The Traitors franchise – including the UK, US, and Celebrity editions – has added an estimated £21.8 million to Scotland’s economy since production began in 2022.
An economic impact report, compiled by the BBC, Screen Scotland and Visit Scotland, credits the programme with supporting hundreds of local jobs and promoting the Highlands as a filming destination.
The show’s contribution to the economy was revealed as the BBC said a second season of Celebrity Traitors will be commissioned. The announcement came days after the first series drew more than 14 million viewers for the tense finale.
Host Claudia Winkleman will once again be back as host as a new group of contestants take on the game of trust and treachery.
The BBC’s head of entertainment, Kalpna Patel-Knight said: ‘In 2026 the doors of the castle will be opened again to welcome celebrity players to the game to see who can charm, who can scheme and ultimately who can survive in series two which promises to be just as unmissable as the first.
“Plus with Uncloaked returning and today’s news of the positive contribution The Traitors brand has made to Scotland’s economy, there is plenty to celebrate.’
The director of BBC Scotland added: “The Traitors is an immense TV success story and it’s fantastic to have multiple versions of it filmed in Scotland.
“We welcome and celebrate it. This report highlights the many ways that Scotland is seeing a direct economic benefit from The Traitors filming here and, working together with our partners, we will use this success to promote sustainable growth within Scotland’s creative industry.”
The debut episode brought in a mammoth 14.8 million viewers, making The Celebrity Traitors the biggest unscripted title for the BBC since 2021.
The finale also broke records, averaging 11 million viewers throughout its broadcast – the biggest overnight audience for the BBC, surpassing its own record-breaking Gavin & Stacey Christmas special finale last year.
The finale was also had 1.9 million viewers on BBC iPlayer, the highest live-viewing figure for any entertainment show broadcast on the streaming site.
The Traitors, based on a Dutch format created by Marc Pos, first aired on BBC One in 2022 and has since become an international phenomenon, spawning multiple editions worldwide including in Australia, Canada and Italy.
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