The Traitors series two opening episode pulled in an impressive 3.1million viewers as it returned to the BBC on Wednesday night. 

The show which aired from 9pm-10pm peaked with around 3.1million watching, according to data supplied by overnights.tv.

The numbers will likely shoot up further on iPlayer over the coming days as many that would have been watching live could have instead been tuned into the PDC World Darts Championship featuring phenomenon Luke Littler.

It is a significant increase on the numbers watching last year’s opening episode, which hit 2.9million viewers.

Series two’s opening episode was also second highest overnight rating yet for the show overall – only slightly less than the series one final.

The Traitors series two opening episode pulled in an impressive 3.1million viewers as it returned to the BBC on Wednesday night (host Claudia Winkleman pictured)

The show which aired from 9pm-10pm peaked with around 3.1million watching, according to data supplied by overnights.tv

That final was watched by 3.3million as the show came to a dramatic conclusion.

The hotly-anticipated series returned to screens on Wednesday night with Claudia Winkleman as host for a second series.

Already fans were left in turmoil after having to choose what to watch between The Traitors and the World Darts Championship final.

And if that wasn’t enough, the show ended on a huge cliffhanger, leaving fans to wait a whole 24-hours until the next episode – or do they?

One of the shows format changes is that episodes two and three are currently available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

On Wednesday’s launch show, Claudia, 51, announced Harry, Ash and Paul as the three chosen Traitors.

The other 19 contestants remain as Faithfuls and will have to try and work out who they think could be a Traitor, before getting murdered – axed from the show.

However, bringing a totally different light to this season, the Traitors were given the task to pick a fourth Traitor to join their clan – but their identify wasn’t revealed as it ended on a dramatic cliffhanger.

It is a significant increase on the numbers watching last year’s opening episode, which hit 2.9million viewers

The hotly-anticipated series returned to screens on Wednesday night with Claudia Winkleman as host for a second series

Although the trio narrowed it down between Andrew, Diane, Miles or Sonja to join them, viewers will have to wait until Thursday night’s episode to find out.

Fans raced to X, formerly known as Twitter, in fury after the episode ended right on a climax.

Viewers wrote: ‘Don’t leave us on a cliffhanger, say we can watch the next episode on @BBCiplayer and then not have the episode on @BBCiplayer yet!!!’

‘I forgot how much this show loves a cliffhanger’.

‘I hate the cliffhanger because I wanted to try and watch as they air but now I can’t believe I have to wait a day’.

‘Ok I’m giving in and going to watch the next episode. That cliffhanger was too evil to leave on it’.

In another notable change, Claudia asked the contestants to line up outside Ardross Castle near Inverness in the order of who they believe is most likely to win.

This also happened at the start of the 2022 show and two people at the end of the line were immediately sent home.

However in a new twist, this year Claudia revealed they were merely taunting the contestants as she welcomed them all inside.

She then asked each contestant whether they would rather be a traitor or a faithful in a one-on-one chat.

22 strangers are playing the ultimate game of detection, backstabbing and trust, in the hope of winning up to £120,000.

In the show, the majority of contestants are ‘Faithfuls’ and must work out who amongst them are ‘Traitors’ – who have the opportunity to ‘murder’ a fellow contestant each night.

On Wednesday’s launch show, Claudia announced Harry (left), Ash (middle) and Paul (right) as the three chosen Traitors

The other 19 contestants remain as Faithfuls and will have to try and work out who they think could be a Traitor, before getting murdere

The group has daily ‘banishments’ in which they must vote to kick out who they think is a Traitor, all while working together on challenges to raise money for the prize fund.

In addition, the contestants compete in various ‘missions’, which up until now have had the aim of increasing the prize pot.

But as she addressed the castmates for the 2024 season as they lined up beside a loch, Claudia revealed that this year’s missions have arrived with a new twist.

As well as providing the opportunity of raising £15,000 for the prize pot, Claudia added a surprising new layer to the challenges.