Australia will be taking another stab at a local version of The Traitors with a new version hosted by the much-loved Gretel Killeen coming to Channel 10 in 2026.
With the UK version hosted by Claudia Winkelman and the US version fronted by Alan Cumming both being huge successes, and a new Irish version launching, not to mention a star-studded UK celebrity edition about to begin, Aussie TV bosses must be scratching their heads wondering why our own take on the franchise floundered after just two series.
Network 10 ran two series of the show with actor Roger Corser as the host before announcing the show would be “resting” after its second series aired in 2023. Now it’s going to be back with a new host and a new location.
Killeen shared her excitement about her new role.
“As a writer and performer, I love a new experience and hosting the new Traitors gives me permission to explore an alternate version of myself in an imaginary place, full of challenging mischief.” she said.
Killeen hosted Big Brother on the station for seven seasons beginning in 2001. She was dropped ahead of the eighth season in favour of radio personalities Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O.
The show later moved to Channel Nine with Sonia Kruger as host, before finding a home on Channel 7 in recent years, again with Kruger as the liasons between audiences and the housemates. In November Big Brother will return to its original format on Channel 10 for its 16th series with Mel Tracina as the host.
Since leaving Big Brother Killeen has been largely absent from out screens. She’s hosted the occasional award show, and teamed up with Matt Okine in 2015 for the ABC series How Not To Behave. In 2019 Killeen had a short stint on the first series of The Masked Singer where she was an Octopus – she was voted off in the first ever episode.
Most recently Gretel Killeen has been back on our screens taking part in the current of The Amazing Race Australia – Celebrity Edition, completing with her daughter Epiphany.
Celebrity Traitors UK begins in October
There’s a lot of anticipation about the Celebrity Edition of the UK version of the show which kicks off in October with quite a few queer famous faces in the mix.
Joining Claudia in the castle will be comedian Alan Carr, Olympic diver Tom Daley, the brilliant Stephen Fry, and broadcaster Clare Balding.
Plus in the mix is actor Tameka Empson who memorably appeared in the film Beautiful Thing, actor Celia Imrie, singers Cat Burns and Charlotte Church, filmmaker David Olusoga, rugby player Joe Marler, comedians Lucy Beaumont, Joe Wilkinson, Nick Mohammed, plus actors Mark Bonnar and Ruth Codd, content creator Niko Omilana, pop star Paloma Faith and broadcasters Kate Garraway and Jonathan Ross.
The series will be available via Channel 10’s online streaming platform 10 Play.
