The first series of The Traitors was first broadcast on BBC One on 29 November 2022. The series concluded on 22 December 2022 where Hannah Byczkowski, Aaron Evans and Meryl Williams won as Faithfuls, while Wilfred "Wilf" Webster placed as a runner-up, as a Traitor.
22 contestants competed on the first series of The Traitors. In a minor twist, Alex and Tom had a pre-existing relationship as they were dating before competing in the series.
Amos and Kieran were apparently banished from the game on arrival at the castle, after placing themselves at the end of a line of most and least likely to win the show. However, they were both reintroduced to the show in a twist during episode 5.
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Series 1 of The Traitors received mixed-to-positive reception, with critics praising the work of host Claudia Winkleman, the season's atmosphere, and its entertaining moments. Primary criticisms were mainly aimed at the show's cast and struggle to choose an age demographic. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 67% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 8.00/10. Isobel Lewis of The Independent gave the show 3 out of 5 stars, embracing the show's entertainment factor, writing "The Traitors definitely isnâÂÂt a perfect reality show, or even the best in its genre right now, but it is pretty entertaining. Plus, thereâÂÂs something incredibly satisfying about watching a contestant claim that their fellow player is âÂÂa really honest personâÂÂ, while we sit at home smirking in the knowledge that they're really a traitor". Rating the series 5 stars out of 5, Michael Hogan of The Telegraph praised the show's finale, saying it was "dramatic, deliciously dark and just camp enough, this was old-fashioned event TV". Fiona Sturges of Financial Times praised the show for its twists and turns, writing "On paper, it might sound like a zhuzhed-up version of Cluedo or the childrenâÂÂs game wink murder. In practice, it is a brilliant recipe for multi-layered manoeuvring and top-tier bluffing."
Alison Rowat of The Herald was critical of the show's identity, stating the season was "safe, sanitised and deadly dull", adding that "[it is] too silly for older viewers, too bland for the younger streaming crowd, it would be a better fit for BBC3 but here it is, occupying a prime slot over three week nights. Now there's a mystery." Rachel Cooke of The New Statesman was critical of the show, calling it "complicated where it should be straightforward; which aspires to a vague cleverness where it should really aim only for rank stupidity".
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Weekly ratings for each show on BBC One. All ratings are provided by BARB.