THERE was a shocking and savage twist in the first episode of The Traitors as three contestants were AXED before they even entered the castle.
Claudia Winkleman, 52, returned to the airwaves to front the popular BBC One murder mystery show.
25 contestants were sorted into three train carriages that made their way up to Scotland to start the third series of The Traitors.
But midway through the journey, the collection of vehicles came to a sudden stop miles away from the infamous Highlands castle.
Claudia’s voice was then heard on each respective intercom, announcing the first surprise challenge.
She announced that £10,000 would be added straight to the prize pot as a gift.
But she also told the group that despite there being 25 people on board, there were only 22 spaces around the roundtable in the game.
One person from each carriage was forced to disembark before the game even started.
It was up to each group within the carriage to decide which player would exit the process amongst themselves.
They only had 10 minutes to make their decision and for every minute that passed, £1,000 pounds would be deducted.
In the first few seconds, every player was stunned into silence as the gravity of the twist sunk in.
Barber Tyler, 29, broke down in tears as he was desperate to stay on the train and make his way up to Scotland to be an official player.
After an emotional set of deliberations, Outreach Manager Fozia, 50, Market Trader and Landscaper Jack, 24, both volunteered to get off the train.
In the third carriage, it was former British Diplomat Alexander, 38, nominated himself to leave the process early after three minutes.
It seemed that there were instant regrets amongst the contestants as Jack admitted: “Yep, I feel like an absolute fool.”
Before they continued the journey, Claudia then announced that the group successfully banked £7,000 for the prize jackpot.
We’re here to eliminate people, and I don’t feel any shame about it to be honest
Jack
Although many of the players seemed to be shocked by the outcome, some were more than happy to see the back of the contestants.
33-year-old Bank Risk Manager Jack appeared to be absolutely delighted by the turn of events.
He admitted: “As soon as those three got off the train I was like, ‘Yes! It’s begun’.
“That’s what we are here to do, we’re here to eliminate people, and I don’t feel any shame about it to be honest.”
The Traitors continues on BBC One and is available to watch on iPlayer.
