The Traitors was the breakaway TV hit of 2022, proving to be addictive viewing and surprisingly emotional - so fans will be thrilled by the news that a second season has now been confirmed by the BBC.

Its back-to-basics approach to reality TV tempted viewers back to the overcrowded genre and reminded us how, done well and with minimal meddling from show bosses, reality can be one of the most entertaining forms of TV.

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But the question on every Traitors fan's lips is...when is season two arriving? Here's everything we know so far.

Is there a season 2 of The Traitors?

Yes! The BBC has now confirmed that The Traitors is definitely getting a season two, with Claudia Winkleman - hugely popular in her role as ruthless host - signed up again.

Winkleman said: "I can’t wait to go back to the castle to watch people play the greatest game on television. I’m knitting a high funnel sweater immediately."

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Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, confirmed: "Last year’s ambitious and bingeable hit The Traitors with Claudia Winkleman is coming back with the brilliant team at Studio Lambert set to bring viewers another magnificent series full of drama and suspense. We can certainly expect even more deceit and psychological games for the Traitors and Faithfuls."

The show's debut was a hit with critics and viewers, becoming the BBC's biggest new entertainment launch in two years with 34m views on iPlayer.

Season one filmed over the summer in 2022, back-to-back with the US version which immediately followed it at the same location, and it's expected to follow the same timeline this year.

It was a no-brainer for the BBC to bring back The Traitors as the first season was so popular, with the final episode watched by 4.6 million people.

How to apply for The Traitors season 2

If you spent season one shouting at the TV that you could have done a better job as a Faithful or a Traitor, now's your chance to prove yourself.

The new season is currently open for applications, which will close on 31 July 2023.

An application form for the series states that you must be 18 or over to take part, and be available for filming for six weeks in the summer and autumn of this year.

To find out more, go to BBC's Take Part site.

At the Wales Screen Summit on Tuesday 16 May, the BBC revealed that 40,000 people have applied for the show compared to last year's 1,500 applicants. Though would-be contestants appear to have a game plan for the show, executive producer Toni Ireland said: "I'm excited because the game’s going to be different, because people have seen the show.

"Now I imagine the cast will come with us with pre-planned ideas for how they think it’s going to go – our job is to make sure they're kept on their toes."

What happens in The Traitors?

Reality TV series The Traitors is a compelling game of trust, lies and mental strength, as a group of contestants move into a castle together and are split into a large group of Faithful, and a much smaller group of Traitors.

The contestants take on physical and mental challenges to boost a prize pot of money for the group, which those left in the final will have the chance to win.

However, none of the Faithful know who the Traitors are, and if there are any Traitors left in the group by the final they will walk away with the entire prize; if they are all flushed out, the remaining Faithful contestants share it between them.

Each night, the Traitors meet in secret and decide on a contestant to "murder", who then gets their marching orders from the castle with the rest of the group discovering who is gone at breakfast the next morning.

The whole group meet every day at the round table to discuss their theories on who is a Traitor and have to vote to banish someone, who then reveals whether or not they were a Traitor.

Contestants must form alliances, but make sure not to alienate people who might vote them out, all while convincing those around them of their Faithful status - whether it is real or not.

Where is The Traitors filmed?

Viewers and contestants loved the show's stunning location, which is expected to be used again for season two.

The group set up home at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, 30 miles north of Inverness and set in a beautiful countryside location with challenges making use of the nearby lake and forests.

Contestants also took a scenic route into the show as they arrived by steam train in the first episode.

The US version, hosted by Alan Cumming, filmed at Ardross Castle directly after the UK series wrapped up.

Traitors superfans can even get married at the luxe castle, which is available to hire for weddings and other events.

Who won The Traitors season 1?

The Faithful were triumphant in season one's dramatic finale, which originally looked set to be scooped by Traitor Wilf Webster.

Wilf had managed to get most of the Faithful contestants on side and convinced that he was one of them, but he made a fatal mistake by deciding to recruit Kieran Tompsett to the dark side in the final days of the contest.

After becoming worried that Kieran could not hide his new Traitor status, Wilf engineered his banishment - but Kieran came uncomfortably close to breaking the rules of the game by strongly suggesting to the rest of the Faithful that Wilf had conned them.

Faithfuls Aaron Evans, Meryl Williams and Hannah Byczkowski agreed to banish Wilf and won the prize money, but in an unexpectedly emotional final scene Wilf explained how he had made sure his favourite Faithfuls stayed in until the end to give them the best chance of winning.

The Traitors season one and The Traitors US are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.