More than nine million people have watched the first episode of the new series of The Traitors, the biggest audience in the show’s history, figures reveal.
The tense game show, in which members of the public attempt to identify who among them are “faithfuls” and “traitors”, returned to BBC One on New Year’s Day.
An average audience of 9.2 million saw the launch episode, according to official ratings published by the research organisation Barb.
The figures include all people who recorded and watched the programme up to seven days later, along with those who viewed on tablets, PCs and smartphones.
The equivalent ratings for 2024’s launch were 5.9 million.
Audiences for The Traitors grew steadily during last year’s series – the second to air on UK television – peaking at 8.0 million for the final.
A similar trend this year could see ratings climb above 10 or even 11 million, high enough to guarantee The Traitors a place in the top 10 biggest TV audiences of 2025.
The first series of The Traitors in the UK was broadcast in November and December 2022, with ratings reaching 4.7 million for the final.
This year’s series – hosted once again by Claudia Winkleman – is running on BBC One three nights a week.
The second and third episode, which aired on January 2 and 3, pulled in average audiences of 8.5 million and 8.6 million respectively.
The final episode of the current series will air on Friday January 24, and will reveal whether any of this year’s “traitors” have outwitted their fellow contestants to win a cash prize of thousands of pounds.
