The Traitors has axed a controversial twist from its next series - with the show boss admitting 'it didn't feel very satisfying'.

The smash-hit BBC show's fourth series concluded in January, with Traitors Rachel Duffy and Stephen Libby taking home the prize money.

While the programme is known for its many twists and turns, a huge one will not make a comeback in series five.

In series four, host Claudia Winkleman appointed a red-cloaked Secret Traitor - with fellow Traitors and even viewers unaware of their identity at first.

Episode four revealed it was government officer Fiona Hughes, 62, who thereafter joined the other Traitors in the turret.

Speaking at an industry event, Stephen Lambert, CEO of production company Studio Lambert, which is behind The Traitors, discussed the twist.

According to IGN, he said: 'We introduced the idea of a secret Traitor as a way of doing something that was different, but it wasn’t something we wanted to keep going with.'

He continued: 'A good format is something that’s designed in such a way that people feel a sense of familiarity with it, which is why they want to keep coming back to come back and watch it.

'But intrinsically it’s designed so that there’s sufficient variation – partly, obviously, through the change of cast, but also you want to make little changes within it.’ 

Stephen concluded: ‘There have been other shows which have done something similar, where the audience didn’t know who the mole was and the trouble is you’re completely a victim of the edit and that doesn’t feel very satisfying.'

Meanwhile, the show's US counterpart also used the Secret Traitor twist in its latest run - but the payoff wasn't as expected.

Donna Kelce, 73, mother of Taylor Swift's fiancé Travis Kelce, was chosen by host Alan Cumming for the elusive role.

Unlike Fiona, Donna was a very early departure from the castle, with the secret being exposed upon her banishment in episode three.

It comes as the BBC has signed a bumper three-year deal for both The Traitors and Celebrity Traitors. 

Fans of the much-loved show will be happy to know that they will be locked in on our screens until 2030.

The Traitors, which is made by Studio Lambert Scotland, hit our screens in 2022 and has gone on to have four successful series. 

Meanwhile the celebrity version premiered its first series earlier this year, following on from the success of the civilian series.

So fans can expect The Traitors series five on BBC One and iPlayer next year, followed by series six in 2028, series seven in 2029 and series eight in 2030. 

Celebrity Traitors series two will be back later this year, followed by series three next year, followed by a fourth in 2028 and a fifth in 2029.  

According to the Beeb, the shows 'will continue to promise audiences even more twists, turns, secrets, epic missions, deception, banishments and, of course, murders aplenty from the now iconic Ardross Castle'.

And the renewed commitment 'reflects the BBC's ongoing investment in original, high-impact entertainment that captivates and brings together audiences'. 

The regular series this year smashed viewing figures after 6.9MILLION fans tune in for record-breaking launch show. 

The number surpassed all previous premieres, including the celebrity version, which attracted 6.5 million viewers, and the last civilian series opener in January, which garnered 5.4 million views.

The Traitors 2026 had 12.5m 28-average viewing, in contrast to last year's which was 10.3m, and 6.6m of the audience watched the programme on BBC iPlayer. 

Meanwhile comedian Alan Carr was crowned winner of the first ever celebrity series.

He was joined by the likes of Celia Imrie, Charlotte Church, Joe Marler, Jonathan Ross, Lucy Beaumont, Mark Bonnar, Nick Mohammed, Niko Omilana, Paloma Faith, Ruth Codd, Stephen Fry, Tameka Empson, Tom Daley, Cat Burns, David Olusoga, Joe Wilkinson and Kate Garraway.