THE UK VERSION of Traitors returned to the BBC last night – with a new twist to the format.

Read on below if you’d like to know more, but if you’d like to avoid any spoilers then you know what to do.

Host Claudia Winkleman Alamy Alamy

The latest season kicked off last night with 22 new contestants competing for a £120,000 jackpot (which works out to about €137,000).

The new twist sees the introduction of an extra ‘secret’ traitor whose identity is also being kept hidden from us viewers.

It came as a surprise to the three traitors – Co Down communications officer Rachel, Scottish cyber security professional Stephen and barrister and self-described “psychopathic teddy bear” Hugo.

They are now receiving instructions this season on who they are to ‘murder’ and eliminate from the game.

It became apparent as the episode unfolded that this arrangement was frustrating for the traditional traitors – an annoying “layer of middle management” as Hugo described it.

Newry woman selected as a Traitor

As mentioned above, one of the traitors for this season is Rachel Duffy from Co Down.

The 42-year-old Newry native has said that “nothing’s off the table” in her bid to win the show.

Another Northern Irish contestant is Matthew Hyndman, who now lives in Edinburgh.

Hyndman has told the BBC that if he were to win the show, he would buy a cottage in the Scottish Highlands and get married to his partner having campaigned for marriage equality in Northern Ireland.

Among the others taking part in this season is best selling Scottish crime author Harriet Tyce and retired detective Amanda.

Mirroring developments from the RTÉ version last year, we also learned last night that there is a secret mother and daughter pairing on the show through Judy and Roxy, a fact unknown to their fellow competitors.

The reaction from some of those watching along has been positive, but only to a point.

On The Rest is Entertainment podcast, host Richard Osman said it may mean “diminishing returns” as the show goes on.

“I think we will tire of it very quickly,” Osman told co-host Marina Hyde, “but it’s not to say that it’s not unwelcome, because we all sit there wondering who that person is.”

The BBC’s Traitors has also moved to the earlier broadcast time of 8pm this time around, making it a more likely prospect for all-the-family viewing as it proceeds this month.