The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman teases ‘truly extraordinary’ twists as fans speculate over red cloak meaning

The fourth regular series of the BBC hit will begin on New Year’s Day

Claudia Winkleman has told fans of The Traitors to expect “truly extraordinary” twists in the hotly-anticipated fourth series of the hit show, which is now just days away.

The series will begin on New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January) and, as they have in previous years, producers have once again kept contestants on their toes by tweaking the format and introducing new gameplay.

Winkleman told the BBC: "All I will say is there's something new, and what happens in this series is truly extraordinary with moments that made me gasp.”

"I can't wait for people to see it," the eyeliner-loving presenter continued. "The producers have the greatest minds on earth.

"The people who create the show, they have to keep on changing it and they tell me ideas, and I'm like, 'Are you joking?' So, yeah, I love it."

Her comments come amid speculation over what a red cloak featured in the series’ promotional materials could mean.

Claudia Winkleman will once again be guiding the faithfuls and traitors through the show (PA Wire)

The traitors picked to deceive the faithfuls traditionally sport green cloaks. However, in images and a trailer released ahead of season four, a Red Riding Hood-esque cover-up can be seen.

One fan speculated on Twitter: “I think the red cloak will be a secret traitor role. They will be an unknown traitor who the other Traitors know nothing about.

“They will work against both the Traitors and the Faithful to get to the end,” they continued. “If they make it, they take everything and the Traitors get nothing.”

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Bosses have hinted at a big twist (BBC)

Maddy Smedley, one of the most memorable faithfuls from series one, added: “So this whole red traitor thingy… could it be a hierarchy within the traitors which would stir the pot like two red, two green traitors or it could be like a secret one amongst the traitors??? Gosh I just don’t know. So many theories.”

Teasing how this year’s contestants approach the game, Winkleman continued: “We've never seen it played like this brilliant cast play it. They play it in such an extraordinary way.

‘You think, I've seen this, it's going to go down this route - and all I can say is it absolutely doesn't.”

“A traitor unknown to the audience?” one fan suggested in reply.

The fourth regular series comes on the heels of the first UK celebrity edition, which became the most-watched TV show of 2025 when 15 million people tuned in to see traitor Alan Carr steal the £87,500 prize pot for his chosen charity, Neuroblastoma UK.

A second celebrity series is in the works and following the huge success of its debut outing, plenty of famous faces are vying for a spot in the castle.

Series four of The Traitors begins on BBC One and iPlayer at 8pm on New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January).