The Celebrity Apprentice to return for second series next year
BBC One’s hit reality competition to return in 2026 as new report reveals major economic boost to Scotland
The BBC has confirmed that The Celebrity Traitors will return for a second series on BBC One and iPlayer, following a phenomenal debut that has captivated the nation and shattered audience records.
Produced by Studio Lambert Scotland and hosted once again by Claudia Winkleman, the now-iconic Ardross Castle will welcome a fresh group of celebrity schemers in 2026 for another high-stakes round of trust and treachery.
The debut episode of The Celebrity Traitors has become the biggest unscripted title on Broadcaster VOD ever. Episode one is also the biggest single TV episode of the year so far, with 14.8 million views in 28 days. Since its launch, the show has become the largest unscripted title across the entire UK market since 2021.
The finale continued the record-breaking run, averaging 11.1 million viewers and peaking at 12 million — the highest overnight audience since the BBC’s Gavin & Stacey Christmas special last year, and the biggest audience share (81%) since the Euros. The finale also drew 1.9 million live requests on BBC iPlayer, making it the highest live-viewing figure for any entertainment episode on the platform to date.
Alongside the new series, leading podcast agency Platform Media will produce fresh episodes of the companion show The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, available via BBC Sounds, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer.
The renewal coincides with the publication of a new Economic Impact Report, revealing that The Traitors franchise — including the UK, US, and Celebrity editions — has generated an estimated £21.8 million boost in Gross Value Added (GVA) to Scotland’s economy since filming began in 2022.
The report, featuring contributions from VisitScotland and Screen Scotland, highlights the show’s role in promoting opportunities within Scotland’s creative industries. It also found that for every £1 of GVA directly generated by the production, a total of £6.84 was added to the wider Scottish economy.
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC, said:
“Studio Lambert have done an outstanding job as The Celebrity Traitors has well and truly captivated the nation, becoming a bona fide highlight of the year bringing record numbers of people together to enjoy every twist and turn. In 2026 the doors of the castle will be opened again to welcome celebrity players to the game to see who can charm, who can scheme and ultimately who can survive in series two which promises to be just as unmissable as the first. Plus with Uncloaked returning and today’s news of the positive contribution The Traitors brand has made to Scotland’s economy, there is plenty to celebrate.”
Hayley Valentine, Director of BBC Scotland, added:
“The Traitors is an immense TV success story and it’s fantastic to have multiple versions of it filmed in Scotland. We welcome and celebrate it. This report highlights the many ways that Scotland is seeing a direct economic benefit from The Traitors filming here and, working together with our partners, we will use this success to promote sustainable growth within Scotland’s creative industry.”
The Celebrity Traitors series one is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked series one is also available on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer.