Claudia Winkleman - 'The Traitors left me shaking'

The ultimate game of deception, backstabbing and trust has returned as the second series of The Traitors has kicked off on the BBC.

Claudia Winkleman was back at the helm for the second series of The Traitors and as the first episode opened, she was seen sitting at a writing desk penning a letter to contestants. As she read out the contents of the invitation to an owl, viewers were quick to pick up on her new sidekick. But it wasn't just viewers who noticed the owl as one contestant even referenced "Claudia's friend" as they headed into the Scottish Castle where the series is filmed.

After a year away from our screens, The Traitors is once again back with a bang as series two kicks off in style on Wednesday 3 January. The nail-biting show, which will see 22 contestants go head to head in the hopes of securing a cash prize of up to £120,000, will divide the competitors into two teams, the Traitors and the Faithfuls - before tasking the Traitors with eliminating their fellow contestants while keeping their identities a secret.

The Traitors winner Hannah Byczkowski has revealed her anger that her experience on the show was nothing like what she expected - admitting she was "raging" and "annoyed" that she never got to be a traitor.The psychological reality show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, will return to BBC One on Wednesday night with a new batch of contestants hoping to win a game of deception and detection and take home £120,000. Hannah, who shared the prize pot with Aaron Evans and Meryl Williams in the first series, said it will be a different experience for participants in the second instalment.

As The Traitors series 2 kicks off on Wednesday evening with another batch of contestants hoping to scoop the coveted cash prize of £120,000, viewers at home will once again be introduced to 22 new competitors, each with their own distinctive personalities. Among the competitors this year is 22 year old Harry Clarke, a British Army engineer who hails from Slough and is one of the youngest people taking part this series.

Holly Willoughby has remained firmly out of the spotlight since quitting This Morning in October, but she's soon set to return to TV screens on Dancing on Ice and it looks like she's also got other potential projects in the pipeline.The 42 year old will be making her highly anticipated TV comeback alongside co-host Stephen Mulhern on the new series of Dancing On Ice, which kicks off in January, but she may be looking to venture into radio presenting, according to new reports. Holly is said to be one of the names the BBC are considering as a replacement for Claudia Winkleman on BBC Radio 2, after she quit her weekly slot in December.

Inverness clairvoyant Tracey was determined to be part of the new crop of contestants on The Traitors when she became hooked on season one.

It's been over a year since team Faithful won The Traitors with Aaron Evans, Hannah Byczkowski and Meryl Williams taking home the grand prize of £101,050 between them.

New BBC The Traitors star Brian Davidson has been overwhelmed with support following the announcement he's one of the fresh crop of contestants pitting their wits against each other in season two, which launches tonight.

Glasgow photographer Brian Davidson is hoping to snap up the big cash prize on The Traitors.

The Traitors.The presenter returns to host the second series of the BBC reality series from Wednesday (January 3), as 22 contestants compete for a prize fund worth up to £120,000.Speaking ahead of the show’s return, Winkleman said that by observing contestants, she had “worked out” the best way to win is “to be loveable and inoffensive and to be close to a traitor”.“I can’t say anything else, but that is the smart way to enter the castle,” the presenter told The Independent. “[To think], ‘I don’t want to be a traitor; I’m just going to glide along here and not bother anyone and if I see someone I suspect, I’ll just get closer to them.'”Speaking about the second series, Winkleman teased the twists to come, stating: “It gets really dark.

The Traitors returns for a second season this year.Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the reality series sees 22 contestants compete for a prize fund worth up to £120,000 at a castle in the Scottish Highlands.As they arrive at the castle, a small number are selected to be “Traitors” who have to eliminate the “Faithful” contestants to claim the prize themselves. However, if the latter manage to work out and “murder” the deceitful contestants through daily roundtable meetings, they win the cash prize instead.The show’s second season kicks off Wednesday January 3 on BBC One from 9pm.

Peep Show's Big Suze star, Sophie Winkleman, has spilled the beans about her royal in-laws, including King Charles. The 43 year old actress, who is also a member of the Royal Family and whose husband is 53rd in line to the throne, shared some insights which included how the late Queen Elizabeth helped her recover after a car crash. Speaking to Tatler, Sophie revealed King Charles is a "dear friend" and she spends "a bit of time with him".

Claudia Winkleman has said she was so taken aback by the success of the first series of The Traitors that she did not want to do another one.

The Traitors is coming back this month!

Claudia Winkleman has said she originally declined to present hit reality show The Traitors to prioritise her family life. The Strictly Come Dancing star, 51, will return to hosting duties for the second series on BBC One from January 3, with 22 contestants battling it out at a Scottish castle in the psychological game show that gripped viewers last year. Claudia promised an "ultimate game of treachery for a life-changing cash prize" in the first trailer for season two.

Popular Strictly Come Dancing and Traitors host Claudia Winkleman has opened up about a health struggle that has left her needing surgery.The 51 year old star revealed in a candid chat with podcaster Elizabeth Day that she was born with chronically poor eyesight - and it affects her daily life. She said: "I was born with -15 sight so I've never really been able to see my face. It's all guesswork." But Claudia, who shares children Jake, 20, Matilda, 17, and Arthur, 12, with husband Kris Thykier, also reckons that she likes life being a bit blurry.

Claudia Winkleman has said she originally declined to present hit reality show The Traitors to prioritise her family life.

Claudia Winkleman has made an admission about her position on The Traitors as she prepares to ditch the sequins for a black cloak once more. The reality show became a runaway hit last year and is set to return for a second series next month (January).

The eagerly-anticipated second series of The Traitors begins on BBC One on January 3, with 22 contestants battling it out at a Scottish castle in the psychological game show that gripped viewers last year.