Alan Carr returns to the castle with a warning ahead of The Traitors Season 4

Alan Carr returned to the castle with a pointed warning for the new line‑up of schemers ahead of The Traitors Season 4, stepping back into his green robe to front a first-look teaser.

In the preview clip, The Celebrity Traitors winner walks alone through the stone corridors of the Traitors’ castle, lantern in hand, before stopping to read out a note addressed to the incoming Treacherous trio. Carr says,

“Dear new traitors, look after the place, won't you, because you'll never guess what Claudia's got planned this time. It's big. Good luck, you're definitely gonna need it.”

He signs the message, seals it with red wax, and cackles as he disappears into the darkness, setting the tone for the next chapter of The Traitors’ game of trust and betrayal.

The teaser confirms that The Traitors Season 4 will premiere on BBC One on January 1, with the latest civilian run once again fronted by Claudia Winkleman.

Promo text shared with the clip reads: 

“Get them before they get you. 22 strangers, one castle, £120k - Claudia Winkleman hosts the ultimate reality game of trust and treachery. Let the mind games begin.”

The short video is captioned: 

“It’s time for #AlanCarr to pass the cloak... #TheTraitors #Traitors #ClaudiaWinkleman,” framing Carr’s appearance as a ceremonial hand‑off from the reigning celebrity champion back to the main series.

The Traitors Season 4 format and schedule

The Traitors Season 4 will follow the now‑familiar structure of the UK edition of the show.

Twenty‑two new players will arrive at the Scottish castle and be secretly divided into “Faithful” and “Traitors,” with only the Traitors knowing who is on which side.

Each night, the Traitors will “murder” one of the Faithful in secret, removing them from the game, while during the daily Round Table, the full group will debate and vote to “banish” someone they suspect of being a Traitor.

The aim for the Faithful is to identify and eliminate all the Traitors; the Traitors’ goal is to survive undetected to the end.

The prize pot for The Traitors Season 4 is again advertised as up to £120,000, to be shared among any remaining Faithful or, if the Traitors remain hidden, handed to them alone.

BBC One has scheduled The Traitors Season 4 to begin on January 1 at 8 p.m. local time, with a second episode following on January 2 in the same slot.

The series will run to 12 one‑hour episodes, maintaining the length used in prior seasons.

Alongside the main programme, companion show The Traitors: Uncloaked will return to examine strategy, betrayals and key banishments in more detail.

Its first episode will air on BBC Two immediately after the New Year’s Day launch, before moving to BBC One for subsequent episodes in a prime‑time slot.

Comedian Ed Gamble will resume hosting duties on The Traitors: Uncloaked, joined by a rotating panel of former players and celebrity fans to react to events inside the castle.

Within the missions, The Traitors Season 4 is being promoted as featuring “more twists, turns, secrets, deception, banishments and of course, murders aplenty.”

That language matches the way earlier seasons of The Traitors have teased new mechanics without revealing specifics before broadcast.

Missions will again allow players to add money to the prize pot while also giving editors opportunities to highlight alliances, rivalries and suspicions.

Claudia Winkleman continues as the central on‑screen presence, delivering instructions, leading Round Table discussions, and revealing who has been “murdered” at breakfast.

The overall Traitors franchise now consists of the main The Traitors civilian series, the Celebrity Traitors spin‑off, and the Uncloaked analysis shows attached to both.

All use the same core premise: a closed environment where a small number of “Traitors” work secretly against a majority of “Faithful” in a race to uncover or conceal identities before the final vote.

Stay tuned for more updates.