Alan Cumming's Wardrobe Is the Star of the 'The Traitors' Season 3 Trailer

As the year winds down, many are looking forward to the arrival of Santa Claus or the moment when the old year gives way to the new. But for some of us, the best thing about the turn of the year is that a new season of The Traitors is almost upon us. (And with it, the return of host Alan Cumming's delightful assortment of tartan-themed sartorial choices.) The series was Peacock's biggest breakout hit of 2024, becoming the No. 1 unscripted series in the U.S. across all streaming platforms during launch week, according to Nielsen, and winning the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program as well as a hosting award for Cumming. If the trailer for the upcoming season is anything to go by, the show will certainly not slow down any time soon. 

The Season 3 cast includes nearly two dozen reality stars from 14 different franchises, including Survivor, Big Brother, Vanderpump Rules, RuPaul's Drag Race, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Bachelorette, Selling Sunset, and more. 

Since it's not like the trailer can reveal who among the cast will be the mysterious Traitors at the center of the game, much of the clip is focused on various (in)famous reality stars making dire pronouncements about how willing they are to play dirty and why no one can be trusted. Most importantly, Peacock doesn't skimp on showing off Cumming's assortment of new Season 3 looks, which are even more fabulous and dramatic than last time*. 

(*If you watch the show, you already know that is saying something.) 

Here's the series' description.

Emmy Award-winning series The Traitors is a nail-biting psychological adventure in which treachery and deceit are the name of the game. The entertainment industry’s most competitive reality stars and famous faces play the ultimate murder mystery game. 

The game alternates between phases as the Faithfuls attempt to identify and banish a Traitor, while the Traitors gleefully select a Faithful to "murder" each night. All the while, the group must work together each day in a series of increasingly bizarre and frequently hilarious challenges to earn money for the prize fund. At the game's conclusion, if the Faithful can banish all the Traitors, the surviving contestants who make it to the end can split the cash, but if one Traitor remains among them, that person takes it all. This may sound silly, but it's a bit like an Agatha Christie murder mystery... just made into a reality competition. It makes for wildly addictive television as massive lies are told, betrayals are plotted, and dramatic accusations are flung with abandon. (There will inevitably be tears when a Faithful everyone believed was a Tratior was banished, and it's such fun.)

The Traitors isn't just returning to the U.S. in January; the U.K. version, with host Claudia Winkleman, also launches its third season as the BBC's entry in the very competitive New Year's Day ratings derby, going up against the return of Vera on ITV and the latest Harlan Coben miniseries, Missing You, on Netflix. Moreover, the franchise just announced the launch of an Irish version with Derry Girls' Siobhán McSweeney as host. 

Seasons 1 and 2 of The Traitors are currently streaming on Peacock, alongside both seasons of the series' U.K. version. Season 3 will premiere on January 9, 2025.