The Fortune Hotel ends with a massive cliffhanger – which host Stephen Mangan never saw coming

But that could only be the case for one pair, with the others tightly holding on to empty briefcases, trying desperately to avoid being given an early checkout card.

And that all came to a head tonight as the stakes were raised in the first briefcase swap of the series. The contestants all made their way to the Lady Luck bar, with partners Fred and Min the first to swap their briefcase.

They decided to swap with Nella and Tope, and they unknowingly accepted the early checkout card after cash holders Jake and Mike sealed their fate earlier in the episode.

After plenty of back and forth and briefcase swaps between the players, the episode ended on an almighty cliffhanger, as Tope was unsure of which pair to swap his and Nella's briefcase with, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.

And despite watching over all the proceedings throughout the day, that first briefcase swap wasn't what Stephen Mangan was expecting.

"The nature of these shows is that they get more and more dramatic as the series goes on, because you've left with fewer and fewer contestants, so you hope that the first episode has a bit of drama in it," Mangan said in a Q&A ahead of the series launch.

"We were not expecting that much drama in the first Lady Luck bar."

The host explained that trying to keep track of which briefcase was going where "was incredible", especially because the season 2 cast have developed more of a strategy than last year's cohort.

He added: "In the first series, of course, none of the contestants had seen the show before. There wasn't a show to see. This lot have all seen the first series and they've got a strategy. The strategy seems to be 'throw everything at the wall and sees what sticks'. They just went for it straight from the beginning.

"I think as well, when you see a pair leave before they even get a room you realise you've just got to go for it. You've got to try and get the money, especially if there's 10 grand on offer, straight away."

Mangan continued to praise the first episode, noting that show bosses could haven't asked for a better launch into season 2, and not just because it's thrilling, but also because "it's really quite moving, and it's funny".

"That's what I love about this show," he said. "It's not just the drama. You get plenty of drama, but it's also they're just really a funny bunch of people."

The Fortune Hotel begins on Wednesday 6th August at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.

Add The Fortune Hotel to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.