The Traitors is entering a new chapter with The Traitors: New Blood, introducing an entirely civilian cast to the American version of the reality competition.
For the first time, host Alan Cumming is welcoming a group of everyday Americans rather than a line-up primarily made up of familiar reality television personalities. According to Cumming, the change has created a noticeably different atmosphere inside the Scottish Highlands castle.
The NBC series premiered on September 17 with a two-hour episode, which Cumming has teased will include a major twist.
Alan Cumming Notices a Difference in the New Cast
Cumming is no stranger to the dramatic personalities and intense confrontations associated with The Traitors. However, he admitted that the civilian contestants surprised him with their energy and enthusiasm.
“The energy is very different. I was shocked,” the host said, describing the new group as “normies.”
He also recalled how animated the contestants became during the Roundtable discussions, explaining that their reactions were so energetic that he worried about falling from his platform.
Without the experience of appearing on reality television, the new players are approaching the competition from a different perspective. Their lack of familiarity with television production has reportedly made their reactions more spontaneous and unpredictable.
How Does The Traitors: New Blood Work?
The basic structure of the competition remains unchanged. Contestants participate in group missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000.
All players enter the castle claiming to be Faithfuls. However, several contestants are secretly selected as Traitors, whose objective is to eliminate other players through nightly “murders” while avoiding detection.
Following the missions, the contestants gather at the Roundtable, where they discuss suspicions and vote to banish someone they believe could be a Traitor.
The central goal is to survive until the end of the competition and secure the prize money.
Meet the 22 Civilian Contestants
The new season features 22 American contestants ranging in age from 23 to 65. Their backgrounds include a wide variety of professions, such as funeral director, astrophysicist, and dog groomer.
The diverse cast is expected to bring different personalities, strategies, and life experiences to the game. Cumming also described the contestants as “lovely oddballs.”
The host’s dog, Lala, is returning alongside him, adding another familiar presence to the castle.
Why Did the Show Introduce an All-Civilian Cast?
The idea of creating a fully civilian season had reportedly been discussed by executive producers Sam Rees-Jones and Rosie Franks for some time.
The first season on Peacock included a mix of celebrities and ordinary contestants, with two civilian players reaching the final stage. The success of civilian casts in other international versions also helped demonstrate that the format could work without a celebrity line-up.
“There are more than 40 global iterations of The Traitors, which began as a Dutch series in 2021, so there was plenty of testing ground to see if a full-civilian cast would work,” the production team explained.
Franks noted that the format naturally encourages viewers to imagine themselves participating in the game.
“A lot of other territories have done one, and we know the format works well with civilians,” she said. “It is one of those formats that, as you watch it, automatically as a viewer, you want to play along.”
New Missions Bring High-Stakes Challenges
The contestants will face a combination of physical and mental challenges throughout the season. Many of the missions take place in the Scottish countryside, where the weather can be cold, wet, dark, and difficult to navigate.
The season includes several familiar challenges alongside the show’s trademark missions. Cumming even joked about sharing funeral-related humour with the cast’s funeral director.
Despite the challenging conditions, the production team believes the series can appeal to a broad audience. The show’s dramatic themes are balanced by humour, theatrical presentation, and the personalities of its contestants.
“We’re so excited to be out on 8pm on NBC,” Rees-Jones said. “It’s got darkened tones of murder, but it’s tongue-in-cheek and can be a family-friendly viewing experience.”
Everyday Contestants Take the Competition Seriously
Cumming believes the civilian players may be more emotionally invested in the game because the prize money could have a meaningful impact on their lives.
“There’s a lot of screaming,” he said, explaining that the contestants become deeply immersed in the experience.
Unlike experienced television personalities, the new players are not accustomed to being on a production set. As a result, their reactions may be more intense and less controlled.
For many contestants, the opportunity to win a substantial sum of money is a serious motivation. This has reportedly influenced the way they approach the missions and fight to increase the prize fund.
The New Cast Brings a More Natural Style
The civilian format also affects the contestants’ appearance and styling. Unlike the glamorous outfits often associated with the Peacock edition, the new players are largely responsible for bringing their own clothes.
“We help them decide what to wear for the Scottish elements, but they are normal people representing themselves,” Rees-Jones explained.
The approach is intended to make the contestants appear more natural and relatable, while ensuring they are prepared for the unpredictable Scottish weather.
Alan Cumming Updates His Look for the New Season
The new civilian format also gave Cumming an opportunity to reconsider his own wardrobe.
The host worked with stylist Sam Spector to create a slightly more restrained look after the increasingly elaborate costumes featured in previous seasons.
Cumming joked that his styling had become so extravagant that he had once been dressed as a coffin.
“It is quite a good way to reboot because we got to the point where I was literally dressed as a coffin last season. It was getting so surreal and huge,” he said.
However, one of his favourite—or least practical—memories involved a pirate-themed challenge. Cumming recalled taking off his shirt and swimming in a loch while still wearing his boots and kilt after filming on a particularly hot day.
Alan Cumming Calls the Season Unpredictable
Despite the changes to the cast and styling, Cumming says he would not want to alter much about the experience.
“I loved it,” he said, describing the season as unpredictable and difficult to anticipate.
The host admitted that, as with previous seasons, he developed favourites and hoped certain contestants would succeed. However, the civilian cast made the game even harder to predict.
With new players, unfamiliar strategies, and a potential opening twist, The Traitors: New Blood is set to offer a different take on the popular competition format.
The Traitors: New Blood premiered Thursday, September 17, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.