BBC The Traitors fans fume as major twist leaves contestant shocked in ‘brutal’ elimination
BBC
The hit BBC series returned with a bang on New Year's Day
The Traitors viewers were left confused and outraged last night after three of the new contestants didn’t even make it to the castle to compete for the prize money.
Welcoming viewers back to the show, host Claudia Winkleman explained: “A group of people from across the UK have been invited to this castle, in the Scottish highlands to play the ultimate game of deception in the hope of winning up to £120,000.
“They will build up a huge prize pot by completing epic missions. But hidden amongst them are the traitors who will secretly murder their fellow players.
“It is up to the faithful to work out who the traitors are and banish them before they become their next victim. New year... whole new game. This is the Traitors.”
The new contestants all then met at the train station and climbed on board three separate carriages which were ready to whisk them away to the iconic castle.
However, just minutes into their journey, the train began to divert and stopped in the middle of a train depot.
The new contestants met and boarded the train to the iconic castle
BBC
Confused, the contestants were then greeted with a message from Winkleman over the voice system which revealed: “Attention passengers. Claudia here. I hope you have all been enjoying your journey so far because things are about to get interesting.
“As a welcome, I am gifting you £10,000 right now to start your prize pot but as you know in this game everything comes at a prize. Listen very carefully to what I am about to say.
“Right now there are 25 passengers on this train but there are only 22 spaces in the game so for three of you the journey is now over.
“One person from each carriage will have to disembark from the train before the game can start, it is up to you that will be.
The three contestants volunteered to leave the train
BBC
“You will only have 10 minutes to make your decision, but for every minute that passes, £1,000 will be deducted. So the question is who is going to stay and who is going to go...”
The contestants were left stunned and unable to speak, trying to work out what the best and fair way was to get someone off the train.
After some deliberation, Fozia, a 50-year-old outreach manager, 24-year-old market trader Jack and ex-diplomat Alexander, 38, all chose to take the chance and leave the train with the hope they would return in some capacity.
However, viewers at home weren’t happy with the twist and took to their X account to slam the decision.
One asked: “Do the people who got kicked off the train ever get a surprise to return or is that it for them??”
“What a load of BS,” another fumed before a third added: “Aw hope Jack, Alexander and Fozia get their vengeance!”
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Claudia Winkleman chose her three traitors to begin the series
BBC
“The three that left the train? We’ve not seen the last of them I wager,” a fourth theorised before someone else said: “That’s a cruel beginning #TheTraitors.”
A sixth expressed: ”I'm curious to know who else would accept leaving the game as soon as it began? I sure as hell would not.”
Once the remaining contestants made it to the castle, Winkle claimed her three traitors and chose Minah, Linda, and Armani.