It’s hard to believe now, but The Traitors wasn’t an instant hit when it sneaked onto BBC One in the winter months of 2022. Less than four million of us tuned in on average (a far cry from the 10.3 million who watched this year’s series) and the critical reception was a mixed bag – one reviewer called it “safe, sanitised and deadly dull”. But thanks to inspired casting, excellent twists and the fizzing brilliance of presenter Claudia Winkleman , in just three years, The Traitors has become a juggernaut of British television.

No wonder, then, that all the other channels want to emulate its phenomenal success. There’s not a television boss out there who doesn’t hold up the BBC’s gothic parlour game as a yardstick to match, a zenith to reach. But the desperation to “make the next Tr

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