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While Cambridge-based scientist Imran and retired 72-year-old Andrea considered themselves to be winners, 30-year-old doctor Amos and Hertfordshire consultant Kieran placed themselves at the end.
When asked why they thought they were least likely to win, Kieran said: “[I have] no expectations, I’m going to take it day by day and we’ll see how we go,” while Amos said that he didn’t want to “fade into the background”, adding: “The extremes are where you stick out.”
Claudia then revealed the competition’s first major shock, telling the group: “Every decision you make, every single one has a consequence.”
“So you two, you think you’re going to lose,” she told Amos and Kieran. “I am going to take you at your word. So I’m afraid, it’s goodbye. I’d like you to leave the grounds immediately. It’s called The Traitors.”
“Complete and utter devastation – it backfired massively,” Kieran said, while a visibly emotional Amos added: “That was difficult.”
With two contestants already eliminated from the competition, there are just 20 left, some of whom will be faithfuls, those needing to identify the traitors among them before they’re ‘killed’, and the others will be traitors – saboteurs who must go undetected whilst killing off their fellow competitors.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press about taking on The Traitors’ presenting role, Claudia said that she ditched her “smiley” Strictly persona for the reality show.
“I have to be so smiley on Strictly. ‘Oh a five’s not bad from Craig [Revel Horwood], well done. At least it’s not a three,’” she said. “I’m kind to [the contestants] sometimes. I wish the best for them and I try and look after them, but it’s quite difficult because I can’t say anything.”
The Traitors continues tomorrow at 9:15pm and Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One.
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