THREE contestants axed from the first episode of The Traitors will return to the show in a shock twist.
Viewers will see ex-British diplomat Alexander, 38, outreach manager Fozia, 50, and market trader and landscaper Jack, 24, make a dramatic comeback.
They sacrificed themselves in last week’s first episode when they all volunteered to get off the train headed to the Scottish castle set.
But they will return to the BBC One show when it resumes on Wednesday.
A TV insider said: “It took months of careful and stringent casting to scour the nation for the best characters, with producers sifting through over 300,000 applications.
“So Beeb bosses weren’t going to let these three brilliant personalities go without any proper airtime.
“It was all left to chance in the first few scenes as to who would get kicked off the show, as the contestants decided among themselves.
“So producers had planned all along to save the trio and reinstate them further down the line as the game hots up.
“A ruthless new challenge will be introduced to maximise the drama and see contestants vying for survival. It’s going to be nail-biting viewing.”
Their return was teased at the end of Friday night’s third episode.
A cliffhanger showed three hooded figures on a horse-drawn carriage marked as “rail replacement”.
Speaking ahead of the series, Londoner Alexander said he was looking forward to showing off his negotiation skills once in the castle.
Yorkshire lad Jack said he would spend the £120,000 prize money on a plot of land for his parents.
And Fozia reckoned she would be great at spotting a liar, saying: “I’ve met a few snakes in my time.”
