Forget Squid Game, the best reality show launched a year ago and is coming back

On the day that Netflix's supermassive reality show Squid Game: The Challenge releases its second batch of episodes, I can't help but remember the anniversary of what is actually the greatest reality show of all time. 

The first episode of The Traitors premiered on this day last year and it was peak television. Squid Game has had mixed reviews, but I've actually gotten really into it, especially the social aspects of the game. There was one episode where the contestants were tasked with voting off three of the contestants and it reminded me of what made The Traitors so great. 

This game of social deduction and deception is essentially the old party game Werewolf/Mafia on a much grander scale. Players gathered in a Scottish manor to root out the 'Traitors' amongst the 'Faithful' and it made for some of the tensest television (and best knitwear) of all time, thanks largely to a superb cast, with the likes of Wilf and Maddie still burnt into my brain. And it's coming back very soon.

Season 2 of The Traitors is set to arrive from the shadows in early 2024, and with the show's creators confirming more twists and turns, I can't wait. People going in this time around, expecting to know how the game is played should bring an interesting new dynamic, and bigger pride before they fall. Despite the cash prize at stake, contestants in the first series genuinely couldn't help forming bonds with each other which made it all the more heartbreaking (and in a way funny) as they were eliminated.

Of course, we have also seen international versions of the show with the US version being a mix of celebrities and ordinary people. In fact, season 2 of the US show features Former Speaker John Bercow (we've gone through the looking-glass people)! 

There's no shortage of reality TV around at the moment with Prime Video also going big with its Bond-themed show but my anticipation for The Traitors is on another level.