BBC The Traitors kicks off with £10,000 twist in most brutal episode yet

dailyrecord.co.uk:

*Warning: Contains major spoilers for The Traitors Series 3, Episode 1* The much-anticipated third series of the BBC's gripping game show The Traitors made a return to television tonight (January 1), leaving fans far from disappointed.Launching at 8pm on New Year's Day, the show welcomed 25 hopeful contestants eager to reach the magnificent Ardross Castle and embark on their adventure on The Traitors.

But before they could even set foot in the castle, they were hit with a twist more savage than any seen on the show before.Minutes into the first episode, viewers watched in astonishment as the train transporting the contestants abruptly stopped and reversed direction.

Claudia Winkleman, the show's host, then made an announcement over the speaker system, informing the contestants that they needed to eject three individuals, one from each carriage, to move forward in the competition, reports the Mirror. "I'm gifting you £10,000 right now to start your prize pot," she declared. "But as you know, in this game everything comes at a price."She continued: "Right now there are 25 passengers on this train, but there are only 22 spaces in the game so for three of you, your journey is now over.

One person from each carriage will have to disembark the train before the game can start. It's up to you to decide who that will be."The participants were given 10 minutes to decide who amongst them would exit their carriage, with the added tension that £1,000 would be subtracted from their potential winnings for each minute they deliberated.