The Traitors US Season 2: How to watch in the UK, release date and who's appearing - including John Bercow

Former Speaker of the House John Bercow will be one of a handful of celebrities entering the castle for season two of The Traitors US who will be familiar to British viewers. | Getty Images

Season two of The Traitors was another massive hit for the BBC back in January - with millions of viewers enjoying watching 22 strangers be locked in a spooky castle, split into Traitors and Faithfuls, then encouraged to lie their way to a £120,000 top prize.

Fans now face a long wait for season three to arrive in late 2024/early 2025, with show bosses casting contestants shortly after the most recent winner was revealed.

Luckily, the American version of the show was also renewed for another season and launched on the other side of the Atlantic in late January.

Last year the US version had a twist in that half the contestants were celebrities, many of whom had appeared in verious other reality television shows.

And this year they are upping the celebrity stakes, with all 22 potential winners already well know for a previous career - somewhat bizarrely including former MP and Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow. Order!

Here's what you need to know - and how to watch it.

When can I watch season two of The Traitors US in the UK?

In America The Traitors US is streamed on the Peacock subscription service - Peacock used to be available in the UK through NOW TV but that's no longer the case, so you weren’t able to watch it at the dame time as those on the other side of the Atlantic.

Luckily the BBC aquired the UK rights, but have been slower to get it to screen than last year, when it arrived on the BBC iPlayer just days after the conclusion of the debut UK season.

But now the wait is almost over - with the first episode dropping on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Three from Wednesday, June 12.

What are the rules?

A total of 22 contestants live together in a castle and work together to take on tasks to add cash to the prize pot – up to $250,000.

The complicated bit is that three of the contestants are secret Traitors, who are trying to elimiate the remaining ‘Faithful’ players to bag the money for themselves.

Each night The Traitors meet in secret to pick one of The Faithful to ‘murder’, with that contestant leaving the game immediately. The following day all the players meet around a round table to banish somebody they think is one of The Traitors – who then reveals which side they actually belong to.

At the end of the game, if only The Faithful remain they will share the money in the prize money. If one of The Traitors remains, that person will claim all the cash.

Where is The Traitors US filmed?

The Traitors US is filmed in the same castle that hosted the UK version – at Ardross Castle, situated in the Highland region of Scotland near the River Alness. Ardross Castle was originally a hunting lodge for the 1st Duke of Sutherland in the late 1700s.

In the 1880s, the lodge was redesigned as a castle in the period’s baronial style. Nowadays, it is used as a wedding and conference venue.

Who is hosting?

Scottish actor Alan Cumming is once again taking on the role played by Claudia Winkleman in the UK version of The Traitors.

Cumming first found fame in the role of the MC in the stage musical Cabaret, first in London’s West End and then in Broadway. Since then he has starred in a slew of successful television programmes and feature films, including The High Life, The Good Wife, Goldeneye, Spy Kids and X-Men 2.

He also continues to appear on stage, most recently appearing in one-man show 'Alan Cumming is not Acting His Age', which toured Scotland last year.

Who are the contestants?

Here's who is entering the castle, and what they are famous for (in America at least...)

• Johnny "Bananas" (The Real World: Key West)
• Peppermint (RuPaul's Drag Race 9)
• Marcus Jordan (Fashion entrepreneur)
• Maksim "Maks" Chmerkovskiy (Dancing with the Stars)
• Deontay Wilder (Professional boxer)
• Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu (Love Island)
• Larsa Pippen (The Real Housewives of Miami)
• John Bercow (Former MP and Speaker of the House)
• Carsten "Bergie" Bergersen (Love Island USA)
• Trishelle Cannatella (The Real World: Las Vegas)
• Kate Chastain (The Traitors US Season 1 and Below Deck)
• Sandra Diaz-Twine (Survivor: Pearl Islands)
• Dan Gheesling (Big Brother 10)
• Mercedes "MJ" Javid (Shahs of Sunset)
• Tamra Judge (The Real Housewives of Orange County)
• Kevin Kreider (Bling Empire)
• Phaedra Parks (Married to Medicine)
• Janelle Pierzina (Big Brother 6)
• Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Cook Islands"
• Chris "CT" Tamburello (The Real World: Paris)
• Peter Weber (The Bachelorette 15)
• Shereé Whitfield (The Real Housewives of Atlanta)