The Traitors
BBC iplayer | ★★★★★

Fine, fine, I was wrong. When the murmurs started I ignored them. As the clamour grew, hubris kicked in.

“Oh it’s just another reality show.” “It sounds silly.” “It’s just hype.” Which, on the positive side, means I spitefully avoided all media about BBC1’s smash hit The Traitors, bafflingly shown during the World Cup, and so now am able to race through all the episodes on the iPlayer with no spoilers.

Perhaps you’re in a similar situation, in which case let me implore you, believe the hype, it’s not silly, and it’s not just another reality show. Watch it straight after finishing this review, before the rest of the world joins in, when it really will be impossible to have no inclination of the outcome.

I wasn’t even aware that the presenter was our beloved Claudia of House Winkleman. In any other show the straightness, blackness, shininess of her hair, the consistently perfect choice of outfit, or the mystery of how she hasn’t aged for two decades, would be pull factors, but frankly this show could be hosted by an eyeliner pencil and still be must-watch telly.

Like all the great reality shows, it’s the format that rules, and they’ve hit upon a doozy here, the best since the creation of Big Brother. Again it was the Dutch who came up with it first although it’s not really that original, being based on the social deduction boardgame Mafia or Werewolf, later implemented online as Among Us.

The gist is, there are a few Traitors, amongst and unknown to the majority Faithfuls, who every episode eliminate someone.

That in itself is pretty fun. You get to see the Traitors scheme and plot, strategising the best way to disrupt the majority, break up alliances, seed confusion, throw people off their scent.

We all present a public facade to some degree, so forcing people to adopt a role, and watching them adapt to it and sell themselves as the opposite makes this interesting and entertaining in its own right.

But that’s not the killer angle, although it does make you to immediately click onto the next episode to see who was killed. There’s also some filler bumf about tasks to increase the paltry prize pot, I mean yes who couldn’t do with £120,000, but is the money really the reason why anyone’s taking part?

This isn’t the 2000s — with inflation, that’s only two weeks of electricity. Also there’s a funny subplot with a secret couple, so no doubt, the producers have chosen the contestants well.

What’ll have you howling at the screen though, in anger and delight, are the elimination scenes where the Faithfuls vote off someone they think is a Traitor.

If you ever required evidence that individuals are clever and groups are stupid, this is it. It’s also an lesson that just being different, with all the fake justifications in the world, can be enough to condemn you.

I’d be voted off first.