The Traitors is returning for a third series - expect to see more psychological gameplay, exciting challenges and, of course, Claudia Winkleman hosting

The first series of The Traitors was a huge hit for the BBC, but some fans must have wondered if it would work a second time once viewers (and potential contestants) knew how the format worked.

For newcomers, the game involves taking a group of strangers to a Scottish castle. A small number will be chosen to be Traitors, who must then try to eliminate the rest of the players by ‘murdering’ them. It’s up to the remaining contestants, known as the Faithful, to identify the backstabbers in their midst.

It sounds so simple that even presenter Claudia Winkleman feared that bringing it back would result in diminishing returns. She said: “The success of the first series literally winded us.

“I said to lovely Studio Lambert (the production company) and the BBC ‘Let’s just leave it. This thing happened, this magical thing happened. Enough!’ The head of the BBC said she wanted to take my temperature.”

Luckily, the bosses eventually persuaded her that the magic would work a second time – and they were right.

The second run was every bit as gripping as the first, with plenty of twist and turns, and some great characters.

They included Diane, who delivered the iconic line “Paul’s not my son … but Ross is!” after a rumour started that she was the mum of a fellow contestant, and then got to have one of TV’s campest funerals after she was ‘murdered’.

There was also Jaz, who viewers nicknamed Jazatha Christie due to his impressive instincts for working out who was a Traitor, which sadly the rest of the Faithful largely ignored. The person who really should have listened to him was his fellow finalist Mollie. She instead put her trust in Traitor Harry, who played an incredibly good game – and walked away with the entire prize fund.

It made for a truly dramatic finale, and points to what Claudia believes is the most compelling aspect of the show.

She says: “I don’t know about you, but I’ve been told… all my life – trust your gut.

“When you meet somebody and you fall in love, or you think you’ve fallen in love, or you get asked to do a job, trust your gut.

“But it turns out you can’t. Your gut can tell you absolutely nothing, you have no idea what you’re doing and other people are lying to us.”

Is anyone else about to learn that the hard way this time around? And is anyone who thinks they have formulated a perfect game plan after watching the first two series about to be seriously humbled? And what new twist do the producers have in store?

All will be revealed over the next few weeks, but tonight it’s time to form our first impressions as Claudia will be meeting the people who are hoping to win up to £120,000.

It’s followed by companion show The Traitors: Uncloaked on BBC2, where, like the viewers at home, Ed Gamble and his guests will be second guessing everyone’s decisions and saying who they think will show a talent for backstabbing.