The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman explains new shield twist
Things are a little different for season 2.
The Traitors has returned with 22 new contestants, and things are already being shaken up – with the first three Traitors picked and a fourth secret Traitor being chosen by them.
As well as this, viewers will have noticed that there have been some slight changes to the game when it comes to how contestants win protective shields.
Previously, contestants would go into a hidden room known as the armoury, where they'd get a chance to win a shield which would protect them from being "murdered" at night.
Faithfuls and Traitors would go into the room one by one, so others wouldn't know who won the shield, which would make the guessing even harder.
This season on The Traitors, however, the shields are no longer hidden, and instead have been placed around games for everyone to see.
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Shields are still limited, so contestants will have to try and poach one, while also helping out with the challenge, which isn't always possible – as we saw in episode 1.
Read more:
- The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman teases “ruthless” season 2 cast
- The Traitors' host Claudia Winkleman almost quit before season 2
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, Winkleman explained the reason for the twist.
"Yes, so there's no armoury where they would go in and then some people would get the shield," she said.
"The missions are very important in terms of the duty of care. Those players need to run around, they need fresh air and they need to not be thinking about playing the game just for a bit for their heads. Like, 'Don't worry about it for now, you're a team.'
"And you can feel it in the castle, as there's times where they're just together too long. Towards the end of the game, it's too much. And instead, the shields are now hidden out, which is fun."
But could going for a shield in view of everyone essentially put a target on your back?
"They're marking themselves out if they're a Faithful, but if they're a Traitor, maybe it could be a 'well done'," Claudia added.
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It comes after Claudia teased a big format change for season 2 and "epic" tasks this time out.
She said: "The missions this year are epic. The producers are so clever, as the missions are incredibly important, as it is a chance for the contestants to switch off from strategising and plotting.
"They get fresh air, they run around, they work as a team. The scale this year is beyond."
The Traitors airs on BBC One on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 9pm. The first three episodes are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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