LONDON â The Celebrity Traitors is officially returning for Series 2 on Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 8pm, with the BBC confirming the launch date, weekly schedule and a new trailer for the celebrity edition of its hit psychological reality game.
Claudia Winkleman will welcome 21 celebrities to the Scottish Highlands, where they will compete in a game of trust, detection and betrayal for the chance to win up to ÂŁ100,000 for a charity of their choice.
The new series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer every Thursday and Friday at 8pm, while companion show The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked and a new programme exploring Claudia’s Traitor selections will expand the launch-night coverage.
The Celebrity Traitors Series 2 starts October 1
The premiere will air at 8pm on Thursday, October 1 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. New episodes will then continue at the same time on Thursday and Friday evenings.
The twice-weekly schedule gives viewers two consecutive nights of gameplay before a break, leaving plenty of time for theories about alliances, suspicious behaviour and the identities of the Traitors to build between episodes.
The BBC’s official Celebrity Traitors Series 2 announcement confirms the premiere date, broadcast schedule and additional programming surrounding the new series.
Full Celebrity Traitors Series 2 cast
The 2026 line-up brings together actors, comedians, musicians, broadcasters and television personalities, creating a varied group for a format where reading other people can be as important as winning missions.
The confirmed cast is Amol Rajan, Bella Ramsey, James Acaster, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, Joanne McNally, Joe Lycett, Julie Hesmondhalgh, King Kenny, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Maya Jama, Michael Sheen, Miranda Hart, Myha’la, Professor Hannah Fry, Richard E. Grant, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Ross Kemp, Sebastian Croft and Sharon Rooney.
Viewers wanting more background on the contestants can also see the earlier Celebrity Traitors 2026 cast announcement, which looks at the mix of actors, comedians and major television names entering the game.
New trailer puts the celebrities straight into the game
The newly released trailer shows the players meeting one another before taking part in an explosive mission, while Winkleman prepares to begin another round of deception inside the castle.
The central mystery remains protected ahead of the premiere. The Faithful will have to identify the Traitors hidden among them, while the Traitors attempt to survive suspicion and quietly remove other contestants from the game.
That makes the opening episode particularly important, because contestants arrive knowing how the format works but not who will become an ally, a target or a secret Traitor.
Ed Gamble returns with The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked
Ed Gamble will return to host The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, beginning at 9.15pm on October 1 on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
The programme will feature banished and âmurderedâ players discussing the latest betrayals, strategic mistakes and moments that led to their exits. Previous celebrity and non-celebrity contestants will also join the conversation.
Episodes will include exclusive interviews and unseen footage, including reactions from Faithful players when they finally discover the identity of the Traitors they had been trying to expose.
BBC Sounds will also carry bonus episodes featuring extended celebrity interviews and more detailed discussion of the gameplay.
Claudia’s Traitor selections get a closer look
A second companion programme, Traitor or Faithful? Claudia Decides, will reveal more about how Winkleman gets to know the contestants before deciding which players could take on the role of a Traitor.
The programme will show her questioning the celebrities and assessing their personalities before making decisions that can shape the entire game.
Traitor or Faithful? Claudia Decides will become available on BBC iPlayer from 9.15pm on October 1.
Series 1 sets a high benchmark
The new series follows a major first celebrity run in October 2025. According to the BBC, Series 1 averaged 14.9 million viewers, while the finale reached 15.4 million.
The broadcaster said the finale was the highest-rated episode of an entertainment programme since 2016. Uncloaked also recorded 13 million combined plays across BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer during the first celebrity series.
The October return lands during a busy period for celebrity competition television. Viewers following other major entertainment formats can also see the Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast and premiere schedule, which features another large celebrity line-up.
A packed opening night on BBC
For viewers planning the premiere night, The Celebrity Traitors begins at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, followed by Uncloaked at 9.15pm.
Traitor or Faithful? Claudia Decides will also be available on BBC iPlayer from 9.15pm, giving fans a closer look at the decisions behind the game after the main episode.
The main competition then continues every Thursday and Friday at 8pm, with Claudia Winkleman once again overseeing a celebrity battle where staying in the game depends on knowing who can â and cannot â be trusted.
Make Swikblog your go-to source on Google for reliable updates, smart insights, and daily trends.
