Claudia Winkleman and ‘The Traitors’ have given the BBC a powerful start to 2026 with a ratings-winning Season 4 launch.
The premiere drew an average overnight audience of 6.4 million viewers, climbing to a peak close to 7 million, as a new group of contestants entered the castle and early twists immediately set the tone.
The figure places the civilian series on par with the recently concluded Celebrity Traitors run and comfortably ahead of previous season openers. More than a third of people watching TV in the UK at the time tuned in, reinforcing the show’s dominance.
The momentum continued into the broadcaster’s New Year’s Day lineup, which also saw the return of ‘The Night Manager’, rounding out one of the BBC’s strongest festive schedules in years.